Last night I finished a Bible study in Hebrews with a brother, Randy, I have been discipling who is a fairly new believer. His wife has confessed Christ for many years, and when he started following, she encouraged him to read and study that book. She loved the book and knew he would, too. He did—in spades.
Most reading this blog will know the structure of Hebrews with its use of the Law and Christ's exceedingly abundant fulfillment of all it represented. After we were done, Randy commented on how important it was to know the Old Testament to understand the New. His experience as a Roman Catholic was for the teaching to dwell solely on NT with various smatterings of Psalms and well-known stories as moral examples. I told him that evangelicals at-large are not much different. Sure, there are some denominations and individual churches who understand the importance of rooting Christian teaching in sound biblical theology and the progressive revelation of redemptive history, but my experience is that Christians are so intent on "believing in Jesus" that they ignore why the incarnation and his atoning work were necessary, much less their full import.
Why do I mention all that? This morning I read a book review of Reclaiming the Old Testament for Christian Preaching by my good friend1 at Pastoral Musings. This offering from InterVarsity does not address the detail of each genre but the importance and method of preaching/teaching it to believers and making it applicable to today. If the review is accurate, you will want to secure a copy of this for whomever is in a teaching role in your church, or get it for your church library so it can be shared.
Exodus 21 through Deuteronomy 33 appear to be dry reading because they are not taught or are not made applicable. Let's change that. I am currently leading a study with three other men through Deuteronomy. They find the time rewarding and are putting together the puzzle pieces I mention above concerning Christ's work and our response to it. The same can happen in your church.
1 He acknowledges my internet presence.
Most reading this blog will know the structure of Hebrews with its use of the Law and Christ's exceedingly abundant fulfillment of all it represented. After we were done, Randy commented on how important it was to know the Old Testament to understand the New. His experience as a Roman Catholic was for the teaching to dwell solely on NT with various smatterings of Psalms and well-known stories as moral examples. I told him that evangelicals at-large are not much different. Sure, there are some denominations and individual churches who understand the importance of rooting Christian teaching in sound biblical theology and the progressive revelation of redemptive history, but my experience is that Christians are so intent on "believing in Jesus" that they ignore why the incarnation and his atoning work were necessary, much less their full import.
Why do I mention all that? This morning I read a book review of Reclaiming the Old Testament for Christian Preaching by my good friend1 at Pastoral Musings. This offering from InterVarsity does not address the detail of each genre but the importance and method of preaching/teaching it to believers and making it applicable to today. If the review is accurate, you will want to secure a copy of this for whomever is in a teaching role in your church, or get it for your church library so it can be shared.
Exodus 21 through Deuteronomy 33 appear to be dry reading because they are not taught or are not made applicable. Let's change that. I am currently leading a study with three other men through Deuteronomy. They find the time rewarding and are putting together the puzzle pieces I mention above concerning Christ's work and our response to it. The same can happen in your church.
1 He acknowledges my internet presence.
2 comments:
I think I would also add Daniel Fuller's Unity of The Bible to any suggestions for help with the OT. It helps bring the whole into perspective.
Sadly, we use the OT for much moralism and little gospel. That must change.
I'm glad you liked the review. The book was indeed a good one, though I would quibble with a couple of points.
Thanks for that title.
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