Lesson 9: The Contemporary Horizon
What Is It?
A Definition
All theology is practical, whether we’re talking about exegesis itself or biblical, systematic, and historical theology. But the work of applying the Bible’s teaching is also itself a theological discipline.
Now, practical theology doesn’t always follow each of the other disciplines chronologically. For example, some results of systematic theology cry out for immediate application. But it does follow the other disciplines logically. As Andy Naselli explains, “You simply can’t do responsible practical theology unless its foundation is exegesis, biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology.”¹
My favorite definition of practical theology is that of Christian counselor Ed Welch. He writes, “Practical theology is simply theology in action. … It is asking ‘So what?’ of our theological propositions.”²
Let’s expand that into a thicker definition:
Definition of the Contemporary Horizon: The horizon that applies the exegesis of Scripture, as shaped by biblical, systematic, and historical theology, to the life of the church
A Goal
We’ve already established that practical theology applies a biblical text to the life of the church. But what is our ultimate goal in applying the text? Well, as the Bible itself declares, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:19–20).
No aspect of theology should be a cul-de-sac, least of all the discipline of applying Scripture! For as Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Theology is taught by God, teaches of God, and leads to God.”³ In other words, God revealed his glory to us in his Word so that we could be led to him, know him, worship him, and “enjoy him forever.”⁴ Sound theology always orbits around the Center in that we learn about God from God and for God. The result is God’s glory and our good.⁵
So let’s return to our question: what is the ultimate goal of the Contemporary Horizon?
Goal of the Contemporary Horizon: To glorify God by responding rightly to his Word
Why did God reveal his glory in Christ, the living Word, through the Bible, the written Word? So that we could know him and so share in his glory.
I love how Tony Arsenal explained the goal of theology as a whole:
If our theological pursuits do not yield the practical outcome of doxological joy, then we have missed the point. This would be akin to learning everything you can about a woman, and never asking her out on a date. Studying the likes, dislikes, and other facts about her is endearing and charming if the goal is a relationship… but absent that purpose is disturbing and unnerving. The difference between getting to know someone and stalking is the intention to enter into a genuine relationship.
—Tony Arsenal, "et ad Deum Ducit.”
A Bridge
In sum, the Contemporary Horizon functions as a bridge, connecting the teaching of the Bible to our world.⁶
Now, depending on what passage of Scripture you’re trying to apply, you might not need a bridge. Sometimes only a thin stream covers the distance between the Bible’s world and ours, and you can step across it without getting your feet wet. But sometimes a roaring river, raging through a deep chasm, separates the two.
For example, if you read the command “let the thief no longer steal” in Ephesians 4:28, you don’t have to build a bridge to know how it should affect your relationship to the electronics on the shelves at Best Buy.
But sometimes we need to work hard to construct a sturdy bridge. For example, God told his people in Numbers 15:38, “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner.” If “all Scripture is … profitable … for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16), how do we cross the yawning abyss between ancient Israel and 21st-century America to profit from this command? It can be done, but not quickly or easily. You need to spend time using the tools of the first four horizons of Bible study to build such a lengthy bridge.
Then, once your bridge is built, you need to cross it! We’ll learn how in the next step.