How to Study the Old Testament
OBJECTIVE
To read the Old Testament in view of Christ, to see the revelation of God's love for mankind, with the New Testament in mind.
HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes
Read Luke 24:32-48
Memory Verse: "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45)
CONTENT (KEY POINTS)
Scripture is Inspired
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The writer of the Bible is the Holy Spirit, so that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Pt. 1:20-21)
The Bible is God's book which leads us into everlasting life
Unity of Scripture
Scripture is presented to us in two Testaments, which are the two covenants marked by blood: the Old, which was the blood of the animal sacrifices according to the Law, and the New, which was the blood of Christ shed on the cross
Christ is the mediator between the Old and New Testament, so that both are understood to demonstrate atonement, forgiveness of sin, sanctification, and eternal life for those who partake of Him
- Christ is called the mediator between the Old and New Testament because there is one Legislator of both, who dispensed all correctly and adapted to the difference of the times the differences between two systems of law, so that all are dispensed for providential care
- Therefore Christ is called the Mediator of the new covenant (cf. Heb. 9:15), having brought words from God to us, conveying what came from the Father and adding His own death that by His death we may be worthy of the covenant and heirs of the inheritance and promises of such
The central theme of Scripture is God's love for mankind manifest in the Trinitarian work of salvation and mankind's response to this love
- The Jews searched the Scripture because they believed they would find eternal life in it, but Christ revealed to them that the Scripture testified of Him (cf. Jn. 5:39)
As Ezekiel witnessed the vision of two wheels, one within the other (cf. Ez. 1:16), so does the Old Testament work within the New Testament, so that both Testaments are understood as one within the other
- Therefore Scripture must be understood as the unified revelation of Christ and His promise of salvation and sanctification offered to mankind
Genres of the Old Testament
The Old Testament contains 46 books that are broken down into three sections in the Hebrew (Law, Writings, Prophets) and three sections in the Greek (Law, History, Poetry, Minor, and Major Prophets)
(1) Law
- The first five books, called the Torah or Pentatuch, are a witness of the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe by revealing the beginning of the relationship between God and man, His manifestation to His people, and His promise of salvation through Christ
(2) History
- Sixteen Books that demonstrate God's relationship with His people seen in from the promised land to the Babylonian exile, return, and reconstruction of the Temple
(3) Poetry
- These seven books are prose, hymns, and songs that contain prophecies, typologies, and narratives reveal Christs presence in suffering, His role as savior of mankind, His personification of wisdom, and His center in our lives
(4) The Minor and (5) Major Prophets
- These twelve books of the minor prophets and six books of the major prophets describe the relationship between God and man, and the coming of Christ, and the will of God, including God's attitude towards sin yet His compassion and mercy towards sinners
- In a prophetic sense, these reveal events such as the incarnation, the suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ
How to Approach the Old Testament
The Old Testament was written in the shadow of the law, and therefore is shrouded in darkness
- "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ" (Gal. 3:24)
- "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20)
However, when Christ, who is true light, manifested Himself, His light shone brilliantly in the Old Testament so that many images, types, and symbols were made clear
The Church teaches us that as we read the literal words and events in the Old Testament, we find models of Christian living from holy men and women that looked forward to the Incarnation
Moreover the Church reveals to us mysteries of Christ hidden throughout the Old Testament by which we gain a deeper understanding of Christ and the Spiritual Economy, which is God's plan of salvation
Literal Approach
The simplest and most basic level of reading the Bible is literally, which means focusing on the meaning of the text and the narrative of the story
- The literal approach to Scripture focuses on the historical, cultural, and geographical details of each story or event
- The literal approach also focuses on the grand scheme of events and the narrative throughout the Old Testament from the creation to the exile and reconstruction of the Temple
The Church invites us to go beyond this literal approach and see the spiritual meanings behind the words and stories so that we may see Christ and even examples of Christian living and values
Moral Approach
Following the literal approach is the moral approach, which is the personal application of Scripture in our lives
The morality spoken of here is God's will for human conduct, which is revealed throughout the stories and events in Scripture
- In a deeper sense, this is the conformity to the Image and Likeness of God, that we may be transformed through the divine words of Scripture by the work of the Holy Trinity
Reading in the moral sense presents us with a call to action and discipleship
- The call to action presented is for us to follow the example of the characters in the Old Testament, to obey the commandments of God, to heed the voices of the prophets who call for our repentance, and to follow the example of worship and praise
Typological Approach
Typology is the study of types, which means looking at images or symbols in the Old Testament that represent something in the New Testament, called an antitype
The Church invites us to study the Old Testament through the "Mystery of Christ," which means that images of Him present throughout the text open our minds and hearts to further reveal His love, character, and plan of salvation towards mankind
The Church presents to us various types from the Old Testament for the purpose of teaching us about Christ
The Church clarifies that not all types of Christ are perfect, since these are people that have weakness, but instead invites us to focus on aspects of this person and events in his life that reveal Christ while using the type's personal weakness to distinguish between God and man
Reading the Old Testament with typology in mind fills the text with depth since many stories would seem superficial without this deeper understanding
An example of this would be the story of Samson:
- While the literal text may show a man whose passion causes him, for example, to spend the night with a harlots, wake up in the middle of the night while his enemies slept, and carry the doors of the gate of the city to the top of the hill (cf. Jg. 16:1-5), the typological reading points to Samson as Christ, the harlot's house as hades, the enemies and door as death, and the hill as heaven
- This passage now may be read as an image of Christ's crucifixion, descent into Hades, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven
APPLICATION (Action)
Continuity in Scripture
The Old Testament (Testament means Covenant - Old Covenant) and New Testament are one integrated, unified, progressive text. The Old Testament is like the infancy of God's people. He started with something such as the law in order to point to and help prepare His people for something greater, which is Christ, the Savior.
When looking at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Christ references many laws and principles from the Old Testament. Christ takes those laws and principles and deepens our understanding of the spirit of the Law. He doesn't break it, but builds upon it. He goes from milk to solid food. (Romans 10:4)
St. Cyril tells us something really useful that we have to keep in mind with the Old Testament, and with books/chapters that quote the Old Testament a lot, especially Matthew:
The inspired Scripture is one book. All of Scripture is one because it was spoken through the one and same Holy Spirit (St. Cyril Commentary on Isaiah 29:11-12) .
We look at the Old Testament, through the lens of the New Testament.
DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY
Studying the Passage of Isaac
This discussion or activity will focus on applying the different levels of reading to the story of the sacrifice of Isaac found in Genesis 22:1-19
Please guide the youth through the passage and have them practice applying each reading of the Scripture to the passage, reading the text for the literal understanding, moral understanding, and typological understanding therein
- The servant has a bit of leverage on how to proceed this Discussion or Activity, but the main purpose is to get the youth to practice the approaches taught in this lesson to an actual passage in Scripture that has a familiar story, strong moral implications, and very apparent types of Christ
The servant may be creative and try to write these down on a board in the class or a presentation so the youth get some visual aid that demonstrates the depth of Biblical studies within Orthodoxy
Literal Approach
The Literal reading are the events of the sacrifice of Isaac:
- God's call to sacrifice;
- Abraham's obedience;
- The interactions between Abraham and Isaac;
- The sacrifice and salvation of Isaac; and
- The blessing
Moral Approach
One may focus on:
- The obedience of Abraham;
- His love to God, the obedience of Isaac;
- Faithfulness; and
- Any others the class or servant may see
Typological Approach
Go over this list superficially since there will be a lesson on typology, but this should give students a sense of the depth of reading Scripture
- As Isaac is the promised son of Abraham, so Christ is the promised Son who will save mankind
- As Isaac is Abraham's only son, so is Christ the only-begotten of the Father
- As Abraham sacrificed Isaac, so the Father gave His only-begotten Son (cf. Jn. 3:16)
- As Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice, so Christ carried the cross
- As Isaac was sacrificed and lived, so Christ died on the cross as a propitiation for sin, yet resurrected and lived
There are many more images and connections here, but this should be sufficient for the exercise
SERVANT RESOURCES
See "Books of Old Testament" PDF attached below.