Thrive Perspectives: Biblical History

God does not change, but his purposes unfold – this is what creates linear history. The Bible does not tell its story the way we tell history. It is theological. When we say that the Bible is 'theological,' we mean that it tells its story in a way that emphasises the significance of events from a religious or spiritual perspective, rather than just presenting historical facts. We must be cautious about defending the Bible according to modern notions of factuality. The Bible gives us facts, but it selects facts according to significance and presents a pattern of events that might clash with what a secular historian might come up with. All records of history do this. The Bible is true in that it highlights what is most important in history for us all.