LaSor,
William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederick Wm. Bush. Old Testament Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Erdmans, 1992. It is available at: http://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Survey-Message-Background/dp/0802837883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376543332&sr=8-1&keywords=old+testament+survey
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Maps
Abbreviations
1.
The Authority of the Old Testament
2.
Revelation and Inspiration
3.
Canon
4.
Formation of the Old Testament
5.
Geography
6.
The Pentateuch
7.
Genesis: Primeval Prologue
8.
Genesis: Patriarchal History
9.
Exodus: Historical Background
10. Exodus: Contents and Theology
11. Leviticus
12. Numbers
13. Deuteronomy
14. The Former Prophets
15. Joshua
16. Judges
17. Birth of the Monarchy (1 Sam. 1-31)
18. Israel’s Golden Age: David and Solomon (2 Sam.
1- 1 Kings 11)
19. Divided Monarchy (1 Kings 12.1 – 2 Kings
18.12)
20. Judah Alone (2 Kings 18-25)
21. The Chronological Puzzle
22. Prophets and Prophecy
23. Hebrew Poetry
24. Amos
25. Hosea
26. Jonah
27. Micah
28. Isaiah: Background
29. Isaiah: Message
30. Messianic Prophecy
31. Jeremiah
32. Zephaniah and Joel
33. Nahum and Habukkuk
34. Obadiah
35. Ezekiel
36. Haggai
37. Zechariah
38. Malachi
39. The Writings
40. Psalms
41. Wisdom Literature
42. Proverbs
43. Job
44. Ecclesiastes
45. The Song of Songs
46. Ruth
47. Lamentations
48. The Scroll of Esther
49. The Chronicler’s Perspective
50. Ezra-Nehemiah
51. Daniel
General
Bibliography
Indexes
The
Preface
·
The three authors, Professors of Old Testament
at Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS), all taught at collegiate and seminary
levels
·
Over years, they surveyed many texts, including
the specialty works in history, theology, and introductions
·
Together, the three have 15 years of teaching
the core OT cores at FTS and have taught 100s of students
·
The text is for a “collegiate and seminary
level”
·
The collegiate needs are handled
·
The more technical seminarian levels will be
served by foototes per page, bibliographies by chapter, and the general
bibliography at the end
·
Goal: background, content, literary quality,
and message of the whole OT and individual books
·
A claim is made: “…committed to the inspiration
and the authority of the Bible including every part of the Old Testament and
seek to honor it as the Holy Scripture in all we say about it.” Yet, there are some odd omissions in the
opening chapter with recommendations, somewhat exclusively, of neo-orthodox writers
on inspiration and authority. Odd. Not even Mr. (Rev. Dr. Prof.) B.B. Warfield,
an unacceptable and a quite-knowing omission. We could say more and, in time,
will.
·
The effort to employ “every scholarly means”
Chapter
1: The Authority of the Old Testament
·
OT used by Christ and the apostles. “Scripture” or “Scriptures” in all NT
references (2 Pet. 3.16 excepted) refer to the OT
·
Putatively, the early church lived 2 decades
without NT texts, but used the OT. We say, “putatively,” because we are not at all
convinced that there were no sermon notes or pre-Gospel notes by the apostles,
but we’ll allow the authors comment to stand
·
Jesus recognized the OT as authoritative: the
Temptation (Mt. 4.1-11) and defending Himself as the “Son of God” with an OT
text (Jn. 10.31-36)
·
Jesus taught the OT, deepening the sense of the
law (and Gospel) in the Sermon on the Mount.
·
Jesus taught He was the explicit fulfillment of
OT prophecy in Luke 4.21 in a sermon at Nazareth. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in
your hearing.” The Israeli officialdom
got the memo and did not believe (except for the elect).
·
Christ “revolutionized Old Testament
interpretation”
1.
Christ brought “strands together around and in
Himself…”
2.
Teaching, like Moses, from a mountain
3.
The peerless Priest/Temple will be obsolete
(Mt. 12.6; Jn. 2.13-15)
4.
Wise King “greater than Solomon” (Mt. 12.42)
5.
David’s “Son” and “Lord” simultaneously (Mk.
12.35-37; 15.2)
6.
Triumphant Son of Man (Dan. 7.13ff; Mk. 13.32)
7.
Suffering Servant (Is. 53; Mk. 10.45)
·
Matthew: constant concern to connect Messiah’s
life and OT prophecy, “to fulfill what was spoken” (Mt. 1.22; 2.15, 17, 23;
4.14; 12.17; 13.35; 21.4; 27.9)
·
John: explicit comparison of Moses and Christ
(1.17; 3.14; 5.45-47; 6.32; 7.19)
·
Authors of Hebrews, James and Revelation: laced
with direct and indirect OT allusions and quotes and yielding to OT authority
·
Rabbi Paul:
Converted Jewish Rabbi knew the OT and emphatically accepted its
authority
1.
His conversion occasioned a “hermeneutical”
transformation
2.
Familiar texts had a refreshed and
Christological meaning
3.
Like Jesus, he accepted the OT as
authoritative: the similarity in approach to Jesus’ view of the OT is not
accidental. Christ had identified OT
texts for His disciples
4.
Four “pillar epistles” of Paul—Romans, 1-2
Corinthians, Galatians: heavy dependence on the OT, 90 quotes, and lines of arguments from the OT are used
“to clinch arguments”
5.
“For Paul, Christ was not only a factor giving
added meaning to the OT but the only means whereby the OT could be rightly understood;
it was not merely that he saw Christ in the OT but that he viewed the whole
scope of OT prophecy and history from the standpoint of the Messianic Age in
which the OT stood open, fulfilled in Jesus Christ and in His new creation.”
E.E. Ellis, Paul’s Use of the Old
Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: 1957),
113.
6.
Fall of humanity in the First Adam (Rom.
5.12-21), universality and total depravity of all humans (Rom. 3.9-20),
obedience and sufferings of Christ (Rom. 15.3) and justification by faith alone
(1.17; 4.1ff; 10.5ff.)
Chapter
Two: Revelation and Inspiration: Standard definitions are
offered on revelation, necessity of
revelation, general and special revelation, means of revelation, progressive
revelation, redemptive focus, inscripturation, θεοπνεύστος, Holy Spirit as the
Agent, human agents, and verbal inspiration which “extends to the very words.”
We are not entirely happy with the bibliography in either
chapter. We will hold that dissatisfaction for further inquiry. Overall, however, this is a clear, direct,
and helpful textbook. Recommended for
collegians and for seminarians.
No comments:
Post a Comment