The Gospel and the Modern World E-Book

D. A. Carson

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Thirty-Three Collected Essays from D. A. Carson Biblical scholar D. A. Carson has contributed a tremendous amount to the field of evangelical thought, serving as cofounder of the Gospel Coalition, editor of the theological journal Themelios, and, beginning in 2022, as president of the Evangelical Theological Society. Reflecting on his esteemed career, Carson's colleagues have gathered some of his best work in this warm, enriching collection. The Gospel and the Modern World features 33 of Carson's essays from Themelios on a wide range of topics, including his vision for the evangelical church, the authoritative word of God, Christ and culture, and Christian discipleship. It also includes articles from editor Brian J. Tabb, Andrew David Naselli, and Collin Hansen. Celebrating an illustrious, Christ-exalting career, this collection imparts years of experience and Christian scholarship to a new generation of readers. - A Celebration of the Work of D. A. Carson: Marks Carson's 2022 presidency of the Evangelical Theological Society and the 50th anniversary of Themelios - Informative: A valuable resource for pastors, seminary students, missionaries, and thoughtful Christians - Theologically Robust Articles: Includes 33 essays previously published in Themelios, the journal that Carson led as general editor from 2008 to 2018 - Copublished by Crossway (US) and IVP Apollos (UK and International)

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The Gospel and the Modern World

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To explore all TGC titles, visit TGC.org/books.

The Gospel and the Modern World

A Theological Vision for the Church

D. A. Carson

Brian J. Tabb, Editor

Additional Contributors: Andrew David Naselli and Collin Hansen

The Gospel and the Modern World : A Theological Vision for the Church

Copyright © 2023 by The Gospel Coalition

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

Articles by D. A. Carson have been previously published in Themelios. Used by permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover illustration and design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2023

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-9094-8 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-9096-2 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-9095-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Carson, D. A. (Donald Arthur), 1946– author. | Tabb, Brian J., 1980– editor. | Naselli, Andrew David, 1980– | Hansen, Collin, 1981–

Title: The gospel and the modern world : a theological vision for the Church / D.A. Carson ; [edited by] Brian J. Tabb ; [with additional contributions by] Andrew David Naselli and Collin Hansen. 

Other titles: Themelios. 

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, [2023] | Series: The gospel coalition | Includes bibliographical references and index. 

Identifiers: LCCN 2022056294 (print) | LCCN 2022056295 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433590948 (Trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433590955 (PDF) | ISBN 9781433590962 (ePub)

Subjects: LCSH: Evangelicalism. | Theology, Doctrinal. 

Classification: LCC BR1640 .C368 2023 (print) | LCC BR1640 (ebook) | DDC 230/.04624–dc23/eng/20230616

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022056294

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022056295

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2023-10-04 08:59:14 AM

Contents

Introduction by Brian J. Tabb

Part 1: A Theological Vision for the Church

1  D. A. Carson’s Theological Method by Andrew David Naselli

2  Prophetic from the Center: D. A. Carson’s Vision for the Gospel Coalition by Collin Hansen

3  Should Pastors Today Still Care about the Reformation?

4  Why the Local Church Is More Important Than TGC, White Horse Inn, 9Marks, and Maybe Even ETS

Part 2: Reflections on the Gospel

5  The Gospel and Its Effects

6  The Hole in the Gospel

7  What Are Gospel Issues?

Part 3: Reflections on the Bible and Biblical Theology

8  When Did the Church Begin?

9  The Beauty of Biblical Balance

10  Subtle Ways to Abandon the Authority of Scripture in Our Lives

11  But That’s Just Your Interpretation

12  Kingdom, Ethics, and Individual Salvation

13  A Biblical Theology of Education

14  The Changing Face of Words

15  One of the Saddest Texts in the Old Testament

Part 4: Reflections on Christ and Culture

16  Do Not Be Conformed to the World

17  Words and Deeds

18  Contrarian Reflections on Individualism

19  The Postmodernism That Refuses to Die

20  More Examples of Intolerant Tolerance

21  As If Not: Reflections on 1 Corinthians 7

22  Polemical Theology

23  Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me: Reflections on Missions Today

Part 5: Reflections on Church Leadership

24  Some Reflections on Pastoral Leadership

25  Generational Conflict in Ministry

26  Seekest Thou Great Things for Thyself?

27  The Underbelly of Revival? Five Reflections on Various Failures in the Young, Restless, and Reformed Movement

28  When Revival Comes

29  On Knowing When to Resign

30  Motivations to Appeal to in Our Hearers When We Preach for Conversion

Part 6: Reflections on Christian Discipleship

31  On Abusing Matthew 18

32  On Disputable Matters

33  Perfectionisms

34  I’m So Grateful That I’m among the Elect

35  Spiritual Disciplines

36  Do the Work of an Evangelist

General Index

Scripture Index

Introduction

Brian J. Tabb

Donald A. Carson is well-known for his many academic and popular books, his decades-long tenure at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he is now emeritus professor of New Testament, and his influential work as the founding president of the Gospel Coalition (TGC). He has been called “one of the last great Renaissance men in evangelical biblical scholarship.”1 Two collections of essays (Festschriften) have been published to commemorate Carson’s noteworthy contributions to New Testament studies and to advancing the gospel and strengthening the church.2 His election as the seventy-third president of the Evangelical Theological Society and the anticipated launch of TGC’s Carson Center for Global Christianity reflect his influence as an evangelical scholar and leader.

The present book, The Gospel and the Modern World, collects thirty-four short writings by Carson that originally appeared in Themelios, “an international, evangelical, peer-reviewed theological journal that expounds and defends the historic Christian faith.”3 Carson began serving as the general editor of Themelios in 2008, when TGC assumed responsibility for the theological journal founded in 1962 by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students and operated for many years by the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) in the UK. The name Themelios derives from the Greek term θεμέλιος (“foundation”) in texts such as 1 Corinthians 3:12 and Ephesians 2:20, signaling the journal’s commitment to expound and defend the foundational commitments of the historic Christian faith.4 Carson explained in his first editorial that “the new Themelios aims to serve both theological/religious studies students and pastors” while aspiring to “become increasingly international in representation.”5 TGC’s decision to make Themelios freely available online has enabled the journal to have a global impact. For example, in 2021 the journal’s website had over 1.7 million pageviews from readers in 229 countries.

D. A. Carson wrote the following in one of his early editorial columns:

Thinking differently from the “world” has been part of the Christian’s responsibility and agenda from the beginning. The language Paul uses intimates that this independence of thought will not be easy. The assumption seems to be that the world has its own patterns, its own structured arguments, its own value systems. Because we Christians live in the world, the “default” reality is that we are likely to be shaped by these patterns, structures, and values, unless we consciously discern how and where they stand over against the gospel and all its entailments, and adopt radically different thinking. More: our response must not only be defensive (Rom. 12:2), but offensive, aiming to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,” aiming to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). . . . If we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, then we must be reading the Scriptures perennially, seeking to think God’s thoughts after him, focusing on the gospel of God and pondering its implications in every domain of life.6

Here we see in brief a number of themes that feature prominently in Carson’s writings, including the countercultural nature of the Christian faith, the utter centrality of the gospel, and faithful reading and application of the word of God. Such emphases are contrary to the status quo in the culture and, often, in many churches as well.

This book draws together Carson’s most penetrating and robust Themelios columns from 2008 to 2022. Carson has written and edited dozens of books on the New Testament, biblical theology, and Christian life and leadership in a pluralistic and sometimes hostile world. The essays collected here offer readers an accessible entrée into Carson’s wide-ranging writings that reveal his urgent vision for the evangelical church and exhibit the mature reflections of a scholar, pastor, and public theologian. In addition to thirty-four essays by Carson,7 this book features two introductory essays by Andy Naselli, Carson’s former doctoral student and research assistant, and Collin Hansen, vice president for content and editor in chief of TGC.

The three dozen chapters of The Gospel and the Modern World are arranged in six parts. Part 1 examines Carson’s theological formation and his vision for the church. The initial chapter by Naselli considers Carson’s upbringing in Québec, his education in Canada and the UK, and his influential ministry as a New Testament scholar.8 Naselli then examines Carson’s theological method, drawing deeply on Carson’s expansive body of writings and firsthand interviews with him. Chapter 2 by Hansen explores Carson’s vision for TGC, focusing on the instrumental three-day gathering of church leaders on the campus of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in May 2005 that became the council of TGC. In chapters 3 and 4, Carson offers nine reasons why the Reformation still matters for contemporary pastors; then he reflects on the relationship between the local church and parachurch organizations like TGC that calls for reforming our churches in line with New Testament patterns.

Part 2 collects three essays reflecting on the nature and priority of the biblical gospel. In chapter 5, Carson warns that failure to distinguish between the gospel and its various effects tends over time to supplant God’s life-changing message with a moralism that is without the power and the glory of the crucified, risen, reigning Christ. Chapter 6 considers the relationship of the “problem” of sin to God’s “solution” in Christ’s work. Reflecting on the title of Richard Stearns’s 2009 book, Carson contends that the gospel itself is the greatest hold in the contemporary “gospel.” Chapter 7 examines the oft-repeated line “x is a gospel issue,” which is a truth claim as well as a polemical statement of x’s relative importance.9 Carson explains that such claims are conditioned by how we perceive the dangers and errors of our generation.

Part 3 includes eight essays related to biblical interpretation and biblical theology—signature emphases throughout Carson’s teachings and writings.10 Chapter 8 takes up the theological question “When did the church begin?” Carson stresses the unity and continuity of God’s redeemed throughout history while also emphasizing the “newness” associated with the ἐκκλησία after Pentecost: the dawning of the new age, the new birth, the new covenant, and so forth. Chapter 9 commends the beauty of biblical balance, which requires careful thinking, self-examination, ongoing study of the whole counsel of God, humility of mind, and a constant resolve to bring every thought captive to Christ. Chapter 10 examines ten subtle ways to abandon biblical authority in our lives, including appeals to selective evidence, “the art of imperious ignorance,”11 and failure to tremble before God’s Holy Word. Chapter 11 responds to the common refrain “But that’s just your interpretation,” which manipulatively relativizes all truth claims while feigning humble boldness. Carson urges us to recognize the special character of the Bible and the omniscient God who stands behind it and to read the sacred text with true humility and godly fear. Chapter 12 engages contemporary discussions of the kingdom of God and kingdom ethics. Carson implores readers to be mindful of all the great turning points in redemptive history when evaluating proposals about the kingdom to avoid reductionism and to maintain the complexity and balance of biblical priorities. Chapter 13 reviews what the Bible says about education, briefly considers several historical examples, and explores the unique challenges of putting these pieces together in the contemporary Western world. The next essay reflects on changes to the common meaning of the key terms guilt, shame, conscience, and tolerance, which lose a focus on God or an external standard. Carson urges readers to think and speak “worldviewishly” about such matters. Chapter 15 meditates on the sad account of Hezekiah’s pride and selfishness in Isaiah 39, which sharply contrasts with the king’s faith and courage earlier in the biblical narrative and prompts a staggering divine rebuke.

Part 4 features eight chapters that discuss Christian engagement with contemporary culture, reflecting themes in Carson’s larger body of work, including The Gagging of God, Christ and Culture Revisited, and The Intolerance of Tolerance.12 Chapter 16 stresses the Christian obligation to think differently from the world. Rather than being squeezed into the world’s mold, pardoned sinners living in the shadow of Christ’s cross and empty tomb should pursue holiness and wisdom while awaiting the consummation. Chapter 17, one of Carson’s earliest Themelios columns, wades into the debate over the place that deeds of mercy should have in Christian witness. Ministers ought to remain focused on the ministry of the word and prayer while teaching the Bible in such a way that they equip God’s people with various avenues of service. In the next essay, Carson offers “contrarian reflections on individualism.” While contemporary Western authors endlessly condemn individualism, the Scriptures offer a more balanced perspective. Chapter 19 addresses the assumptions and conclusions of postmodernism that are often adopted as cultural “givens” even though those holding to these views may not think of themselves as “postmoderns.” Carson stresses that we can responsibly talk of human knowing—about God, the Bible, and other truth claims—even though we as creatures do not know anything omnisciently and are limited and prone to error. Chapter 20 reflects on three examples of “intolerant tolerance” in the United States in which the government or institutions have coercively imposed an agenda related to LGBT issues and abortion. In chapter 21, Carson argues that “the present crisis” in 1 Corinthians 7:26 is not a first-century food shortage or Christ’s imminent parousia; rather, the apostle has in view the constraint inherent in the present world that is passing away yet also mysteriously ruled by Christ. Chapter 22 notes that polemical theology is necessary because of human pride and rebellion against God, yet the best polemicists (like Karl Popper and Tim Keller) compellingly and graciously present opponents’ arguments before effectively refuting them. The final chapter in part 4 addresses common objections to Christian missions and urges readers to take up their cross and follow Christ with humility and sacrificial love.

In The Cross and Christian Ministry, Carson stresses that “the cross stands as the test and the standard of all vital Christian ministry. The cross not only establishes what we are to preach but also how we are to preach. It prescribes what Christian leaders must be and how Christians must view Christian leaders.”13 Part 5 consists of seven essays related to this biblical vision for church leadership. Chapter 24 reflects on three terms—pastor, elder, and overseer—that are used for one church office, with particular focus on the need for godly oversight of the church that is not limited to teaching and preaching. The next chapter presents four recommendations to help older and younger church leaders handle generational conflict in ways that honor Christ and advance the gospel. Chapter 26 cautions those who pursue the spotlight against seeking “great things” (Jer. 45:5) for themselves, since our view of a ministry’s importance rarely aligns with God’s calculations. In chapters 27 and 28, Carson offers five reflections on shortcomings in the young, restless, and Reformed movement and then presents recommendations and warnings for times of genuine revival. Chapter 29 responds to the question from pastors and ministry leaders, “How do I know when it is time to resign?” The last essay in part 5 sets forth eight motivations to appeal to when preaching for conversion; the full range of motivations modeled and sanctioned in the Bible ultimately reflects God’s own character and attributes.

Six essays connected in some way to the broad topic of Christian discipleship are gathered together in part 6. Chapter 31 responds to misuses of the principles set forth in Matthew 18. Carson shows that this text properly relates to sins that are serious enough to warrant excommunication in the context of the local church, which can take decisive, meaningful action. In chapter 32, Carson offers ten reflections on what does and does not constitute a theologically disputable matter. Chapter 33 discusses species of perfectionism that spring from over-realized eschatology or intense struggle against sin that is not grounded in God’s demonstration of love for us at the cross. In the next chapter, Carson explains that the doctrine of unconditional divine election should instill deep, enduring gratitude in us. Chapter 35 considers popular approaches to spiritual disciplines in light of how Scripture defines spirituality. Carson recommends reserving the term spiritual disciplines for biblically prescribed activities that increase our sanctification, our conformity to Christ, and our spiritual maturity. The final chapter reflects on Paul’s charge, “Do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). Carson interprets this as an exhortation to engage in evangel ministry (i.e., gospel ministry), which includes but is not restricted to contemporary understandings of evangelism.

Cumulatively, these essays aptly illustrate TGC’s theological vision for discharging Christian ministry and interacting with our culture in biblical and theological faithfulness.14 Carson responds to contemporary epistemological crises by affirming that truth corresponds to reality, to God, and to God’s revelation in Scripture. He commends and models careful biblical theology for the upbuilding of the church while expounding the centrality of the gospel and its implications for life and ministry. And Carson urges Christians to be countercultural while seeking the common good of those around us, appropriately contextualizing the gospel in the modern world while pursuing faithfulness and fruitfulness according to God’s standards rather than seeking greatness for ourselves.

1  Andreas J. Köstenberger, “D. A. Carson: His Life and Work to Date,” in Understanding the Times: New Testament Studies in the 21st Century, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011), 357.

2  Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, eds., Understanding the Times: New Testament Studies in the 21st Century: Essays in Honor of D. A. Carson on the Occasion of His 65th Birthday (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011); Richard M. Cunningham, Serving the Church, Reaching the World: In Honour of D. A. Carson (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2017).

3Themelios, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/.

4  For further context, see Brian J. Tabb, “Themelios Then and Now: The Journal’s Name, History, and Contribution,” Themelios 44, no. 1 (2019): 1–5.

5  D. A. Carson, “Editorial,” Themelios 33, no. 1 (2008): 1.

6  D. A. Carson, “Editorial,” Themelios 33, no. 3 (2008): 1–4; the full essay is included in chap. 16 of this book.

7  Each of these have been lightly edited.

8  Chapter 1 revises Naselli’s article, “D. A. Carson’s Theological Method,” Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 29 (2011). Used by permission.

9  D. A. Carson, “What Are Gospel Issues?,” Themelios 39, no. 2 (2014): 215.

10  See, for example, D. A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge, eds., Scripture and Truth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1983); D. A. Carson, ed., The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016).

11  Citing the journal’s late columnist, Michael J. Ovey, “The Art of Imperious Ignorance,” Themelios 41, no. 1 (2016): 5–7.

12  D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996); Christ and Culture Revisited (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008); The Intolerance of Tolerance (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012).

13  D. A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2004), 9.

14  “Foundation Documents,” Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/.

Part 1

A Theological Vision for the Church

1

D. A. Carson’s Theological Method

Andrew David Naselli

How does D. A. Carson do theology? In other words, what is his theological method? That question is challenging to answer for at least two reasons.1

First, Carson has authored and edited a lot of publications. Here’s how Justin Taylor put it in 2009:

Dr. Carson’s sheer productivity is nothing less than astonishing. One could become tired just working through the latest numbers: he has written 50 books; 235 articles; 112 book reviews; and 46 edited books in the various series he edits. Average it out and it comes to about one book written or edited every four months, with one article and two reviews written every six weeks—for three decades.2

Nearly fifteen years later, those numbers are even higher.

Second, although Carson has written several works that explain his theological method,3 he has not written a book or detailed article that systematically presents his theological method.4 That is what this essay attempts to do.

This essay begins with a biographical sketch of Carson and then focuses on describing (not critiquing) his theological method by answering three questions:

1. What does Carson presuppose for doing theology?

2. What does Carson think the theological disciplines are?

3. How does Carson think the theological disciplines interrelate?

A Biographical Sketch: Carson’s Family, Education, and Ministry5

If postmodernism has taught theologians anything, it is that humans cannot interpret the Bible with complete objectivity. Theologians bring far too much baggage to the interpretive process, including language, culture, religion, education, upbringing, exposure, ethnicity, and sex. This biographical sketch mentions several factors that influence Carson’s theological method to some degree. As helpful as it is to mention these factors, it raises a methodological question that I am not sure anyone can answer: How does one objectively measure such influences? Carson raised that question himself when I inquired about influences on his life.6

Carson’s Family

Carson’s father, Thomas Donald McMillan Carson (1911–1992), was born near Belfast, Northern Ireland, and his family immigrated to Ottawa, Canada, in 1913. With the desire to plant churches in Québec, he graduated from Toronto Baptist Seminary in 1937. In 1938, he married Elizabeth Margaret Maybury (1909–1989), and the Lord blessed them with three children. Donald Arthur Carson was their second child, born on December 21, 1946.

Tom Carson faithfully ministered in Drummondville, Québec, from 1948 to 1963, a trying time in which he experienced persecution and little apparent fruit at his church.7 Don Carson, who entered McGill University in Montreal in 1963, spent his formative years in this environment. His family lived simply, too poor to own a home or pay for his university training. His parents loved him and set a godly example. Carson recalls,

My life has been blessed by some influential models. I must begin by mentioning my own parents. I remember how, even when we children were quite young, each morning my mother would withdraw from the hurly-burly of life to read her Bible and pray. In the years that I was growing up, my father, a Baptist minister, had his study in our home. Every morning we could hear him praying in that study. My father vocalized when he prayed—loudly enough that we knew he was praying, but not loudly enough that we could hear what he was saying. Every day he prayed, usually for about forty-five minutes. Perhaps there were times when he failed to do so, but I cannot think of one.8

Carson deeply respected his father and was especially close to his mother, who capably led ladies’ Bible studies and could use Greek and Hebrew.

Carson, reared in French Canada, is bilingual and remained a Canadian citizen until he became a United States citizen in 2006. While working on his PhD in Cambridge, he met Joy Wheildon, a British schoolteacher, and they married in 1975. They have two children, Tiffany and Nicholas.

Carson’s Education

Carson graduated from Drummondville High School (1959–1963) with the highest standing. He earned a BSc in chemistry and mathematics from McGill University (1963–1967), where he took extra courses in classical Greek and psychology. He received various scholarships and awards while earning his MDiv from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto (1967–1970), and he took four units of New Testament study at Regent College (1970). His PhD is from Emmanuel College, Cambridge University (1972–1975), where he studied under the Rev. Dr. (later Prof.) Barnabas Lindars. His thesis is on God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in the Gospel according to John.9

Carson’s Ministry

Carson, now a world-renowned evangelical New Testament scholar, started as a part-time lecturer in French at Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto (1967–1970) and in mathematics at Richmond College in Toronto (1969–1970). He was an occasional lecturer at Northwest Baptist Theological College in Vancouver (1971–1972) while ministering as the pastor of Richmond Baptist Church in Richmond, British Columbia (1970–1972), where he was ordained under the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Canada in 1972.

After earning his PhD, he served at Northwest Baptist Theological College as the associate professor of New Testament (1975–1978) and academic dean (1976–1978). After hearing Carson present a paper at the Evangelical Theological Society’s conference in 1977, Kenneth Kantzer asked him to join the faculty at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), where Carson has served as associate professor of New Testament (1978–1982), professor of New Testament (1982–1991), research professor of New Testament (1991–2018), and emeritus professor of New Testament (2018–present). From 1978 to 1991, he took a sabbatical every third year in England.10

He has taught over fifty different graduate courses—many of them multiple times—on various levels: MDiv, MA, ThM, DMin, and PhD. He has served as the book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (1979–1986), the editor of Trinity Journal (1980–1986), and the general editor of Themelios (2007–2018). In addition to editing dozens of books, he is the general editor of three major series: Pillar Commentaries on the New Testament, New Studies in Biblical Theology, and Studies in Biblical Greek. And with Eric Tully, he is co-editing the Pillar Commentaries on the Old Testament. He is the founding president and theologian-at-large of the Gospel Coalition (TGC).

Carson frequently preaches and teaches internationally at a substantial number of churches, conferences, student groups, colleges, and seminaries, including university missions.11 He has been familiar with most of the major theological figures in evangelicalism on a first-name basis, and he is an avid critic of culture.12

He reads about five hundred books each year (in addition to hundreds of articles), and his reading expands far beyond theology into science, politics, and more. Ever since his days as a PhD student at Cambridge, he has devoted about half a day per week to read and catalog articles in about eighty theological journals, which he enters in a database with tags that enable him to locate and cite articles efficiently. His personal print library consists of about ten thousand choice volumes.

His reputation among the students at TEDS is legendary, and he upholds daunting standards for PhD seminar papers and dissertations. When I was his student, I was daunted to learn that he gives an A grade only if the paper is publishable in a first-rate journal. On a lighter note, he enjoys woodworking and hiking, and when the weather permits it, he rides a motorcycle.

The most prominent focus of Carson’s ministry is the gospel. He writes and speaks about it frequently,13 and he has said something like the following countless times:

Recognize that students do not learn everything you teach them. They certainly do not learn everything I teach them! What do they learn? They learn what I am excited about; they learn what I emphasize, what I return to again and again; they learn what organizes the rest of my thought. So if I happily presuppose the gospel but rarely articulate it and am never excited about it, while effervescing frequently about, say, ecclesiology or textual criticism, my students may conclude that the most important thing to me is ecclesiology or textual criticism. They may pick up my assumption of the gospel; alternatively, they may even distance themselves from the gospel; but what they will almost certainly do is place at the center of their thought ecclesiology or textual criticism, thereby wittingly or unwittingly marginalizing the gospel. Both ecclesiology and textual criticism, not to mention a plethora of other disciplines and sub-disciplines, are worthy of the most sustained study and reflection. Nevertheless, part of my obligation as a scholar-teacher, a scholar-pastor, is to show how my specialism relates to that which is fundamentally central and never to lose my passion for living and thinking and being excited about what must remain at the center. Failure in this matter means I lead my students and parishioners astray. If I am then challenged by a colleague who says to me, “Yes, I appreciate the competence and thoroughness with which you are handling ecclesiology or textual criticism, but how does this relate to the centrality and nonnegotiability of the gospel?” I may, regrettably, respond rather defensively, “Why are you picking on me? I believe in the gospel as deeply as you do!” That may be true, but it rather misses the point. As a scholar, ecclesiology or textual criticism may be my specialism; but as a scholar-pastor, I must be concerned for what I am passing on to the next generation, its configuration, its balance and focus. I dare never forget that students do not learn everything I try to teach them but primarily what I am excited about.14

What Does Carson Presuppose for Doing Theology?

For Carson’s theological method, he presupposes particular views about metaphysics, epistemology, and divine revelation.

Carson’s Metaphysics: God

Confessions of faith and systematic theology textbooks typically begin with the doctrine of the word of God. But when Carson drafted the confessional statement for TGC,15 he intentionally began with the triune God, not revelation. He explains why in an essay he coauthored with Tim Keller:

The Enlightenment was overconfident about human rationality. Some strands of it assumed it was possible to build systems of thought on unassailable foundations that could be absolutely certain to unaided human reason. Despite their frequent vilification of the Enlightenment, many conservative evangelicals have nevertheless been shaped by it. This can be seen in how many evangelical statements of faith start with the Scripture, not with God. They proceed from Scripture to doctrine through rigorous exegesis in order to build (what they consider) an absolutely sure, guaranteed-true-to-Scripture theology. The problem is that this is essentially a foundationalist approach to knowledge. It ignores the degree to which our cultural location affects our interpretation of the Bible, and it assumes a very rigid subject-object distinction. It ignores historical theology, philosophy, and cultural reflection. Starting with the Scripture leads readers to the overconfidence that their exegesis of biblical texts has produced a system of perfect doctrinal truth. This can create pride and rigidity because it may not sufficiently acknowledge the fallenness of human reason. We believe it is best to start with God, to declare (with John Calvin, Institutes 1.1) that without knowledge of God we cannot know ourselves, our world, or anything else. If there is no God, we would have no reason to trust our reason.16

Carson’s Epistemology: Chastened Foundationalism

Carson recognizes both positive and negative elements in the epistemology of premodernism, modernism, and postmodernism. He aligns himself, however, with none of them in its entirety, opting instead for a chastened foundationalism.17 Here is what Carson thinks of those four types of epistemology.

Premodern Epistemology18

Positively, this epistemology begins with God rather than one’s self. Negatively, it is tied to an open universe as opposed to a closed universe (modern epistemology) or “controlled” universe (Carson’s view).

Modern Epistemology: Foundationalism and the Older Hermeneutic19

This epistemology begins with one’s self rather than God as the foundation on which to build all other knowledge: “I think, therefore, I am.”20 Using a scientific method that is “methodologically atheistic,” humans can and should reach “epistemological certainty” and discover what is universally true.21 The older hermeneutic, based on this epistemology, prescribes exegesis with similar methodological rigor and objectively certain results.

Postmodern Epistemology: Anti-Foundationalism and the “New Hermeneutic”22

Although this epistemology rejects modernism, it is modernism’s “bastard child.”23 It likewise begins with the finite “I,” but it rejects foundationalism and universal truth in favor of perspectivalism under the guise of a “tolerance” that is hypocritically intolerant.24 The orthodox creed of the “new hermeneutic,” which is based on this epistemology, is self-contradictory: the only heresy is the view that heresy exists, and the only objective and absolute truth is that objective, absolute truth does not exist.25 Postmodern epistemology is commendable for emphasizing cultural diversity and human finiteness, especially one’s inability to be completely neutral and objective.26 Its weaknesses, however, outweigh its strengths: it is immoral, absurd, arrogant, and manipulative in its antitheses.27

“Chastened” Foundationalism

Carson includes commendable elements from both the older and new hermeneutic in his approach to Scripture.28 His “first theology” is God.29 Both modernism and postmodernism err by making the “I” the starting point and then drawing conclusions (e.g., that God exists). But while God is the foundation of Carson’s epistemology, Carson recognizes that humans are finite and sinful—that is, unlike God, humans are limited and are deeply affected by the noetic effects of the fall, not least in their reasoning capacity. This is why Carson prefers to modify his “presuppositions” with the adjective “corrigible” (i.e., correctable, reformable).30

This in turn raises further questions regarding the effects of conversion and the Spirit’s illumination, but the bottom line is this: humans cannot know anything absolutely (i.e., exhaustively or omnisciently) like God knows it, but they can know some things truly (i.e., substantially or really).31 I have heard Carson make that point at least one hundred times in various contexts; it is foundational to his epistemology. He often illustrates it in four ways.32

The Fusion of Two Horizons of Understanding

This model consists of two elements: distanciation and the fusion of two horizons. Distanciation refers to an observer or reader stepping back or distancing himself from an object he is scrutinizing. In the fusion of two horizons, a “horizon” refers to one’s worldview, including presuppositions and cultural baggage. The horizon of the author’s text and the horizon of theologians are initially separated by a huge gap due to differences such as one’s historical and cultural location. Theologians may imperfectly but profitably fuse that horizon (i.e., minimize the gap) by deliberately “self-distancing” themselves from their “own biases and predilections” in order “to understand the other’s terminology and points of view and idioms and values.”33

The Hermeneutical Spiral

Rather than a vicious hermeneutical circle in which theologians endlessly go round and round between their own presuppositions, systematic constructions, and encounters with the text, this model illustrates that theologians may “hone in progressively on what is actually there.”34 Consequently, theologians may gradually minimize the radius of the circle as their understanding improves with time.

Thus instead of a straight line from the knower to the text, what really takes place is better schematized as a circle, a hermeneutical circle: I approach the text today, the text makes its impact on me, I (slightly altered) approach the text again tomorrow, and receive its (slightly altered) impact, and so on, and so on, and so on.35 “We will never know all there is to know about” the Bible or anything else, “but we do spiral in closer than we once were.”36

The Asymptotic Approach

“An asymptote is a curved line that gets closer and closer to a straight line without ever touching it” (see figure 1).37 Similarly, a theologian’s knowledge may get closer and closer to God’s absolute knowledge without reaching it. “Even fifty billion years into eternity, the asymptote will never touch the line.”38

Figure 1: An asymptotic approach to epistemology. Carson has often drawn a figure like this on the board while teaching.

Speech Act Theory

Building on Paul Ricoeur’s insistence “that the text bridges the hermeneutical gulf between reader and author,”39 speech act theory allows “much more interplay than in the past between what a text means and what it does” while still maintaining “a chastened version of authorial intent.”40 “The Bible’s appeal to truth is rich and complex. It cannot be reduced to, but certainly includes, the notion of propositional truth.”41

Since theologians will never know anything like God knows, their theology is eternally improvable, and it would be most advantageous if theologians recognized that now. “Systematicians with comparable training but from highly diverse backgrounds can come together and check one another against the standard of the Scripture that all sides agree is authoritative.”42

Carson often illustrates this point in lectures by recounting his ten-year experience as the editor of five books sponsored by the World Evangelical Fellowship. Carson would select international evangelical scholars to contribute to a book project and then chair meetings for several days in which they would discuss each other’s papers. In these meetings contributors would criticize each other from their vastly different cultural perspectives, and Carson found that despite their many differences they could reach remarkable unity on four conditions: (1) they were well trained, (2) they were willing to be corrected, (3) they affirmed that Scripture is authoritative, and (4) they had sufficient time.

Carson’s Bibliology: Sola Scriptura43

Methodology is important for Carson,44 and after God himself, bibliology is most foundational. In an essay on how to approach the Bible, Carson begins by explaining who God is.45 God is personal, transcendent, and sovereign, and since he created the universe, humans are accountable to him.46 General revelation is limited; special revelation controls it.47 God has spoken, and his revelation is authoritative.48 The Bible is uniquely a subset of both “the word of God” and “the word of human beings.”49 “The locus of God’s special revelation is the Bible, the sixty-six canonical books, reliable and truthful as originally given.”50

Anticipating that some will criticize his view as “hopelessly circular” and “deeply flawed,” Carson adds four further reflections:

1. “All human thought . . . is circular in some sense” since humans are finite and must depend on God’s revelation by faith.

2. Circularity is not “intrinsically false.” Further, Christians should “argue for the utter truthfulness and reliability of Scripture” because Scripture teaches it, “but they will not want to argue for the utter truthfulness and reliability of their doctrine of Scripture.”51

3. “There are unknowns and difficulties in the formulation of a responsible doctrine of Scripture,” but this is not troubling since “the same could be said for almost any biblical doctrine. . . . There will inevitably remain mysteries and areas of hiddenness.”52

4. The noetic effects of sin on human thinking are substantial and must not be underestimated. The human desire to control God is idolatry.

What Does Carson Think the Theological Disciplines Are?

While Carson acknowledges that “theology can relate to the entire scope of religious studies,” he uses “the term more narrowly to refer to the study of what the Scriptures say. This includes exegesis and historical criticism, the requisite analysis of method and epistemology, and the presentation of the biblical data in an orderly fashion.”53 Theology “is disciplined discourse about God,”54 and the Bible “finally and irrevocably” constrains theology’s subject matter.55

Carson recognizes that his definitions of the theological disciplines (described below) “do not avoid overlap,” but his distinctions “are clear enough and are not novel.”56 So while there is not necessarily anything distinctly “Carsonian” to Carson’s theological method itself, it is worth analyzing for at least three reasons: (1) it differs significantly from how many other exegetes and theologians “do” theology, (2) it helps us understand the mechanics of how he does theology in his voluminous publications, and (3) it may help us improve our own theological method.

Exegesis

Exegesis is “careful reading.”57 Exegesis “is the analysis of the final-form of a text, considered as an integral and self-referring literary object.”58 In other words, “Exegesis answers the questions, What does this text actually say? and, What did the author mean by what he said?”59 “All that exegesis is is reading the text to find out what’s there.”60 Exegesis includes but is not limited to parsing, word study, and syntax at various levels (clause, sentence, discourse, genre) while being sensitive to literary features and the running argument.61

In short, exegesis is open-ended. It is not the sort of thing about which one can say, “I have completed the task; there is no more to do.” Of course, in one sense that is exactly what can be said if what is meant is that the exegete has come to the end of the text. The exegesis is complete at that level of analysis, when the entire text has been analyzed. But exegesis itself is not a mechanical discipline with a few limited steps that, properly pursued, inevitably churn out the “right answer.” On the other hand, progressively sophisticated levels of exegetical analysis may rapidly illustrate the law of diminishing returns! Exegetes with this view are quite happy to speak of discerning the author’s intent, provided it is presupposed that the author’s intent is expressed in the text. Only in this way can the intentional fallacy be avoided. There is no other access to the author’s intent than in the text.62

Because Carson locates the text’s meaning in the authorial intention as found in the text, he distinguishes between interpretation (i.e., what the text meant) and application (i.e., what the text means).63 He is well aware that “truth is conveyed in different ways in different literary genres.”64 Carson’s dozens of exegetical works demonstrate his proficiency at exegesis.65

Biblical Theology

Biblical theology (BT) “is rather difficult to define.”66 For Carson, “BT answers the question, How has God revealed his word historically and organically?”67 BT may inductively and historically focus on the whole Bible or select biblical corpora.68 It involves a “salvation-historical study of the biblical texts (i.e. the understanding and exposition of the texts along their chronological line of development).”69 (“Salvation history” is “the history of salvation—i.e., the history of events that focus on the salvation of human beings and issues involving the new heaven and the new earth.70) At least five elements are essential:

1. BT reads “the Bible as an historically developing collection of documents.”

2. BT presupposes “a coherent and agreed canon.”71

3. BT presupposes “a profound willingness to work inductively from the text—from individual books and from the canon as a whole.” Its task is “to deploy categories and pursue an agenda set by the text itself.”

4. BT clarifies “the connections among the corpora”—that is, “it is committed to intertextual study . . . because biblical theology, at its most coherent, is a theology of the Bible.”

5. “Ideally,” BT will “call men and women to knowledge of the living God”—that is, it does not stop with the Bible’s structure, corpus thought, storyline, or synthetic thought; it must “capture” the experiential, “existential element.”72

BT focuses on the turning points in the Bible’s storyline.73 It recognizes “seeds” in Genesis 1–3 that grow throughout the story,74 and it makes “theological connections within the entire Bible that the Bible itself authorizes.”75 BT’s most “pivotal” concern is tied to the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.76 One way to do BT is to “work really carefully with each biblical book or corpus by corpus,” and another is to track “themes that run right though the whole Bible.”77 Theologians, not least Old Testament scholars, must read the Old Testament “with Christian eyes.”78 Old Testament and New Testament theology are subsets of BT.79 BT “forms an organic whole”80 and serves as “an excellent bridge discipline, building links among the associated disciplines and in certain respects holding them together.”81 The study Bible that Carson edited shows how to do BT: the notes make biblical-theological connections, and the study Bible concludes with twenty-eight essays on biblical theology, most of which trace themes throughout the Bible’s storyline.82

Historical Theology

Historical theology (HT) answers the questions, How have people in the past understood the Bible? What have Christians thought about exegesis and theology? and, more specifically, How has Christian doctrine developed over the centuries, especially in response to false teachings? HT is concerned primarily with opinions in periods earlier than our own. But we may also include under this heading the importance of reading the Bible globally—that is, finding out how believers in some other parts of the world read the text. That does not mean that they (or we!) are necessarily right; rather, it means that we recognize that all of us have a great deal to learn.83

HT is “the written record of exegetical and theological opinions in periods earlier than our own, a kind of historical parallel to the diversity of exegetical and theological opinions that are actually current.”84 HT is “the diachronic study of theology, i.e. the study of the changing face of theology across time.”85

HT is valuable for at least five reasons: (1) it frees us “from unwitting slavery to our biases,” (2) “it induces humility,” (3) it “clears our minds of unwarranted assumptions,” (4) it “exposes faulty interpretations that others have long since (and rightly) dismissed,” and (5) it “reminds us that responsibly interpreting the Bible must never be a solitary task.”86

Systematic Theology

Systematic theology (ST) “answers the question, What does the whole Bible teach about certain topics? or put another way, What is true about God and his universe?”87

[ST] is Christian theology whose internal structure is systematic; i.e., it is organized on atemporal principles of logic, order, and need, rather than on inductive study of discrete biblical corpora. Thus it can address broader concerns of Christian theology (it is not merely inductive study of the Bible, though it must never lose such controls), but it seeks to be rigorously systematic and is therefore concerned about how various parts of God’s gracious self-disclosure cohere. . . . The questions it poses are atemporal . . . the focal concerns are logical and hierarchical, not salvation-historical.88

“ST is the most comprehensive of the various theological disciplines.”89 Everyone uses some sort of ST, and it is foolish to denigrate it. The issue is not whether ST is legitimate; the issue, rather, is the quality of one’s ST reflected in its foundational data, constructive methods, principles for excluding certain information, appropriately expressive language, and logical, accurate results.90

Carson’s approach to ST presupposes “that the basic laws of logic” are not human inventions “but discoveries to do with the nature of reality and of communication.”91 The Bible is like part of a massive jigsaw puzzle because it contains only a small fraction of the total number of pieces.92 More precisely, the Bible is like a massive “multi-dimensional puzzle beyond the third dimension.”93 ST “must be controlled by the biblical data” and must beware of going beyond “how various truths and arguments function in Scripture,” not least because “a number of fundamental Christian beliefs involves huge areas of unknown,” such as the incarnation, the Trinity, and God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility.94

The Bible’s unity makes ST “not only possible but necessary,” and “modern theology at variance with this stance is both methodologically and doctrinally deficient.”95 An approach that recognizes this unity encourages “theological exploration” within the canon:

[J. I. Packer writes,] “There is . . . a sense in which every New Testament writer communicates to Christians today more than he knew he was communicating, simply because Christians can now read his work as part of the completed New Testament canon.” This is not an appeal to sensus plenior, at least not in any traditional sense. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that with greater numbers of pieces of the jigsaw puzzle provided, the individual pieces and clusters of pieces are seen in new relationships not visible before.96

Carson’s standard for good ST is high. Michael Horton asked Carson, “Do you think there has been a lot of polarization where systematicians aren’t always very good exegetes and exegetes aren’t very good systematicians?”97 Carson replied,

The danger springs from a culture of specialization—more and more knowledge about less and less—so that a person who really is on top of the exegetical literature quite frankly just doesn’t have time to be right on top of the systematic literature, and vice versa. I’ve sometimes told students who say they want to do a Ph.D. in systematic theology, that one doctorate won’t do—they’ll need at least five: one or two in New Testament, at least one in Old Testament, a couple in church history, one in philosophy, and then they can do one in systematics. That’s the problem—the nature of the discipline is integrative and synthetic. If instead people do systematics without any grasp of Scripture, they’re likely to cut themselves off from what they confess to be their authority base, and so they’re not really rigorous.98

Examples of how Carson systematically integrates the theological disciplines include his treatments of compatibilism and theodicy,99 Sabbath and the Lord’s Day,100 spiritual gifts,101assurance of salvation,102 the love and wrath of God,103 the emerging church,104 and the Son of God.105

Pastoral Theology

Pastoral theology (PT) answers the question, How should humans respond to God’s revelation? Sometimes that is spelled out by Scripture itself; other times it builds on inferences of what Scripture says. PT practically applies the other four disciplines—so much so that the other disciplines are in danger of being sterile and even dishonoring to God unless tied in some sense to the responses God rightly demands of us. PT may well address such diverse domains as culture, ethics, evangelism, marriage and family, money, the cure of souls, politics, worship, and much more.106

PT applies (i.e., cross-culturally contextualizes) exegesis, BT, HT, and ST to help people glorify God by living wisely with a biblical worldview. Basically, PT answers the question, How then should we live?

How Does Carson Think the Theological Disciplines Interrelate?

ST is like juggling: the balls represent the other theological disciplines, and ST’s challenge is to avoid serious consequences by not dropping any balls.107 Exegesis, BT, HT, and ST should be inseparable for theologians, but this is often not the case, for example, at American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature conferences, which tend to be high on specialization and low on integration.108 “We live in an age of increasing specialization (owing in part to the rapid expansion of knowledge), and disciplines that a priori ought to work hand in glove are being driven apart.”109

Theological Hermeneutics

The Complex Interrelationship between the Theological Disciplines

Carson explains the interrelationships between the theological disciplines with some diagrams. Some might think it convenient if we could order these disciplines along a straight line: Exegesis → BT → [HT] → ST → PT. (The brackets around HT suggest that HT directly contributes to the development from BT to ST and PT but is not itself a part of that line.) But this neat paradigm is naive because no exegesis is ever done in a vacuum. Before we ever start doing exegesis, we already have an ST framework that influences our exegesis. So are we locked into a hermeneutical circle (see figure 2)?

Figure 2. Hermeneutical circle. Carson has often drawn diagrams like these on the board while teaching.

No; there is a better way. We might diagram it as shown in figure 3:

Figure 3: From exegesis to theology. Carson has often drawn diagrams like these on the board while teaching.

In other words, there are always feedback loops—information loops that go back and reshape how one does any exegesis or theology. The loops should not take over the final voice, but they shape the process whether one likes it or not. It is absurd to claim that one’s ST does not affect one’s exegesis. But the line of final control is the straight line from exegesis right through BT and HT to ST and PT. The final authority is the Bible and the Bible alone.

“For this reason,” Carson explains, “exegesis, though affected by systematic theology, is not to be shackled by it.”110

Carson’s Theological Hermenutic: “Breadth of Vision”

Carson lists four ways to respond to the fragmented “current state of biblical studies”:

1. Ignore or marginalize “all recent developments”—a pious “recipe for obsolescence.”

2. Focus “on just one method, preferably the most recent”—a faddish “recipe for reductionism.”

3. “Rejoice in the fragmentation,” and “insist that such developments are not only inevitable but delightful, even liberating”—a pretentious and absurd postmodern approach.

4. “Try to learn from the most important lessons from the new disciplines—and remain focused on the texts themselves” by emphasizing “the classic disciplines first” while learning from “tools, hermeneutical debates, and epistemological shifts.”111

Carson takes the fourth approach, insisting, “All truth is God’s truth.”112

Carson recognizes that the disciplines are interconnected. If one of the disciplines is a string and one pulls at it, that inevitably affects the other disciplines as well.113 They are a package, which shows the need for a “thick” interpretation. Probably the loudest note Carson plays is the Christological, salvation-historical unity of the Bible’s storyline.

In practice, Carson is a multidisciplinary theologian, perhaps “one of the last great Renaissance men in evangelical biblical scholarship.”114 He is not merely a New Testament scholar. He is also an Old Testament scholar, a biblical theologian, a historical theologian, a systematic theologian, and a practical theologian (e.g., gifted preacher, critic of culture, former pastor, counselor).115 He also branches out into philosophy, English literature (e.g., poetry), science, math, nature, and other fields. It is no surprise that Kenneth Kantzer, former dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, repeatedly invited Carson to move from the New Testament department to the systematic theology department. Carson explains that he has remained in the New Testament department “partly because while I think it is important to feed biblical stuff into ST . . . it’s also important to bring breadth of vision to exegesis.”116 At the 1993 annual meeting of the Institute for Biblical Research, Carson presented this as a formal challenge to BT: “the daunting need for exegetes and theologians who will deploy the full range of weapons in the exegetical arsenal, without succumbing to methodological narrowness or faddishness.”117

Exegesis and Biblical Theology

BT “mediates the influence of biblical exegesis on systematic theology” because it “forces the theologian to remember that there is before and after, prophecy and fulfillment, type and antitype, development, organic growth, down payment and consummation.”118 The “overlap” between exegesis and BT is the most striking among the theological disciplines: “both are concerned to understand texts,” and BT is impossible without exegesis.119 “Exegesis tends to focus on analysis,” and BT “tends towards synthesis.”120 Exegesis controls BT, and BT influences exegesis.121 BT “more immediately constrains and enriches exegesis than systematic theology can do.”122 In a sense BT is whole-Bible exegesis.

Exegesis and Historical Theology

The historic creeds are valuable, but they are not ultimately authoritative; only Scripture is.123 The practice of many theologians, however, is to move directly from exegesis to ST with the result that they leave “precious little place for historical theology, except to declare it right or wrong as measured against the system that has developed out of one’s own exegesis.”124 “Without historical theology,” however, “exegesis is likely to degenerate into arcane atomistic debates far too tightly tethered to the twentieth century. Can there be any responsible exegesis of Scripture that does not honestly wrestle with what earlier Christian exegesis has taught?”125 This explains why Carson includes significant sections on historical theology when he edits books that systematically address controversial issues such as the doctrines of justification or Scripture.126

HT serves exegesis (and thus ST) in three ways:

1. HT opens up and closes down “options and configurations.”

2. HT shows how contemporary theological views are products of “the larger matrix” of contemporary thought.

3. HT contributes to ST’s boundaries by showing “remarkable uniformity of belief across quite different paradigms of understanding.”127

Some may criticize Carson’s theological method as “biblicism,” but Carson distinguishes between two kinds of biblicism:

There is a kind of appeal to Scripture, a kind of biblicism—let’s call it Biblicism One—that seems to bow to what Scripture says but does not listen to the text very closely and is almost entirely uninformed by how thoughtful Christians have wrestled with these same texts for centuries. There is another kind of biblicism—let’s call it Biblicism Two—that understands the final authority in divine revelation to lie in Scripture traceable to the God who has given it, but understands also that accurate understanding of that Scripture is never supported by bad exegesis and always enriched by the work of Christian thinkers who have gone before. . . . To attempt theological interpretation without reference to such developments is part and parcel of Biblicism One; to attempt theological interpretation that is self-consciously aware of such developments and takes them into account is part and parcel of Biblicism Two. We hasten to add that both Biblicism One and Biblicism Two insist that final authority rests with the Bible. All the theological syntheses are in principle revisable. Yet the best of these creeds and confessions have been grounded in such widespread study, discussion, debate, and testing against Scripture that to ignore them tends to cut oneself off from the entire history of Christian confessionalism. The Bible remains theoretically authoritative (Biblicism One), but in fact it is being manipulated and pummeled by private interpretations cut off from the common heritage of all Christians.128

Exegesis and Systematic Theology

Some theologians seem to think that their exegesis neutrally and objectively discovers the text’s meaning and that they build their ST on such discoveries, but one’s ST “exerts profound influence on” one’s exegesis.129 Without even realizing it, many theologians develop their own “canon within the canon,” which to a large degree accounts for conflicting exegesis among Christians.130 (A “canon within the canon” refers to “favorite passages of the Bible that then become their controlling grid for interpreting the rest of the Bible.”)131

This problem may develop in at least three ways:

1. “An ecclesiastical tradition may unwittingly overemphasize certain biblical truths at the expense of others, subordinating or even explaining away passages that do not easily ‘fit’ the slightly distorted structure that results.”132 For example, one’s understanding of justification in Galatians may control one’s understanding of justification everywhere else in the NT.133 The solution is “to listen to one another, especially when we least like what we hear,” and to employ ST in a way that confronts “the entire spectrum of biblical truth.”134

2. “An ecclesiastical tradition may self-consciously adopt a certain structure by which to integrate all the books of the canon” with the result that “some passages and themes may automatically be classified and explained in a particular fashion such that other believers find the tradition in question sub-biblical or too narrow or artificial.”135 Dispensationalism and covenant theology are classic examples, usually employed by earnest theologians who consider their “theological framework” to be “true to Scripture.”136