Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns

Author:Peter Enns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL006090
ISBN: 9781441200679
Publisher: Baker Academic
Published: 2005-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

4

The Old Testament

and Its Interpretation

in the New Testament

Do New Testament Authors Misuse the Old Testament?

You’re sitting in church and the preacher turns to Genesis 31:22 and reads, “On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.” The preacher then explains that this verse refers to the resurrection of Christ, since he rose from the dead “on the third day” and “fled” from the grave.

Overall, the sermon was quite edifying, even powerful. Many people were obviously moved to commit their lives to the gospel. Still, you found the preacher’s handling of the text to be odd, idiosyncratic—even irresponsible. Your instincts tell you that this passage really has nothing to do with Christ’s resurrection. And the context of Genesis 31:22 shows that this is part of a larger story of Jacob running way from his father-in-law Laban and then being pursued by Laban for seven days (31:23). In your wildest imagination, you would never see any connection whatsoever between 31:22 and Christ’s resurrection.

This example may strike one as a bit ridiculous, but such things do happen. It is a common occurrence for preachers to take a verse from the Old Testament, or part of a verse, and derive meaning from it that serves their agenda rather than clarifying the text. Instinctively we recoil from such interpretive negligence. We know that to understand the Old Testament (or nearly any human communication, for that matter), the original context and the author’s intention should be respected.

I affirm this basic instinct. Even as I write this book, I want to be sure that what I write will be clear, that readers will understand what I am trying to say. What has been a recurring problem, however, for many Christians is how the New Testament authors themselves handled the Old Testament. This phenomenon is somewhat troubling, for it seems to run counter to the instinct that context and authorial intention are the basis for sound interpretation. To observe how the New Testament authors handle the Old Testament is to conclude that their notions of what constitutes a proper handling of the Old Testament do not always square with our own instincts—in fact, quite often, the differences are striking.

Perhaps one example will illustrate. In Luke 20:27–40 (see also Matt. 22:23–33; Mark 12:18–27), Jesus is debating some Sadducees (who do not believe in the resurrection; Luke 20:27) concerning the resurrection of the dead. They come to him with what they feel is a clever argument: if a woman is widowed and remarries seven times, who would be considered her husband at the resurrection? In answering the Sadducees, Jesus appeals to Exodus 3:6 (in italic type below):

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.

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