Why New Testament Philology Must Begin with the Old Testament
One of the great mistakes of modern Bible study is treating the Old Testament as though it were merely the background to the New Testament. Sure, it is background. Imagine jumping into The Count of Monte Cristo once the Count is in Paris. Everything pre-Paris is background for understanding the personalities of the Count and his ploys and maneuvers. But the Old Testament is quite different. It's not just the background for what comes next. It's not just the bridge we cross that brings up to the plot climax. The Old Testament is more. It is truth and life and given to us for our example and protection and preparation to receive the message of the New Covenant, which is that while we were yet sinners, Christ died in our place. It is the theological, linguistic, narrative, and covenantal foundation upon which that New Covenant stands. The New Testament does not arrive as an isolated religious text. It speaks with the vocabulary, categories, images, promises, and hopes of Israel’s...
