October 25, 2016Through Old Testament Eyes 1: Echoes of Scripture in the GospelsMany Christians function with half a Bible. When we feel troubled we may go to the Psalms, or when we need an exciting story to keep children entertained we may go to Daniel or Jonah. But that may be about it. We say the whole Bible is authoritative and inspired by God, but sadly the Old Testament remains largely a closed book. Yet we The reason is that the New Testament writers were saturated with the images, stories, motifs and themes of the Old. It's the world they lived in. So if we want to understand how they thought, we need to know what filled their minds and hearts. Richard B. Hays opens up the importance of this in Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels. He shows in multiple examples how each of the four gospels writers made profound use of the Old Testament to explain who Jesus was and what he did. This was not only through direct quotation or reference, but by using associations, symbols, metaphors and narrative patterns from what John Goldingay calls the First Testament. Each gospel This book expands on much of the excellent material found in Hays's earlier and briefer volume Reading Backwards (see here). Both books are immensely helpful guides to reading the New Testament through Old Testament eyes. |
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