Your theology directly affects how you relate to God. The first man, Adam, and the last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi, knew the God of the Bible as the Father. All the patriarchs and prophets between them held this same foundational theological perspective regarding the person of God. This theology flowed seamlessly into the New Testament when the God of the fathers stepped onto the stage of history as the man, Christ Jesus. Jesus' ministry is replete with the theology of the Old Testament fathers as he touched the lives of those whom he encountered. The theology of the first-generation church was established on the teachings of Jesus and the fathers of monotheism. The first Christians did not have the New Testament Bible; they understood God based upon their encounters with Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and the writings of the patriarchs and prophets of Israel. This theological perspective was entrenched in the minds of the eight men who wrote the New Testament, the Fellows of Biblical theology.
As you read this book the consistency of theology from the beginning of human history throughout every period of Bible history will be striking. Theology has a chronology but the foundational truth of the person of God remains consistent over time. Armed with this truth, you will conclude that heaven's Single Sovereign, God the Father, was the God in Christ, paving a path for you to have a personal encounter with Him, as He calls you deeper into His presence.
