The appeal of biblical theology to Christians is that it provides a 'big picture' that makes sense of the bulk and variety of the biblical literature. It seeks to view the whole scene of God's revelation of his one mighty plan of salvation. The Bible ceases to be a mass of unconnected texts, and begins to look like a unity that connects the narratives of Israel with those of the four Gospels; that shows up the progression from creation to new creation; and that highlights the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the prime focus of the whole Bible. If the Bible is indeed the one word of the one God about the one way of salvation through the one Saviour, Jesus Christ, it is biblical theology that reveals this to us.
Over the last fifty years, Graeme Goldsworthy has refined his understanding of biblical theology that came about as a result of his experiences as a student, a pastor and a teacher in theological education. His approach was first presented in Gospel and Kingdom, and more comprehensively in According to Plan. It has been welcomed in some circles, but has also not been without its critics.
In this valuable complement to his volume Gospel-Centred Hermeneutics, Goldsworthy defends and refines the rationale for his approach, which has drawn particularly on that developed by the Australian biblical scholar Donald Robinson. His conviction is that biblical theology is foundational for evangelical hermeneutics, indispensable in expository preaching, and the heartbeat of effective pastoral ministry.