Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament

A. Anderson Gary

Description

The Old Testament offers a rich palette of ideas, images, and narratives that help us unpack some of the more compact and opaque theological ideas of the New Testament. In conversation with both Christian and Jewish interpreters, prominent scholar Gary Anderson explores the exegetical background of key Christian doctrines. Through a deeper reading of our two-Testament Bible, he illustrates that Christian doctrines have an organic connection to biblical texts and that doctrine can clarify meanings in the text that are foreign to modern, Western readers. Anderson traces the development of doctrine through the history of interpretation, discussing controversial topics such as the fall of man, creation out of nothing, the treasury of merit, and the veneration of Mary along the way. He demonstrates that church doctrines are more clearly grounded in Scripture than modern biblical scholarship has often supposed and that the Bible can define and elaborate the content of these doctrines.

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique
• Christian theology

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 18 avril 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493406753
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2017 by Gary A. Anderson
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0675-3
Except where otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Contents
Cover i
Title Page ii
Copyright Page iii
Acknowledgments v
Abbreviations vii
Introduction xi
Part 1: “Who Is a God Like You?” 1
1. Apophatic Theology: The Transcendence of God and the Story of Nadab and Abihu 3
2. The Impassibility of God: Moses, Jonah, and the Theo-Drama of Intercessory Prayer 23
Part 2: “In the Beginning” 39
3. Creation: Creatio ex Nihilo and the Bible 41
4. Original Sin: The Fall of Humanity and the Golden Calf 59
5. Election: The Beloved Son in Genesis and the Gospels 75
Part 3: “The Word Became Flesh” 93
6. Christology: The Incarnation and the Temple 95
7. Mariology: The Mother of God and the Temple 121
8. Christology: Tobit as Righteous Sufferer 135
Part 4: “Conformed to the Image of His Son” 151
9. The Treasury of Merits: Faith and Works in the Biblical Tradition 153
10. Purgatory: Sanctification in This Life and the Next 185
Epilogue 205
Scripture and Other Ancient Writings Index 211
Author Index 215
Subject Index 218
Back Cover 221
Acknowledgments
The publisher and the author wish to thank the following sources for permission to reuse previously published material:
Chapter 1: “Apophatic Theology: The Transcendence of God and the Story of Nadab and Abihu,” originally appeared as “‘Through Those Who Are Near to Me, I Will Show Myself Holy’: Nadab and Abihu and Apophatic Theology,” in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 77, no. 1 (2015): 1–19. Used by permission of the Catholic Biblical Association of America.
Chapter 2: “The Impassibility of God: Moses, Jonah, and the Theo-Drama of Intercessory Prayer,” originally appeared as “Moses and Jonah in Gethsemane,” in Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage , edited by Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Richard B. Hays (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 215–31. Reprinted by permission of the publisher; all rights reserved.
Chapter 4: “Original Sin: The Fall of Humanity and the Golden Calf,” originally appeared as “Biblical Origins and the Problem of the Fall,” in Pro Ecclesia 10 (2001): 17–30. Used by permission.
Chapter 5: “Election: The Beloved Son in Genesis and the Gospels,” originally appeared as “Joseph and the Passion of Our Lord,” in The Art of Reading Scripture , edited by Ellen F. Davis and Richard B. Hays (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), 198–215. Reprinted by permission of the publisher; all rights reserved.
Chapter 6: “Christology: The Incarnation and the Temple,” originally appeared as “To See Where God Dwells,” in Letter & Spirit 4 (2008): 13–45. Used by permission.
Chapter 7: “Mariology: The Mother of God and the Temple,” originally appeared as “Mary in the Old Testament,” in Pro Ecclesia 16 (2007): 33–55. Used by permission.
Chapter 8: “Christology: Tobit as Righteous Sufferer,” originally appeared as “Tobit as Righteous Sufferer,” in A Teacher for All Generations: Essays in Honor of James C. VanderKam , edited by Eric Mason et al., 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 2012), 2:493–508. Used by permission of Koninklijke Brill NV.
Chapter 9: “The Treasury of Merits: Faith and Works in the Biblical Tradition,” originally appeared as “Redeem Your Sins,” in Letter & Spirit 3 (2007): 39–69. Used by permission.
Chapter 10: “Purgatory: Sanctification in This Life and the Next,” originally appeared as “Deliverance from Purgatory,” in Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013), 162–81. Used by permission of Yale University Press.
Abbreviations
General and Bibliographic AB Anchor Bible / Anchor Yale Bible ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary , ed. D. N. Freedman et al., 6 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1992) ACW Ancient Christian Writers AJSR Association for Jewish Studies Review alt. altered translation ANF The Ante-Nicene Fathers , ed. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, 10 vols. (New York: Christian Literature, 1885–96; repr., Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1950–51) AT author’s translation b. born BEATAJ Beiträge zur Erforschung des Alten Testaments und des antiken Judentum BKAT Biblischer Kommentar, Altes Testament ca. circa , about CAD The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1956–2006) CAT Commentaire de l’Ancien Testament CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series CEJL Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature CF Cistercian Fathers Series chap(s). chapter(s) CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium CWS Classics of Western Spirituality d. died DJD Discoveries in the Judaean Desert ed. edited by, edition ed(s). editor(s) Eng. English translation / version(s) esp. especially FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament Gr. Greek HBS History of Biblical Studies HCOT Historical Commentary on the Old Testament Heb. Hebrew HSS Harvard Semitic Studies HThKAT Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual ICC International Critical Commentary JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JQR Jewish Quarterly Review JSJSup Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series JSQ Jewish Studies Quarterly LCL Loeb Classical Library loc. cit. loco citato , in the place cited LXX Septuagint, Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible MT Masoretic Text n. note NAB New American Bible NABRE New American Bible (Revised Edition) n.d. no date NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament NIV New International Version NJPS Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures; The New JPS Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text NPNF 2 A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church , ed. P. Schaff and H. Wace, 2nd series, 14 vols. (New York: Christian Literature, 1890–1900; repr., Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1952) NRSV New Revised Standard Version OTL Old Testament Library PG Patrologia Graeca, ed. J.-P. Migne, 162 vols. (Paris: Garnier and Migne, 1857–86) pl. plural rev. revised RSV Revised Standard Version SC Sources chrétiennes SFSHJ South Florida Studies in the History of Judaism sg. singular STDJ Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah s.v. sub verbo , under the word trans. translated by VTSup Supplements to Vetus Testamentum ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Old Testament Gen. Genesis Exod. Exodus Lev. Leviticus Num. Numbers Deut. Deuteronomy Josh. Joshua Judg. Judges Ruth Ruth 1–2 Sam. 1–2 Samuel 1–2 Kings 1–2 Kings 1–2 Chron. 1–2 Chronicles Ezra Ezra Neh. Nehemiah Tob. Tobit Jdt. Judith Esther Esther 1–2 Macc. 1–2 Maccabees Job Job Ps(s). Psalm(s) Prov. Proverbs Eccles. Ecclesiastes Song Song of Songs Wis. Wisdom (of Solomon) Sir. Sirach Isa. Isaiah Jer. Jeremiah Lam. Lamentations Bar. Baruch Ezek. Ezekiel Dan. Daniel Hosea Hosea Joel Joel Amos Amos Obad. Obadiah Jon. Jonah Mic. Micah Nah. Nahum Hab. Habakkuk Zeph. Zephaniah Hag. Haggai Zech. Zechariah Mal. Malachi
New Testament Matt. Matthew Mark Mark Luke Luke John John Acts Acts Rom. Romans 1–2 Cor. 1–2 Corinthians Gal. Galatians Eph. Ephesians Phil. Philippians Col. Colossians 1–2 Thess. 1–2 Thessalonians 1–2 Tim. 1–2 Timothy Titus Titus Philem. Philemon Heb. Hebrews James James 1–2 Pet. 1–2 Peter 1–3 John 1–3 John Jude Jude Rev. Revelation
Other Ancient Sources 2 Bar. 2 Baruch 4 Bar. 4 Baruch ( Paraleipomena Jeremiou ) LAB Liber antiquitatum biblicarum
Introduction
The field of modern biblical studies has not always been kind to the study of Christian doctrine. Deep in the mindset of every well-trained biblical scholar is the fear that his or her exegetical work will be labeled “apologetic.” By that is meant a less-than-honest grappling with Scripture’s literal sense and a willingness to let an objective enterprise be twisted into an act of special pleading for one’s own religious predilections. For those working in the field of Old Testament there is an additional danger lurking: the tendency to allow Christian presuppositions to run roughshod over the literal sense of the scriptural text and in so doing impugn the dignity of the Hebrew Scriptures themselves.
In the following chapters I make the rather audacious claim that theological doctrines need not be a hindrance to exegesis but, when properly deployed, play a key role in uncovering a text’s meaning. This is not to deny the challenges that modern sensitivities toward the historical character and development of biblical religion have posed for theologians. The epilogue will return to this problem and develop in more detail how the relationship of Scripture to doctrine should be understood. As will be clear from a reading of the entire volume, each doctrine is related to Scripture in its own unique way. There is no single method of reading that I wish to propound.
Each chapter will take up a doctrine and demonstrate how it illumines what the biblical writers wish to accomplish. I should note in advance, however,