Reading the Bible as one book: following its big story

Here's the introduction to my second seminar at MEPC on how to read the Bible for yourself. In it, I deal with how & why we read the Bible as one book - "biblical theology". You'll see I basically take Graeme Goldsworthy's approach, with a bit of classic covenant theology thrown in for extra flavour. Advice & feedback appreciated.
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As we listen carefully to the Bible, in its own voice, we see that the whole Bible is about God creating for himself a people, who live joyfully under his rule, in an environment of blessing. One way to sum up the whole story of the Bible is: God wants a people, in his place, living under his rule.
At key points in the Bible’s unfolding story, God sums up his purposes in a covenant. These covenants build on God’s past actions, sum up God’s relationship with the world at that point in time, and look forward to another significant step in God’s plan. These covenants are made with individuals or groups who will play a key role in God’s plan. They invite people to structure their lives around God’s plan for the world – that is, covenants invite faith.

Jesus fulfils God’s plan (*shock!*). He is God’s person – and he makes us to be God’s people, by dying and rising for us. He is God’s place – he is the focal point of all of God’s blessings – and he takes us to God’s place – the glorious new creation. He expresses God’s rule, both by perfectly living under God’s rule, and by being God’s promised ruler.
By fulfilling God’s plan, Jesus is the mediator of God’s covenant. Jesus, in his life, death, resurrection and ascension, builds on all of God’s past actions, perfectly sums up God’s relationship with the world, and gives us the certain confidence of the final step in God’s plan: the renewal of all creation when he comes again. Jesus now invites all people everywhere to structure their lives around him – that is, Jesus invites us to have faith in him.

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