The Unfolding Plan of God in the Book by Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology

In Biblical Theology, Geerhardus Vos provides the results of his biblical understanding that he obtained from his 39 years of teaching at Princeton Seminary. The book is a compilation of his teaching notes edited by his own son to make it available for publication. (vi) In this collection, Vos provides an account of the unfolding plan of God in the history of redemption by analyzing God’s special revelation. While mapping out the history of redemption, throughout the book he is constantly dialoging and refuting the liberal theories of the history of religions school and the speculations of the higher critics from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The book is divided into three segments: the Mosaic epoch, prophetic epoch and New Testament epochs of revelation. Vos begins in the first two chapters by defining Biblical Theology as that branch of exegetical theology, which deals with the process of the self-revelation of God deposited in the Bible. (5) Biblical theology develops progressively, as God reveals Himself in history through both His actions and words to us in Scripture. In chapters three through five, Vos covers the pre-redemptive revelation to Adam, the Noachian revelation, and the period between Noah and the Patriarchs. Then in chapters six and seven we explore revelation during the patriarchal period and the period of Moses.

In part 2, the prophetic epoch of revelation is explored and a fundamental understanding of the prophetic is first developed. Followed by discussion of the theories, concepts, mode, reception and content of prophecy in the biblical revelation.

In part 3, the revelation of the New Testament is explored with primary and exclusive focus on the gospels and Jesus. Revelation connected with the...

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... writes, “we are not warranted, however, in seeking an exclusively personal reference to the Messiah here, as though He alone were meant by ‘the woman’s seed’. Old Testament Revelation approaches the concept of a personal Messiah very gradually.” (43-44) But when taking into consideration later biblical revelation, it is clear that the Messiah is being referred to in Genesis 3:15. It can also be deduced that a virgin born Messiah may be in view.

A final weakness of Vos’ work, primarily because it is a compilation by his son, is that it unfortunately does not extend the discussion of Biblical Theology to the Pauline epistles and also provides no discussion on the Apocalypse. But overall, Biblical Theology is a dense and deep theological read packed with truth and deep theological reflection throughout. Definitely a must read for the serious theological student.