The New Interprets the Old

Notes from today's class in the Biblical Theology Study Center (and tomorrow's Adult Bible Education, coincidentally). Some of this is from Beale & Carson's "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament", some is from Goldsworthy's "Gospel-centered hermeneutics", some is from Beynon and Sach's "Dig Deeper", and some is simply Bressonification of things that have been heard and assimilated in the past. :-)

• The New Testament use of the Old Testament shows fulfillment of the Old Testament types, shadows, and promises in Christ.
• Old Testament passages are interpreted in light of Jesus, his life, death, resurrection, and exaltation.
• The New Testament uses the Old Testament as support for its various conclusions.
• New Testament use of the Old Testament is contextual, making it important to read and even understand the entire context of the Old Testament passage to get the full impact of its use.
• The Old Testament quote provides backdrop for the New Testament passage and moves along the thesis/theme of the NT author’s book, even as the New Testament passage interprets the Old Testament passage from which the quote is taken.
• Use of the Old Testament by the NT authors grounds Jesus' story in the story of Old Testament Israel.
• Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament provides continuity between the testaments in telling the one grand story of Jesus.
• Use of the Old Testament draws similarities between Jesus and the Old Testament and highlights dissimilarities.
• Often the quotation is merely a memory-marker for the larger Old Testament unit.