Biblical Reasoning: Christological and Trinitarian Rules for Exegesis

by R.B. Jamieson, Tyler R. Wittman

Two experts in exegesis and dogmatics show how Christology and the Trinity are grounded in Scripture and how knowledge of these topics is critical for exegesis. The book outlines key theological principles and rules for the exegesis of Christian Scripture, making it an ideal textbook for hermeneutics and interpretation courses. The authors explore how the triune God revealed in Christ shapes Scripture and its readers and how doctrinal rules intrinsic to Scripture help guide exegesis.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2022

About the author

Bobby Jamieson is a Ph.D. student in New Testament and affiliated lecturer in New Testament Greek at the University of Cambridge. He and his wife are members of Eden Baptist Church, and they live in Cambridge with their three children. Bobby previously served as assistant editor for 9Marks.

Reviews

[Zachary Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. Occasionally the book suffers stylistically from the two author format, but this is a needed and useful treatment of the integration of exegesis and dogmatics, particularly with reference to the Trinity in the text.

[Todd Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read this year and the next book that our ThM colloquium will read (spring semester). The book presents as an aid to exegesis, but really also serves as a primer and guide for navigating the mysterious waters of Trinitarian Theology and Christology. My theology lecture notes will be littered with quotes and citations from this book.

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently my top contender for the best book of the year. I cannot commend it enough.

[Jack Schutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read this year. Deep and practical applications of Nicene and Chalcedonian truths about God’s triune nature and the two natures of Christ. Shows that exegesis and theology are inseparably tied together, mutually informing the other, as we seek to understand and reason with scripture with the end of beholding Christ rightly.


“Beholding Christ by faith requires that we hear and obey Christ's teaching. In order to understand Christ's teaching, we must reason both exegetically and dogmatically. And we pursue this project of biblical reasoning in service to biblical living, in the confident hope that one day faith will give way to sight.”

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that's so good I don't actually have much to say about it. It's great, you should read it. And if you find yourself disagreeing with the authors you should probably repent. (Some points deducted for occasionally clunky and redundant writing [curiously interspersed with genuinely some of the best theological prose I've read recently].)

[Richard Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

”We read God’s glorious self-testimony in order to behold a glory that makes us glorious. This is the way Christians read Scripture because it is the way Christians live.” - pg 238

I'd like to do a full review but for now here are some taster thoughts:

The goal of this book is to provide a biblically derived toolkit for better exegesis, exegesis which has the goal of seeing God.

A book on exegesis that begins and ends with the beatific vision. A book on how to study the Bible that itself can make your heart sing as it shows you the majesty of your God.

You can use this book to show that trinitarian classical theism flows directly from biblical exegesis one step at a time - but this book is not about winning debates, it’s about beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ through his scriptures.

Summary
This book is doing a very narrow and specific thing but it is a very important thing AND it does it brilliantly: the book derives 7 principles and 10 rules from the Bible that should in turn be used in studying the Bible further.

If we believe that a single divine author stands behind the entire Bible, we should believe it is to be interpreted as a coherent whole and hence truths derived from one part of scripture must inform our study of other parts of scripture.

The question being asked is “how does the Bible teach us to read the Bible?” far more could be said in answer to the question than this book covers, BUT, better to do a few things well than try and do too much. The 7 principles and 10 rules the book derives from scripture focus on the nature of God and Christ - taken together they show how Nicene Trinitarianism and Chalcedonian Christology arise from scripture and then further inform our study of scripture.

All of this is done to promote our worship of God in Christ as we behold his glory.

[Derrick Kenyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. This book was a schooling in historical theology, Trinitarianism, Christology, and hermeneutics. This was a slow read but was so worth it. This is one of the best books I’ve read. Highly recommend it!

“To behold the glory of the crucified Christ is to know now by faith what we will one day see in truth, with unveiled face: the glory that embraces us, purifies us, and raises us further up and further in to the radiant beauty of God. This is the end of Christian exegesis because it is the end of the Christian life” (238).

[Conner Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will prove to be helpful for many. I wish I could give out a copy of this whenever I talk with others about how becoming a better reader of the Bible involves seeing the primary purpose of the scriptures: to reveal the glory of the Triune God who became man for us and for our salvation.

Every teacher, preacher, and reader of the Bible needs to grasp the mutual dependence between theology and exegesis.

[Scott Bielinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblical Reasoning is an excellent work of theology and devotion. Readers owe Wittman and Jamieson a debt of serious and sincere gratitude for a work that is rigorous, clear, brilliant, and, above all, lovely. It's a marvelous tribute to John Webster, the theologian whose own excellent work inspired this book. 

Insisting that an insufficient understanding of Scripture's purpose (to foster a vision of Christ's glory) harms how we interpret Scripture, Wittman and Jamieson articulate the deep relationship between dogmatics and exegesis, arguing that they stand together in God's redemptive economy. Dogmatics and exegesis are mutually enriching. Exegetical reasoning offers the sense of the text. Dogmatic reasoning helps us to rightly coordinate what is happening in the text with the canon of Scripture. Over the course of the book, they develop ten rules that aid our reading of Scripture and clarify its subject matter. 

It is a brilliant work through and through. More than its brilliance, though, is its beauty. Wittman and Jamieson remind us that exegesis is a form of spiritual ascesis, purifying our minds as we behold the God who loves us. Interpretation, then, is a spiritual event and a spiritual reality that leads us deeper and deeper into the most profound reality of the Christian life: friendship with God. Can you think of a more enticing (and, of course, true!) reason to take up and read the Scriptures?

"We read God's glorious self-testimony in order to behold a glory that makes us glorious. This is the way Christians read Scripture because it is the way Christians live." (238)

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. The thesis of the book can be summed up in this quote - “Theology is exegesis, and exegesis is inescapably theological.”

This book has helped me to see holding fast to historical formulations of the Trinity, the hypostatic Union, inseparable operations, etc. is not putting historical theology above exegesis. It is in fact the opposite. The history of the church has used certain terms and language in order to rightly convey what scripture itself speaks.

[Kirk Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worshipful read through and through.

[Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this one. The authors take the best instincts of the Theological Retrieval movement (a movement that I’ve had my own concerns about) and ground them in rich exegesis of the biblical text. The result is a model of both exegesis and dogmatics where the former gives rise to the latter while the latter in turn improves the former. They brilliantly demonstrate how Trinitarian theology and Christology not only are derived from the biblical text but in fact enhance our understanding of the biblical text, which is an aspect of hermeneutics that often gets overlooked.

This book was truly outstanding and clarifying for me in many ways. Easy five stars.

[Kristjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past several years I have read a lot of books that attempt to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity and without fail I always ended up more confused about the idea at the end of the book than when I started … except with this book. Although the authors target the book at biblical scholars and theologians (the respective specialties of the authors), the material is presented in a highly organized and pedagogical process that will keep even casual readers engaged with good comprehension of the concepts. Perhaps what makes this book so exception is that the primary goal is not to explain the Trinity, but to provide the reader with a series of principles and rules with which to approach biblical study in order to understand what scripture is actually telling us … and then by way of example, applies these principles and rules to one of the most difficult mysteries to understanding in christianity … the Trinity. Because of that, it takes great pains to ensure that you know exactly what the underlying terms means (such as Begetting, Spiration, Procession, Mode, et al) before using them. Definitions and examples are probably the elements most often missing in the previous books I have read and it makes a huge difference in comprehension.

The first three chapters of the book lay the foundation of the methods that will be used to form what the authors refer to as a biblical reasoning tool-kit that ultimately should be used in all biblical exegesis. These rules are further refined in the next five (5) chapters following a four (4) part structure: “biblical pressure, theological grammar, [identifying/defining common] rules, and exegetical application of the rule(s).” The last chapter (10) applies everything we have just been taught to a single passage from the Gospel of John (5:17-30) and how that passage reveals the trinitarian mystery. In the end … the Trinity and the Incarnation are probably too enigmatic to understanding completely, but with this book, at least I feel that I am making progress and that I now have the tools necessary to continue my search for even greater understanding.

Introduction
Chapter 1 - Seek His Face Always
Chapter 2 - The School of Christ
Chapter 3 - The Curriculum of Christ
Chapter 4 - Worthy Are You
Chapter 5 - The Lord Is One
Chapter 6 - Varieties of Activities but the Same God
Chapter 7 - One and the Same The Unity of Christ and the Communications of Idioms
Chapter 8 - Greater Than Himself and Less Than Himself
Chapter 9 - God from God
Chapter 10 - Putting the Rule-Kit to Work


I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#BiblicalReasoning #NetGalley

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book requires some hard work on the readers part--but it is all the hard work of digging into the text of Scripture and considering our Lord and Savior.

Jamieson and Wittman are careful guides in laying out clear theological principles that should guide and will help your reading of the bible. Particular attention is given to the doctrine of God and the person of Christ in the Gospel narratives. The authors help demonstrate that the doctrines of the Trinity and the two natures of Christ are not a distant abstraction imposed on the Bible, but are the clear truth that both the Bible attests to and the reader must believe in order to understand the Bible's testimony.

Best of all, though this work is certainly academic and demanding, it is single-mindedly focused on leading you to greater heights of worship and more profound depths of appreciation of the wisdom of our God.

[Micah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. A seminary unto itself. This should be required reading for anyone hoping to preach, pastor, or theologize. I wish I could give it 6 stars. I will be reading this yearly until I've internalized it.

[Travis Robnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important book! It should be in every serious Bible reader’s library to be used as a reference book (after reading through it) for whenever they encounter a difficult passage regarding the triune God.

[David Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally helpful, well-conceived, and well-organized.

[Brenden Wentworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! Dense but so good.
Per the authors, theology is exegesis, and exegesis is informed by theology. This book is a master class on how to read the Bible accurately and unapologetically Christian.
We don’t interpret scripture neutral.
The question is not a matter of whether we have theological presuppositions when we approach the text. But whether our theological presuppositions are on par with God’s character and biblically consistent with the mainpoint of the Bible: the story of redemption through Jesus Christ.
All of sound biblical interpretation has this as its foundation and end goal: seeing and savoring the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Son did not become incarnate in obedience to the Father, but to become obedient to the Father as the second Adam. It is soteriologically necessary that the will the Son submits to the Father is human. That the Son is able to subordinate his will to the Father is therefore a feature not of his divinity, nor of his eternal, divine sonship, but of the human nature he assumed for our salvation." - Bobby Jamieson

A very helpful and insightful handbook on the interplay between exegesis and systematics, especially the doctrine of the Trinity and Christology. This book is filled with illuminating examples of how exegesis and theology aren't at odds with one another, but actually work together and shape one another. The specific exegesis of passages in John's gospel and Paul's letters will definitely be pages I turn to again.

I do think the book being written by two authors is a weakness. While both sections of the book are well written, I personally found Jamieson's chapters easier to understand and more insightful. I think this makes sense due to the fact that Jamieson is a Pastor and NT scholar whereas Wittman is a theology professor. It was just easier for me to relate to and follow Jamieson's train of thought. While the doctrine of the Trinity is complicated enough, it seemed at times (particularly the earlier chapters) the book was more complicated than it needed to be. Once the authors started dealing with specific texts, I think their arguments were clearer and more compelling.

All in all, a great book really dealing with Trinitarian Hermeneutics. The Bible's account of the Triune God simply pressures us to think deeply and theologically about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in every page. After all, while there are central themes in Scripture, nothing is more central than the Triune God himself. In sum, definitely a book I would recommend.

[Garrett Costi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best-written exegetical/theological book I have ever read. It is systematic in its structure, clear in its syntax, and unpretentious in word choice. The authors avoid excessive nominalization, which is the common error of religious academic works which makes them unenjoyable. Five stars!

Also, the content itself is excellent. The authors clearly come from a place of confessional trinitarianism and Christology, and their proposal of 'theological exegesis' is historical, not historic.

[Lucas Bradburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. One of the best hermeneutics textbooks I have read. A project of retrieval and exegesis at one and the same time. Demonstrates how the ancient interpreters fundamentally got it right when it comes to putting together the Bible's teaching about Christ and the Trinity. Also shows how dogmatic reasoning is instrumental to the interpretive process. Highly recommended. Definitely a top five read for the year (and it's only January!).

[Bobby James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read anything recommended by Scott Bielinski and this reminded me why that’s a good rule. 5/5!

This is not just a book about reading and interpreting Scripture. It is a call to a life of piety and knowing God since “exegesis should be a form of worship that conforms us to its Object.” (79)

I won’t pretend to write a competent review on it. But imagine knowing your whole life that 1+1=2 then having a PhD mathematician sit you down and tell you that there’s centuries of other mathematicians and methods behind that simple problem. Then you realize how much those other mathematicians worked on adding and subtracting so that you could do advanced calculus and take it for granted that 1+1=2. Only to discover that 1+1=2 was the hardest problem all along.

[Jack Hayne]

Good, but have some question.

Unsure how about how set Rule 2 should be as Scripture as pedagogical. Is that perhaps because we are academic, and at least I, aspire to be a teacher?

Also, unsure about Rules and principles. I thought it was a bit much and could have been clearer.

Also, wonder about a Rule and ordered principles?

Great book, very unique.

[Chris Guest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great rules and principles for Biblical exegesis. Also a great resource for the Doctrine of the Trinity and how it unfolds in the Scriptures. This book is academic and a difficult read.

[Eleanor Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for teaching Christians how to parse out Scripture Biblically and logically and for giving an understanding for why rules and principles are important.
For senior theology, we were given passages and worked to apply each rule to our own passage. It was not always clear, just from the reading, how to actually use these rules.

[Russell Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a thorough overview of the exegetical process with some helpful case studies. Well worth skimming and having around as a reference.

[Joel Opificius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really insightful read. Was looking forward to this book, and it was even better than I expected.

[Steve Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 stars

[Will O'kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a book! An incredible resource for understanding hermeneutics, exegesis and classical trinitarian theology. Even the expositions/commentaries on texts used to support the arguments of the book were delightful. Highly, highly recommend!

[Nathaniel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most helpful, clarifying, and edifying books I've ever read.