To wind up this series on Christ-centered interpretation, I will focus on the question, “Can we read the Old Testament like the NT authors?.” I will also include some resources on Christ-centered interpretation (more technically called Christ-centered hermeneutics. Closely related terms or ideas include biblical theology and historical-redemptive hermeneutic). You can access the first four articles at these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
I would be amiss to not mention David Prince and Russell D. Moore as the primary sources of my introduction to these issues. Much of the material I presented here are the result of notes taken in classes I have had with them.
Prince serves as pastor of Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., and is an excellent preacher and writer. Moore serves as senior vice president for academic administration and dean of the School of Theology at Southern and is also an excellent preacher and writer and the most gifted communicator I have encountered.
We should read the Old Testament like the New Testament authors
This is hotly debated point with several viewpoints. Some argue that because the NT authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit only they can read the Old Testament in the way they did and we should not try to emulate them. There is no question that only the Old Testament interpretation recorded in the New Testament is inspired and infallible. But this does not mean that we can’t seek to interpret the Old Testament in the same the NT authors did.
One of my professors at Southern Seminary, Russell D. Moore, noted in a class that the apostle Paul did not interpret an Old Testament text in a Christ-centered way — in a way that seems to go beyond the original intent of the human author, which is the main controversy here — and then say, “don’t try to interpret the Bible this way.”
In contrast, Paul seemed to have the perspective that all Christians should understand his interpretation. Paul wrote from the perspective that everyone should interpret Scripture in light of Christ.
Example: the letter to the Hebrews
Hebrews, whose author is unknown to us, perhaps most clearly exemplifies a Christ-centered hermeneutic among the books of the New Testament. Consider the following:
- Chapter 1: Christ superior to angels.
8 different Old Testament citations that relate to Christ.
- Chapter 2: Christ a lowly man, but a perfect man.
4 Old Testament citations that relate to Christ.
- Chapters 3-4: Christ is superior to Moses.
1 Old Testament citation discussing the proper human response to Christ. Old Testament comparison between Moses and Christ.
Melchizedek is an OT figure (Gen 14, Ps 110).
- Chapters 8-10 — Jesus the priest of a better covenant.
Jesus is the sacrifice of the new covenant. Here we have a comparison between the OT sacrificial system and Christ, and an explanation that Christ is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system. Indeed, the blood of bulls and goats cannot atone for sin, but Christ atoned for sin. 1 OT citation related to Christ. 1 extended OT citation related to how the new covenant is made possible because of Christ.
- Chapter 11: Hall of faith.
List of people in the OT who lived by faith. 11:39: And all of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised (because Christ had not come).
- Chapter 12: Look to Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.
- Chapter 13: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Summary: The author of Hebrews assumes his readers understood the Old Testament. He referenced it often. And he read it in light of Christ. He said, “Hey, look! This is the Messiah, the Old Testament talks about! Don’t miss this! Our fathers in the faith were looking ahead to this time when the Messiah would come and He has come!” I conclude that we should read all of Scripture in light of Christ.
We need to take into account how the apostles read the Old Testament and read the Old Testament like they did. They are the models for us, the example for us, of how to read the Old Testament. And we should read the New Testament in the same way. Just like with the Old Testament, you can’t just pull moral principles divorced from Christ and the gospel out of the New Testament.
There is an additional, but related, question of how we are to talk about what we are doing when we read the Old Testament in light of Christ. Are we discerning a meaning that goes beyond what the original human authors wrote about? Are we applying what they wrote to our modern-day context?
To best answer these questions (which I continue to ponder) I would recommend further study, prayer and reading books on the topic. One book presenting various views on these topics is Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. My friend and colleague David Schrock has reviewed this book at his blog Via Emmaus.
This book just presents a few options for understanding how the NT authors read and interpret the Old Testament. At this point, I am closest to the Single Meaning, Multiple Contexts and Referents view that Darrell Bock lays out in this book, though I also see validity to one type of a fuller meaning approach (though perhaps not the one espoused in this book).
The idea of fuller meaning I like is the thought that the Old Testament authors wrote with a future Messiah in mind. As they wrote, God had Christ in mind. This “fuller meaning” of the text became clear when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came along. We in the new covenant age can rightly read the Old Testament in light of Christ, applying this “fuller meaning” that God had in mind all along.
So, the Old Testament authors understood to some degree that they were writing about Christ, but they did not understand to the full extent, to the extent that those who come after Christ can see that they were writing about Christ. Texts that seem to align with this idea, include Mark 12:35-37, 1 Peter 1:1-12 and John 12:41.
We, as believers, have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us (Gal 2:20). We must not aside this reality, must not aside the grace of God (Gal 2:21), in the way that we interpret Scripture, but must instead interpret and apply it in light of Christ.
Apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15), a reality that should drive us to our knees as we ask the Lord to help us do His will. We serve a great King (Matt 28:18) and a loving Father who always has our best interests in mind (Rom 8:28-29). May we be encouraged by these realities when we sit up, when we rise, when we walk and in all that we do.
Here are some resources on Christ-centered interpretation (hermeneutics) and biblical theology. For pastors, I would also recommend, “Him we Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All of Scripture,” by Dennis Johnson, and “Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture” by Graeme Goldsworthy.