This week, the blog is sponsored by the CSB Connecting Scripture New Testament: A Study Bible of Biblical Allusions & Quotations. General editors Dr. G.K. Beale and Dr. Benjamin L. Gladd explain the basic concepts and various ways the New Testament authors make use of the Old Testament.
Why study the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament? What difference does it make? The NT was not written in a vacuum. The Bible presents a single plan of redemption, and the God of the OT is the God of the NT.
By tracing the use of the OT in the NT, we learn that God’s covenant people begin in the garden of Eden and will continue into the new heavens and earth, namely, centering around and through the restorative work of Jesus, the last Adam, true Israel, and Messiah. By citing, alluding to, and conceptually recalling the OT, the apostles demonstrate the depth and richness of the larger biblical storyline and the precious realities it contains.
Some Basic Definitions
What do we mean by the “use” of the OT? NT writers often reference or use the OT to make their point—to demonstrate fulfillment, to enjoin their readers to change their behavior, to convince them of a new reality, to draw a comparison between two groups, and so on. Accordingly, NT authors recall the OT in three primary ways: quotation, allusion, and parallel:
1. Quotation: A quotation is an intentional, high degree of verbal correspondence. It is a direct citation of an OT passage that is recognizable by its clear and unique verbal parallelism and often prefaced with an introductory formula (e.g., “it is written”).
2. Allusion: The English word allusion, in literary contexts, is an indirect reference to a previous body of literature. NT authors consciously refer to a unique set of words that thematically correspond to a previous text and its surrounding context. Sometimes allusions can be so strong that the shared wording could be considered a borderline quotation. On the other hand, a single word can faintly allude to an OT passage.
By tracing the use of the OT in the NT, we learn that God’s covenant people begin in the garden of Eden and will continue into the new heavens and earth, namely, centering around and through the restorative work of Jesus, the last Adam, true Israel, and Messiah.
3. Parallel: The NT often brings the OT to bear on a conceptual level (e.g., God as creator, divine warrior, covenant, exile). Quotations and allusions depend on a concrete, textual relationship between two passages through unique wording. Conceptual parallels, however, function more broadly. A conceptual parallel is tied to a large swath of texts or a synthesis of those texts. These parallels occur far more often than one thinks.
Some Hermeneutical Considerations
In addition to quotes, allusions, and parallels, there are several hermeneutical considerations in terms of reading an Old Testament-informed New Testament. Examples of these include verbal fulfillment, indirect or typological fulfillment, analogy, abiding authority, symbol, prototype, and irony. Studying these elements in-depth reveals a more contextual and clarified understanding of the New Testament.
Experience the Unique Color-Coded, Cross-Reference System
To further investigate the influence of the Old Testament, along with its quotations, allusions, parallels, and hermeneutical considerations, on the New Testament, study the CSB Connecting Scripture New Testament. Developed by leading biblical theology scholars, this study Bible includes a robust, color-coded cross-reference system that highlights Old Testament quotes, allusions, and parallels within the New Testament and promotes the underlying unity of Scripture. Read the Bible the way Jesus and the apostles did with help from this go-to, biblical theology guide.
Based on the introduction to the CSB Connecting Scripture New Testament, written by general editors Dr. G.K. Beale and Dr. Benjamin L. Gladd. See a sample at ConnectingScripture.com.
