Monday, August 31, 2009

OT Background & Message: Law & Former Prophets

OT Background & Message: Law & Former Prophets

Dr. D

August 31, 2009 Old Testament? & How did Jesus approach the OT?

  1. Old Testament?
    1. Old b/c it is contrasted when it is compared with New Testament.
    2. Has an ancient element to it – precedes the new.
    3. It contains a law we are no longer under: civil law.
    4. Precedes Christ's coming – His coming is the precipices/climax.
      1. Not a new plan. Plan began before foundation of the world.
    5. Old = Foundation and New = Fulfillment.
      1. Foundation is more than just promises, e.g. Israel's historical account.
      2. Juxtapose Jesus and Israel – the life of Jesus is bound up in who Israel was.
  2. Initial Ponderings: 2 Corinthians 3: 7-11 What does Paul mean by Old? John 1: 14-17
    1. Contrasting Letter and Spirit… Level of glory revealed.
    2. Old Vs. New
      1. Ministry of Death --- life in Spirit (v7)
      2. Written on tablets of stone --- written on tablets of human hearts (v7)
      3. Glory --- more GLORY (v9)
      4. External seen on Moses' face --- Ministry of the Spirit
      5. Old came to an end (temporary) dispensation of death and condemnation --- New is permanent dispensation of the Spirit and of Righteousness.
  3. Why OLD doesn't mean unimportant or not applicable…
    1. ¾ of our Bible!
    2. The OT substantially influences our understanding of Key biblical teachings
      1. Sacrifice/atonement/Hebrews/Redemption from Slavery/1st or Last Adam/temple-heaven-land/Jesus being a Jew/Faithfulness of God to a faithless people
    3. We meet the same God in both Testaments:
      1. OT Texts
      2. Heb 1:1-2 God spoke to us through law and prophets… but in these "last days" the same God has spoken to us through His own Son.
      3. Ex. 34:6 "A God merciful and gracious… steadfast love for thousands"
      4. 2 Kgs 13:23 "Lord was gracious… turned toward them b/c of covenant"
      5. 2 Chr 30:9 "is gracious and merciful if you turn to Him"
      6. Neh 9:17, 31 "
      7. NT Texts
      8. Matt 10:28 "Him who can destroy both body and soul"
      9. Matt 18:6 "milestone around his neck"
      10. Rom 12:19 "leave it to the wrath of God… vengeance is Mine"
      11. Heb 10:26-27 "furry of fire that will consume the adversary"
      12. Conclusion: this is One God brothers.
    4. Jesus said the OT was about him.
      1. Luke 24:27 "things concerning Himself"
      2. "New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed" (Luther)
    5. Jesus came not to abolish but to fulfill! The OT is Christo-telic.
      1. Matt 5:17-18 (Rom 10:4)—end of the Law is Christ
    6. Paul stresses the OT has lasting significance.
      1. Romans 15:4 written for you and for me
      2. 1 Cor 9:8-12 written for us – grounding ethics in OT laws
      3. 2 Tim 3:16-17 "All scripture is inspired by God" new the "sacred writings which are able to make you Wise for Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ." Saved through OT scriptures – correct/rebuke/be equipped for every good work.
      4. 2 Tim 4:2 Paul Commands Pastors to preach it--- in the context it is the OT that he was "teaching." Commands pastors to preach the OT.
      5. HANDOUT GIVEN 10 Reasons to preach from OT.
  4. Why then do we call it the OT?
    1. Answer: it's not the Old in the sense of second class or unimportant. Rather it is Old in the sense that it addresses Gods' earlier dealings with humans pre-Messiah and that it anticipates fulfillment in a New covenant. God has spoken, and we must listen. Heb 4:6 "the good news"
    2. Romans 9 "Israel pursued… did not reach it b/c they didn't pursue it by faith" Anything not done with faith is sin Romans 14.
  5. A Canonical, Multi-Orbed Theological Approach to the OT
    1. A framework where everything in the entire Bible fits into (circle) and then a central "hub" that all things in the over-arching framework come out of/related to.
    2. Canon: measuring or rule: built of canon- measuring rod a yard stick. Qaneh : is Hebrew word that canon came from.
      1. Limit to the canon, but also intentionality to how the canon is structured.
      2. Currently: Greco-Roman structure by genre.
    3. Some Guiding Assumptions:
      1. OT biblical theology appreciates the benefits of the progressive revelation found in the NT.
      2. The key to unraveling the over-arching concerns of the OT as Christian Scriptures is grasping rightly how Jesus & the NT authors approached the OT.
      3. The NT is the answer key that unlocks the OT; Jesus and the NT authors were doing solid exegesis, but we must work the problem.
      4. Looking to the OT helps us "arrive" at the NT verses as the authors of the NT did. We get the process.

More than just historical, literary, canonical but also redemptive-historical context.
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