The study of bibliology is closely connected with the Bible. The Bible is the core of bibliology, meaning bibliology is core to Christians’ lives. God inspired the Bible, so it is perhaps the most important theological discipline. There are several key resources for studying bibliology besides the Bible.
Bibliology may be familiar to some Christians, but many do not know what the word means. So, let’s define it.
What Is the Definition of Bibliology?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, bibliology is the science and history of books as physical objects. There are other definitions, though.
Collins Dictionary explains that biblio means “book,” which is where we got the term “Bible.” “Ology” means the study of something. So, bibliology is the study of the Bible. The Bible has many names. So, bibliology could also be considered the study of Scripture, the study of the Word of God, or the study of the Sword of the Spirit.
Bible.org defines bibliology as the study of the Bible’s nature as revelation. The Century Dictionary describes bibliology as the literature or doctrine of the Bible.
Bibliology as a Theological Study
Theology, the study of God, has a variety of subtopics dealing with different questions.
For example, Patrilogy is the study of God the Father. This includes topics like general revelation, which is about the knowability of the existence of God. It also includes divine providence since providence is the study of God’s care for the world.
Christian anthropology is the study of how humans relate to God. It includes topics like the study of free will because free will is part of our human makeup.
The other theological studies include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Angelology is the study of angels.
- Christology is the study of Jesus.
- Pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit.
- Hamartiology is the study of sin.
- Soteriology is the doctrine of salvation.
- Ecclesiology is the study of the church.
- Eschatology is the study of end times.
Bibliology is the study of the Bible itself—the source of information about these other theological subjects.
All these subjects fall under a theological discipline called systematic theology (showing how different theological subjects fit together).
Gospel Coalition contributor Andrew Naselli explains the four other theological disciplines: exegesis, biblical theology, historical theology, and practical theology.
- Naselli explains that exegesis is the critical explanation or interpretation of Scripture.
- As Crossway.org contributor Michael Lawrence explains, biblical theology focuses on the divine activity of God as it unfolds.
- Gospel Coalition contributor R. Scott Clark explains that historical theology narrates how Christian theology has developed over time.
Ligonier Ministries includes an article on practical theology, explaining it is the theological examination of how the church practices worship, pastoral ministry, fellowship, outreach, Christian education, and counseling.
What Separates Bibliology from Other Theological Disciplines?
Bibliology is not the critical explanation of Scripture. Bibliology does not focus on the divine activity of God as it unfolds. It is not the telling of the development of theology. And it is not a theological examination of the practices of the church. Bibliology is studying the Bible instead of the ideas, concepts, and theories that come from studying it.
As noted earlier, bibliology is the source of other theological disciplines, because it is the study of the Bible where we get the information about all of these disciplines. Perhaps one could also say that the other theological disciplines are types of bibliology. Specialized topics within bibliology.
Bibliology is also more technical than other theological disciplines. It involves paying attention to words, sentences, sentence structure, paragraphs, alignment of verses and chapters, grammar, inspiration, inerrancy, interpretation, and authority.
Also, bibliology is the only theological discipline directly affecting one’s relationship with God. Hebrews 4:12 says it perfectly: “God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the Spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.” The Bible is a book, but it is alive and works in its readers. The sword of the Spirit is sharp, cutting deep into the souls and spirits of its readers. It affects its readers spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. It is powerful.
Psalms 119:11 states, “I study your teaching very carefully so that I will not sin against you.” We should follow the example of the author of this verse. He is talking about bibliology. He studies the Bible very carefully. Because the Bible is alive and working and cuts deep where the soul and Spirit are joined, it only makes sense that this book heavily impacts us when we read it. Naturally, the more we read it, the more it impacts us. By studying the Bible, we become closer to God. Clearly, studying the Bible is important.
Bibliology is the only theological discipline that every Christian should practice consistently. The other theological disciplines are important, but bibliology is the most important practice of the theological disciplines.
What Does Bibliology Mean When It Says the Bible Is Inspired?
2 Timothy 3:16 states, “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” “Inspiration” means “God-breathed.” The Bible is the inspired Word of God. God inspired the authors in their writing. God inspires all Christians in their Christian writing, but he inspired the authors of the Bible a little more when those authors wrote the Bible. This is why “God-breathed” is used in some versions of 2 Timothy 3:16. As this Josh McDowell Ministries article observes, God worked in a unique, supernatural way so the words that the bible authors wrote were also the words of God.
However, there are a few different views on biblical inspiration: intuition, illumination, dynamic, verbal, and dictation.
- The views vary from each other in how much inspiration they believe was involved in the writing of the Bible.
- The intuition view believes that the writing had almost no inspiration from God.
- The illumination view believes there was a little inspiration from God.
- The dynamic view believes that there was a decent amount of inspiration.
The verbal (or verbal plenary) view believes there was much inspiration. And the dictation view believes that God almost entirely inspired the writing of the Bible. It is generally believed that either the dynamic or verbal view of inspiration is correct.
Key Resources for Studying Bibliology
There are several key resources for studying bibliology. Of course, the most important resource is the Bible itself. This is the core text, the focus of bibliology. Bibliology is the study of the Bible, so Scripture is necessary for bibliology. There are study Bibles, which are Bibles with explanations for verses. There are also commentaries, which are in-depth explanations for Bible verses written by Bible scholars. Also, there are several online resources, such as Christianity.com, Bible Study Tools, and Crosswalk.com.
Aside from written resources, another key resource is one you may forget: people. Most churches can provide access to study Bibles, commentaries, and various other Christian books. Churches also have Bible study groups where Christians who have studied the Bible for years can help others study the Bible.
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Jared Salomon is a writer and editor, with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing from Taylor University. He is an associate product developer for Childress Ink. He writes Christian fiction, realistic fiction, and fantasy. In his free time, Jared enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing sports (especially tennis).
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