Encountering the Old Testament, 3rd Edition
A Christian Survey
series: Encountering Biblical Studies
Chapter
1. What Is the Old Testament and Why Study It?
Chapter Intro Video
Chapter Objectives
- Recite the tests for canonicity
- Evaluate the most common theories of inspiration
- Provide illustrations of textual transmission
- Explain the importance of the scribe in textual transmission
- List the considerations that are key to interpreting the Old Testament
Chapter Summary
- Tests for canonicity of the Old Testament must focus on the author, the timelessness of its message, and the consistency of its teaching with earlier canonical books.
- The Bible itself does not tell us in exact words precisely how God inspired the human authors to write the Scriptures.
- Scribes who copied the biblical texts took great care in their work because they believed they were copying the very words of God.
- The Masoretes did three things to preserve the text they received: (1) they developed a system for writing vowels; (2) they developed a system of accents for the Hebrew text; and (3) they developed a system of detailed notes on the text.
- The vast majority of the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the rest in Aramaic.
- The most important Hebrew copies of the Old Testament are the Masoretic text, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
- The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament.
- To interpret the Old Testament, it is important to follow the rules of hermeneutics: use the grammatical-historical method; understand the context; determine the type of literature; interpret figurative language; and let Scripture interpret Scripture.
- To understand the context of an Old Testament passage, we must consider the immediate context, the remote context, and the historical context.
- The Old Testament is more than an ancient book. Its principles apply to our lives today.
Study Questions
- What do we mean by the term “canon”? How did people know or decide which books belonged in the Bible?
- Identify the different theories of inspiration. Describe the process of biblical inspiration in your own words as you understand it. What are the implications of plenary verbal inspiration?
- Describe the process by which those who copied the Scriptures passed them down to us. Name and briefly describe the significance of the major manuscripts we have.
- What do Bible interpreters mean by the expression “grammatical-historical interpretation”? Why is it important to use good guidelines for interpretation? How many of those guidelines can you name?