The Christian Old Testament: Looking at the Hebrew Scriptures through Christian Eyes
Overview
Many Christians see the Old Testament as “the other Testament”: a source of exciting stories to tell the kids, but not very relevant to the Christian life. The Christian Old Testament reveals the Hebrew Scriptures as the essential context of Christianity, as well as a multi-layered revelation of Christ himself.
- Examines the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures within Christianity
- Discusses the Old Testament through distinct sections
- Presents an Orthodox viewpoint on the Old Testament
- The “Other” Testament
- Reading the Old Testament as Children of the New
- Genesis: Walking with the Patriarchs
- The Law: Worshipping within the Tents
- The Historical Books: Living in the Land
- The Prophets: Listening to God
- The Writings: Singing the Lord’s Song
- We Have Found the Messiah
Top Highlights
“In a word, the Christians read the Old Testament as a revelation of Christ. It is not the case that Christians read the Old Testament, clearly understand everything in it and how it all fits together, and then look at Jesus’ words and ministry to see whether or not it all stacks up with that understanding. The Old Testament does not enlighten and validate Jesus so much as He enlightens and validates it. He is the foundation, the basis on which we Christians understand the Old Testament and everything else. He is the charter.” (Page 14)
“The Hebrew creation story was as much polemic as it was anything else. Its main point is not, ‘This is how the world came into existence,’ but rather, ‘Our Jewish tribal God is sovereign over the whole world.’ What would strike the ancients the most forcefully from the story was not the statement, ‘God made the world out of nothing,’ but the statement, ‘Yahweh Elohim made the world’—and therefore the Hebrews who alone worship this God are assured of victory.” (Page 18)
“The life of Jesus is the grid we place over the Old Testament texts, the key that interprets and explains everything. Without Christ, the Old Testament remains unclear, its differing passages contradictory, its hopes manifestly unfulfilled. With Christ, we can understand everything. It is as St. Ignatius said so long ago. Our charter is Jesus Christ.” (Page 16)
“The apostles spent much of their time teaching their first converts the correct understanding of the Scriptures and how they were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. And when the apostles moved out of Jerusalem and Judea into a Gentile environment, they immediately began the process of educating these newly converted Gentiles in the literature of the Jewish people. Conversion to the God of Israel and His Jewish Messiah meant possession of and education in the Jewish Scriptures. That is why ‘Christian anti-Semitism,’ where it exists, is not just moronic, but also oxymoronic. Christianity is spiritually Jewish.” (Pages 9–10)
- Title: The Christian Old Testament: Looking at the Hebrew Scriptures through Christian Eyes
- Author: Lawrence R. Farley
- Publisher: Ancient Faith
- Print Publication Date: 2012
- Logos Release Date: 2013
- Pages: 160
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. › Criticism, interpretation, etc
- ISBNs: 9781936270538, 1936270536
- Resource ID: LLS:CHRSTNLDTSTMNTL
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:21:02Z