Want to know if someone really understands the Bible? Ask them a simple question: "Should I start reading the Bible with Matthew, or Genesis?" If they say Matthew, you've got a problem. They might know some Bible stories, they might even quote verses, but they're missing the foundation. They're trying to build a house on sand.
The New Testament, including the Gospels, is not a standalone book. It's the continuation of a story, a story that begins in the Old Testament. It's the fulfillment of promises, prophecies, and types that were established centuries earlier. To try to understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament is like trying to understand the end of a movie without watching the beginning. You might get the gist, but you'll miss the nuances, the connections, the deeper meaning.
Think of it like this: the Old Testament is the foundation, the root, the context. The New Testament is the building, the branches, the fulfillment. You can't understand the building without understanding the foundation. You can't understand the branches without understanding the root.
And it's not just about knowing the stories. It's about understanding the worldview, the theology, the language of the Old Testament. The New Testament authors were Jews, writing to a Jewish audience (primarily, at least, in the case of the Circumcision writings), steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. They assume you know the Old Testament. They allude to it constantly. They use its language, its imagery, its concepts. If you don't know the Old Testament, you're going to miss a huge amount of what they're saying.
The New Testament is saturated with allusions, quotations, and theological concepts that are rooted in the Old Testament. Without a firm grasp of the Hebrew Scriptures, it's impossible to fully understand the message of Jesus and the apostles. It's like trying to understand a sequel without having seen the original movie; you might get the gist, but you'll miss the nuances, the connections, and the deeper meaning.
For example, the very concept of the Messiah (Χριστός, Christos in Greek) is entirely dependent on the Old Testament. The word "Messiah" means "anointed one," and it refers to the promised king of Israel, the descendant of David who would restore God's kingdom and bring about justice and peace. When the New Testament authors call Jesus the "Christ," they're not simply giving Him a title; they're placing Him within a specific historical and theological context, claiming that He is the fulfillment of centuries of Jewish expectation. Without understanding the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, you can't fully grasp what it means to call Jesus the "Christ." You might think it's just a synonym for "Savior," but it's far more than that. It's a declaration that Jesus is the King of Israel, the one who will restore God's kingdom on earth. Consider, for instance, the words of the angel to Mary: "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32-33). This is a direct allusion to the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:3-4, 19-37; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 37:24-25), the promise that God would establish an eternal dynasty through David. To understand the significance of Jesus' kingship, you must understand the Old Testament context.
Similarly, the title "Son of God," so frequently applied to Jesus, is not a straightforward declaration of deity, as many Christians assume. In the Old Testament, "son of God" was a title for the Davidic king (2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:7; 89:26-27), and even for the nation of Israel as a whole (Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1). It signified a special relationship with God, a chosen status, but not inherent deity. When the New Testament calls Jesus the "Son of God," it's placing Him within that Davidic context, presenting Him as the promised King, the one who will fulfill God's covenant with David.
Even the concept of the kingdom of God (or "kingdom of heaven"), which is central to Jesus' message, is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. It's not about "going to heaven" when you die; it's about the restoration of God's rule on earth, the establishment of a righteous kingdom centered in Israel (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:6-9; 65:17-25; Jeremiah 3:14-18; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 14:8-9, 16-21). This is what the Jews were expecting, and this is what Jesus was proclaiming, at least during His earthly ministry. To understand the "kingdom of God," you must understand the Old Testament prophecies about the Messianic age.
The New Testament authors constantly quote and allude to the Old Testament, often without explicitly stating their source. They assume their readers are familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. For example, when Paul writes, "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22), he's drawing on the entire narrative of Genesis 1-3, the story of Adam's sin and its consequences for humanity. Without understanding that story, you can't fully grasp the meaning of Paul's statement.
Or consider the phrase "Lamb of God," used to describe Jesus in John 1:29, 36. This is not simply a generic term for a sacrificial animal. It's a reference to the Passover lamb (Exodus 12), whose blood protected the Israelites from death. It's also a reference to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, who is described as a "lamb led to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). To understand the significance of Jesus as the "Lamb of God," you must understand the Old Testament imagery of sacrifice and atonement.
Even seemingly simple phrases, like "the grace of God," are loaded with Old Testament meaning. "Grace" (חֵן, chen in Hebrew; χάρις, charis in Greek) is not simply "unmerited favor." It's a concept deeply rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people. It's about God's faithfulness to His promises, His steadfast love (חֶסֶד, chesed) for those He has chosen.
The New Testament authors also use typology, where people, events, or objects in the Old Testament foreshadow future realities in Christ. For example, the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) is a type of Christ being lifted up on the cross (John 3:14-15). It's not saying Jesus is a serpent, literally. It's saying that, just as the Israelites were healed by looking at the bronze serpent, so we are saved by looking to Christ in faith. This is basic typology, a common way of interpreting Scripture. It's about finding patterns and connections, not about equating Jesus with a snake. I've seen this been shown to somehow prove Gnosticism, but this shows a complete lack of understanding of both Gnosticism and basic biblical interpretation. Anyways, the manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16) is a type of Christ, the "bread of life" (John 6:31-58). The temple in Jerusalem is a type of Christ's body (John 2:19-21), and of the community of believers (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:19-22). Without understanding these typological connections, you miss the depth and richness of the New Testament message.
Even the concept of death is misunderstood if you don't grasp the Old Testament background. The New Testament doesn't teach the immortality of the soul, the idea that the soul lives on consciously after death, separate from the body. That's a Greek philosophical concept, not a biblical one. The Old Testament consistently presents death as the cessation of life, a state of unconsciousness (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10; Psalm 6:5; 115:17; 146:4; Isaiah 38:18-19). The "soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh in Hebrew; ψυχή, psychē in Greek) is not an immortal entity that separates from the body at death; it's the life, the consciousness, that ceases to exist when the body dies. The hope for the future is not in a disembodied afterlife, but in the resurrection of the body.
And what about "hell"? The word "hell," as commonly used in English translations, is a misleading rendering of several different Hebrew and Greek words. Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) and Hades (ᾅδης) simply mean "the grave," the state of death, the "unseen" realm. Gehenna (γέεννα) is a literal valley outside Jerusalem, historically associated with judgment and destruction, which Jesus used as a symbol of exclusion from the earthly Messianic kingdom. The "lake of fire" in Revelation is the second death, a real death, not eternal torment. To understand the New Testament teaching on judgment, you must understand the Old Testament background of these terms.
Even seemingly simple ethical commands, like "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8), are rooted in the Old Testament. This is not simply a general principle of kindness; it's a summary of the entire Law, the foundation of God's covenant with Israel.
And what about the concept of "spirit" (רוּחַ, ruach in Hebrew; πνεῦμα, pneuma in Greek)? It's not a separate "person" within a "Trinity." It's God's power, His presence, His breath, the animating force of life. When the New Testament speaks of the "Holy Spirit," it's referring to God's Spirit, God's power at work in the world and in believers.
Even seemingly straightforward statements, like "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16), take on a deeper meaning when understood in light of the Old Testament. God's love is not simply a sentimental feeling; it's a covenant faithfulness, a steadfast commitment to His people, a determination to bring about their salvation.
The New Testament authors assume their readers are familiar with the Old Testament. They build upon its foundation, reinterpret its prophecies, and reveal its deeper meaning in light of Christ. To try to understand the New Testament without the Old Testament is like trying to read a book starting in the middle. You'll miss the plot, the characters, the themes, and the overall message.
So, if someone tells you to start reading the Bible with the Gospels, they're giving you bad advice. They're setting you up for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Start with Genesis. Read the stories. Learn the Law. Understand the prophets. Grasp the hopes and expectations of Israel. Then, and only then, will you be equipped to understand the true message of the New Testament, the true Gospel of God's unconditional love and universal reconciliation in Christ.
So, yes, start with Genesis. Read the stories. Learn the Law. Understand the prophets. Grasp the hopes and expectations of Israel. Then, and only then, will you be equipped to understand the New Testament, to see how it fulfills the Old, and to grasp the true message of Jesus and the apostles.
As for the Apocrypha, while it is considered not inspired by some groups, it is still useful for understanding the history and theology of the Jews between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I would recommend reading 1 Maccabees, as it is a fairly accurate historical account of the Maccabean revolt, Wisdom of Solomon, and Sirach, as it is a good example of Jewish wisdom literature.
Don't be one of those Christians who picks up the Bible in the middle, reads a few verses out of context, and then claims to know what it means. Do the work. Dig deep. Understand the story. And you'll discover a truth that is far more profound, far more consistent, and far more glorious than anything you've been taught in church
.And, just to be clear again, the proper way to interpret Scripture isn't to jump straight to the New Testament and read your own preconceived notions into it. You have to start with the Old Testament, understand its historical and cultural context, its literary genres, its theological themes. You have to understand what the original audience would have understood the words to mean. You have to recognize that the New Testament authors were Jews, writing to a Jewish audience (primarily, at least, in the case of the Circumcision writings), steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. They assume you know the Old Testament. They allude to it constantly. They use its language, its imagery, its concepts.
Only then, after laying this foundation, can you properly understand the New Testament. You have to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), recognizing the distinctions between different audiences, covenants, and administrations. You have to understand the difference between the "Gospel of the Kingdom" preached to Israel and Paul's "Gospel of the Uncircumcision" preached primarily to the nations. You have to let the Scripture interpret Scripture, comparing passages, understanding the context, and seeking a consistent, coherent understanding of the whole Bible. That's how I approach Scripture, and that's how anyone who wants to understand it should approach it.
No comments:
Post a Comment