Christian Higher Education in the Baptist Tradition
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 62, No. 2 – Spring 2020
Editor: David S. Dockery
By Gregory K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020, xvii+538pp., $55.00
Gregory K. Beale, J. Gresham Machen Chair of New Testament at Westminister Theological Seminary, and Benjamin Gladd, associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, first conceived The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament approximately a decade prior to its publication. They initially envisioned a textbook that would take both the story of Scripture and biblical theology seriously. The final product has more than exceeded their original goal. The authors have produced a biblical-theological introduction to the NT that looks at every major NT passage in the light of the OT.
The intended audience is primarily college students with some familiarity with the Bible. Nevertheless, The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament is remarkably accessible, even for students with limited exposure to the Bible.
One important aim of the authors is to survey the NT writings giving special attention to their retelling of the story of redemption, a grand narrative that follows the general pattern of creation, fall, and redemption. This story, which according to Beale and Gladd is both Israel’s story and the church’s story, began in the Garden with Adam and Eve (Gen 1-3) and will culminate with the arrival of the new heaven and earth (Rev 21-22). Seeing a continuity between the Testaments, then, the authors suggest that one must read the NT while also listening carefully for the voice of the OT. Beale and Gladd’s approach of integrating the OT into the NT by incorporating the story of redemption is unique compared to most NT introductions in two specific ways. First, the majority of introductions explore the distinctive contribution of each NT writing separate from the OT (most NT introductions do not even include a chapter on the OT’s influence on the NT). Second, they focus on relevant historical, cultural, and sociological features tied to the NT.
The book contains twenty-eight chapters. In chapter one, Beale and Gladd present the storyline of the entire Bible, a grand story that includes God’s dealings with humanity to bring about his divine redemption. The authors return to this storyline throughout their work, seeking to trace its incorporation by each NT author into his writing(s).
In chapter two, the authors discuss the use of the OT in the NT through quotations, allusions, and concepts (pp. 18-23). Beale and Gladd provide a helpful presentation of the diverse ways in which the NT writers employ OT quotations and allusions (pp. 23-30), including direct fulfillment, indirect or typological fulfillment, analogy, symbol, abiding authority, prototype, and irony. They demonstrate that one should not understand most NT uses of the OT as examples of prophetic fulfillment.
The third chapter provides a brief introduction to the Gospels. The authors discuss basic issues in preparation for chapters four through seven, which examine the Gospels in greater detail. Additional chapters that review major genres such as history and epistle would have been helpful.
The longest portion of the book surveys each NT writing. Each chapter contains four subsections. Subsection one summarizes basic historical (e.g., authorship, date, purpose) and literary matters (e.g., outline, genre). In regard to issues of historical background, Beale and Gladd follow closely D. A. Carson and Douglas Moo’s An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).
In the second subsection (Biblical-Theological Themes), the authors focus on one or two significant themes or passages within the NT writing under discussion and briefly discuss its tie to the history of redemption. For example, in their survey of Acts, Beale and Gladd highlight the link between Joel’s prophecy of the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29) and Pentecost (Acts 2) (pp. 154-155), as well as the theme of the Word of God as presented in Genesis (Gen 1:28; 2:16-17; 3:1-7) and Acts (Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20) (pp. 155-156). By identifying the biblical-theological connections, readers are able to grasp the important links between the Testaments.
Beale and Gladd’s discussion of biblical-theological themes is followed in subsection three by a survey of the major sections of the NT writing. At the beginning of each major section, the authors isolate a particular thread that runs from the OT to the NT text under examination. For instance, in their discussion of Acts they see the expansion of God’s glory as an important thread that runs from the OT into the NT (pp. 156-78). In addition, within this subsection Beale and Gladd incorporate Genesis 1-3 or some aspect of Israel’s history or experience into the NT passage. The authors also include more than 285 images (e.g., paintings, sculptures, photos) that illustrate how biblical events have been portrayed throughout history, such as Job and His Wife (Dürer), Belshazzar’s Feast (Rembrandt), and The Prophet Zacharias (Michelangelo).
In the last subsection, Beale and Gladd explore each major section of a NT writing, seeking to identify some textual or conceptual relationship to the OT. For example, they discuss the Passover behind Jesus’s death in the fourth Gospel (p. 149), the Israelites’ grumbling in the wilderness behind Phil 2:14 (p. 293), and the Egyptian plagues behind the trumpets in Rev 8:6-9:1 (pp. 478-479).
Beale and Gladd have written a commendable work. They illustrate well the unity between the Testaments, the reoccurrence of the story of redemption, and the role of the OT in informing the NT. A careful reading of The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament will result in a theologically rich reading of the NT.
