In yesterday’s post, I argued that scripture is character driven not plot driven. If this is the case, as I believe it is, then who are scripture’s main characters? This will be a somewhat incomplete post as the whole will emerge over the next few days as I write about all the main characters. Then on Friday will attempt to put it all together.

The first character, the protagonist, is the most obvious…it is God. Throughout all of scripture the main character is God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinitarian formula comes much later, but each is active in the story).

Now is not the time to have a full-length discussion of who God is and how he is revealed in scripture since this series of posts is focused on storytelling. What can be said quickly is that scripture makes two basic claims about God:

1. There is One True God

2. The One True God is Active in the World.

In this sense, God is the protagonist and the hero of the story…not all protagonists are the hero. God is the creator, the one who calls, the deliverer, the judge, the sacrifice, the reward, and the one who loves. But what is constantly front and center is that God desires to be in relationship with those he created. So if scripture is character driven, then what should be seen is how God not just acts but how God feels as the relationship between God and humanity changes.

Is this what scripture shows? Are the actions of God the primary point, this is what he has done? Or are the actions pointers to his character?