In Psalm 119:160, the psalmist writes this meditation about God’s word: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever”. This verse gives us a beautiful foundation for understanding the divinity of Scripture. The entirety of it is true and enduring. This means that different parts of the Bible cannot contradict each other or be errant, else its claim to truth would crumble. Instead, since “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” there must be unity in what it says (2 Timothy 3:16). When we read the Bible, we can notice that some ideas appear multiple times. We also find that some chapters or books focus on a main topic. As we read, we find ourselves automatically spotting patterns and looking out for connections or themes. The Discovery Journal often defines a theme as a “subject or topic of discourse” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Theme”). Themes are the foundational points that help us find other study tools, such as cross-references or original-language words. Intentionally finding and tracing themes are essential parts of Bible study, as they allow us to better understand unifying ideas and see that the Bible is beautifully connected to present true and enduring words.
What are some examples of common themes in the Bible? Beginning in Genesis 1-3, we see foundational themes introduced: Creation, Trinity, Omnipotence, Rest, Marriage, Covenant, Sin, and Redemption. These big themes, as well as many other ones, are also found throughout the rest of the Bible. For example, we can look at the curse on mankind in Genesis 3:17b-18: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.” The main idea in this passage is straightforward: the curse of sin and its effects on the natural world. Establishing this theme helps us understand why Lamech, in hope, named his son Noah: “saying, ‘This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.’” (Genesis 5:29). Tracing this idea even farther, we can see that when Jesus was crucified and a crown of thorns was placed on His head, it pointed back to this theme (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2). Just as it says in Isaiah 53:4, Christ “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” This theme of the curse on the earth, then, is tied with redemption; Paul puts it succinctly in Galatians 3:13: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse…having become a curse for us.” Noticing this theme in Genesis and carrying it through Scripture helps us see the big picture—God always had a plan to redeem mankind and bring them back to Him. Tracing themes helps us understand how these big ideas developed and examine Scripture verses in context. Let’s look at some tips for finding themes in the Bible with examples from the book of James.
- Look for repetition. Ask the question: “What word or phrase is repeated multiple times in the passage I am looking at?” In James 1:12-15, we read a passage that addresses the development of sin. In the New King James Version, the word “temptation” and its variations occur 6 times in these 4 verses. This gives us a clue that temptation is one of the important subjects in this passage. Another example is in James 2:14-26. In this passage, the word “faith” is repeated 11 times, and the word “works” is repeated 12 times in the New King James Version. When it is so clearly emphasized, the relationship between faith and works stands out to us when we know what we are looking for.
- Look for the central command or idea. Ask the question: “What main point is the author explaining or illustrating?” If the author discusses a topic in a lengthier section, it is important to keep this question in mind. In James 2:1-13, the author presents a hypothetical situation to illustrate his point. The theme of this section is given directly in verse 1: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.” This sets the stage for the rest of the passage; we can look at the author’s subsequent points and see that they tie to this command. The theme for this passage, therefore, is personal partiality and favoritism.
- Look for the application points. Ask the question: “What should I take from this section?” In James 4:13-17, the author issues an admonition to those who arrogantly boast about their future plans. There are many points of application—our life is but a vapor (4:14), boasting in arrogance is evil (4:16), not doing what we know is good is a sin (4:17). These points of application not only help us internalize and treasure God’s word in our hearts, but they also point to the common theme: we should be aware of not boasting about tomorrow.
Looking at James 3:1-12, we can see how to use these three methods to identify themes. In the New King James version, the words “tongue” and “mouth” are repeated 6 times in this section. Following the passage, we can see that the central idea is summarized in verse 8: “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” With this in mind, we can see that the author continues to expound on this idea of taming the tongue with various comparisons. The application point, therefore, is to be aware of our words and to understand how often we stumble in our speech. With these themes, we can expand our study to find related verses throughout Scripture and pray, as David did: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).
Some Bibles have section headers that are also good places to begin with themes. When studying themes, it is important to ask guiding questions. What does this theme reveal about God’s character or His relationship with His people? What does this theme reveal about humanity? How does this theme fit into the rest of the Bible—is it redefined or built on in the rest of Scripture? Most importantly, ask yourself: How do I respond to this theme? God wants us to respond to His word, and studying themes is a wonderful way to see His story and understand what He is teaching us. As you dive into His word, ask the Lord to give you a greater understanding of the themes He wants you to find and the wisdom to hide them in your heart!
Written by NBB Alumna: Annelisa Stephen
