Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
Exegesis and Interpretation
About
1. Challenges to Interpreting the Use of the Old Testament in the New
Endorsements
"This handbook provides readers with a wonderful overview of key issues in and tools for the study of the use of the Old Testament in the New. It is written at an accessible level without sacrificing depth. I expect it to become a standard textbook for courses on the subject (as it will be for mine) and the first book to which newcomers will be directed to help them navigate through these sometimes complex waters."
Roy E. Ciampa, professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
"In this book Greg Beale combines a beginner's guide to the study of the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament with a detailed catalog of resource material, an illustrated exposition of the methods to be applied, and some discussion of the hermeneutical issues that arise. He himself has made notable forays into this field of study and draws on these to enrich the content of the book, making it not simply a survey of contemporary approaches but also a real personal contribution to the further development of our understanding of this crucial area of biblical studies. The volume thus compensates generously for the lack of a detailed introduction to the massive Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament edited by Beale and Don Carson."
I. Howard Marshall, professor emeritus of New Testament, University of Aberdeen
"This volume fills a gap by providing serious students of Scripture with a helpful tool for interpreting Old Testament citations and allusions in the New Testament. Beale's magisterial grasp of the subject enables him to present a complex and technical yet intriguing subject in such a way that mere mortals are equipped to engage in the study of the New Testament use of the Old Testament on their own."
Andreas J. Köstenberger, director of PhD studies and senior professor of New Testament and biblical theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
"We have long needed a good book on the Use of the Old Testament in the New. This is it. One might not agree with everything said here, but all readers will be challenged to think carefully about the issues raised. A solid work."
Darrell Bock, research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
"Greg Beale is well known for his contributions to the New Testament use of the Old Testament and the development of biblical theology. In this extremely useful handbook, we see how Beale goes about his task in terms of presuppositions, method, and the necessary reference tools for the task. The result is essential reading for anyone contemplating research in this area."
Steve Moyise, professor of New Testament, University of Chichester
"Greg Beale has distinguished himself throughout an illustrious teaching and writing career with his work on the relationships between the testaments. Fresh from producing his magnum opus, a New Testament biblical theology that is thoroughly informed by such uses, Beale here provides a much more manageably sized distillation of the main issues involved in understanding the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. Strangely, it is the first such volume by an evangelical in some time. Fortunately, it is superbly done."
Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
"During the last four decades, not a little serious work has been undertaken to understand better how the New Testament cites the Old. Quite a lot of it was written by Greg Beale. Here, however, he keeps the student in mind and provides an introduction to the subject, complete with helpful bibliographies, useful illustrations, and step-by-step demonstrations of how to think through these issues. Not only seminary students but also pastors committed to expository preaching will be hugely thankful for this important handbook."
D. A. Carson, research professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"No subject is more important to the interpretation of the New Testament and biblical theology than the study of the Old Testament in the New Testament. It is also one of the most technical and difficult subjects. Written by a veteran and pioneer in the field, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament is a reliable guide through challenging terrain. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to work hard at appreciating the profound connections between the testaments."
Brian S. Rosner, principal of Ridley Melbourne
"In his Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Professor Beale has provided readers with a guide that complements his magisterial New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New (2011) as well as the Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (2007), which he and several colleagues produced. What we now have is a complete package: commentary, theology, and a very concise handbook that shows us step by step how this important work is to be done. Beginning students and veteran scholars alike will benefit from this useful book."
Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Author
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G. K. Beale
G. K. Beale (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He has served as president and as a member of the executive committee of the Evangelical Theological Society....
Continue reading about G. K. Beale
Reviews
"Beale's Handbook is designed to introduce an audience of educated Christians, students, and pastors to the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament. . . . Beale has extensively published in the field of the New Testament use of the Old, and it is evident from the book reviewed here that he knows what he is writing about. . . . The book is clear and readable and will no doubt be useful for the intended audience."
Maarten J. J. Menken,
Review of Biblical Literature
"Beale writes, 'The purpose of this handbook is to provide a short guide to the use of OT citations and allusions in the NT.' He accomplishes this task. . . . The book achieves its purpose, and I will be using it in my seminary class on the use of the OT in the NT. I believe it will aid the student in the classroom and beyond. Beale presents a sound method and a helpful guide to the necessary resources, which will assist scholar and student alike."
John D. Meade,
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
"Beale provides modern readers of the Bible a guidebook that navigates how NT writers used the OT. This is no small feat as there are many challenging issues confronting present-day interpreters on the topic. However, Beale is quite suited for this task. . . . Beale has given a noteworthy guide to the guild covering a thorny issue that confronts readers of the Scriptures. At the least, he has achieved a cogent summarization of the issues confronting those wanting to analyze how the NT writers use the OT. However, he has actually achieved quite a bit more, giving interpreters a process for interpreting OT quotations and allusions in the NT and producing a 'redemptive-historical perspective' reading strategy that forces modern readers to view the scriptural writers as a 'broadly-related interpretive community' who in essence promulgate the same general world view. It is no doubt that biblical scholars will be talking about Beale's work for some time."
Robert J. Schulze,
Bulletin for Biblical Research
"In this engaging treatise, Beale furnishes a brief aid for understanding the manner in which the NT uses OT texts--be they citations or only allusions. . . . Readers may disagree with the author on individual points of interpretation, but this handbook, with its judicious observations, vast bibliography, and copious notes, should prove helpful to its intended audience of amateur and even professional students of the Bible."
Casimir Bernas, OCSO,
Catholic Biblical Quarterly
"Over the past three decades, Professor G. K. Beale has made a substantial contribution to the study of the use of the OT through numerous influential publications. . . . Numerous books and articles are published each year that explore the use of the OT in the NT, but Beale's Handbook stands out as a uniquely important and helpful contribution. This is the first book-length handbook written, not merely to expose readers to different views of the NT use of the OT, but to guide them step-by-step through the interpretive task itself. I can think of no one more suited than Professor Beale to write such a handbook, given his influential publications and respected teaching career. . . . Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament is required reading for students, scholars, pastors, and others who are interested in studying the relationship of the OT and the NT. The Handbook serves as a fitting complement to the masterful volume, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. I plan to use the Handbook in the classroom, as a supplemental hermeneutics textbook and a staple text in elective courses on the NT use of the OT. In the important and complex issue of the NT's use of the OT , Beale has once again proved to be a reliable guide."
Brian J. Tabb,
Themelios
"G. K. Beale is well-known for his study on the NT use of the OT, having written on the subject for his entire academic career. This handbook is incredibly welcomed as a concise resource for students to lay the foundation of their knowledge on the subject. . . . As a work for students, this may be the best guide for beginning or improving study in the field of the NT use of the OT. Those who do not agree with Beale's conclusions on some or on many matters can still benefit from the discussions on each topic, from the comprehensive methodology suggested, and from the sources provided and explained. . . . The work as a whole should be utilized by professors--both for themselves and for their students--and by teachers in the church. Thankfully the work is written at such an introductory level that it may be used profitably for teaching in the church--and should be."
Todd A. Scacewater,
Southwestern Journal of Theology
"This is an excellent entry-point into a complex, rewarding, and important topic, and it's by far Beale's most readable work that I've read. It's a good textbook for courses on the use of the OT in the NT."
Andy Naselli,
The Gospel Coalition blog
"The author gives readers a reliable guide in the complex area of the NT's use of the OT. Beale has succeeded in developing a convincing argument that typology is a hermeneutical key for interpreting the NT use of the OT. . . . While concise, the Handbook gives an adequate introduction to the rich content and issues at hand. It is a useful book with a wealth of information and resources. Seminary students and pastors will benefit from having it on hand for further research. This book could easily be used as a textbook at both the college and graduate levels and brings multiple opportunities for understanding the NT's use of the OT."
Stephane Beaulieu,
Andrews University Seminary Studies
"Beale has written a remarkably helpful guide, affording much insight and expertise. . . . Beal's work on the New Testament's use of the Old Testament is a timely, well written, and unique contribution to this important topic. This resource will greatly benefit readers who seek to interpret the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. . . . Beale's method is immensely helpful, and he provides the reader with many exegetical tools by which to understand the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. Beale's work should provide a tremendous service to students, pastors, and scholars interested in this field."
Michael T. Graham Jr.,
Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
"The strength of Beale's work is his focus on methodology, while interacting with the sea of literature already written about the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament. This provides great impetus for discussion concerning methodology, since it is rare that those interpreting such passages expose their method. He has provided the biblical studies community with a standard approach about which many will agree. . . . Beale's work is ideal for a seminary course or as a helpful guide for scholars and academically-minded teachers of the Scriptures."
Andrew J. Cress with Joseph D. Fantin,
Bibliotheca Sacra
"Beale has done much work in the area of the New Testament use of the Old Testament. . . . Beale has come out with yet another major work on this important and trending topic in biblical studies. . . . There are many useful aspects of the book, including an introductory survey and identification of the major points of discussion for this topic. One helpful step that Beale has identified is looking at textual variants and seeing how these might influence how an Old Testament passage is referenced in the New Testament. . . . The book is a good starting point and a useful resource for a beginning student and interpreter on the New Testament use of the Old Testament. . . . One major contribution is the lengthy bibliography on related resources that students can delve into after reading this book."
David I. Yoon,
Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism
"Beale has written a gem of a handbook for pastors, scholars, and all those concerned with a serious engagement of the New Testament's reading and use of the Old Testament. Beale is known particularly for his work on quotes and allusions of the Old Testament (OT) that appear in the New Testament (NT). This book demonstrates how he goes about his craft. . . . This book is well organized and clearly written. The author and publisher are to be commended for an excellent volume that should provide a useful tool for many generations to come."
Bryan D. Estelle,
Modern Reformation
"This work provides the student with a distilled outline of [Beale's] entire exegetical method for interpreting the OT in the NT. . . . This book is welcome as a comprehensive (albeit, concise) handbook that teaches the student Beale's method and teaches him or her about the resources required for the job. One of the most useful functions of the book is Beale's extensive annotated bibliographies. He provides the various tools available to help one detect quotations and allusions (and there are many), as well as the sources to use for finding Jewish uses of the OT. For one newer to the field of OT in the NT, these bibliographical references are incredibly helpful. . . . This methodological handbook is exegetically insightful and theologically stimulating. Whether the reader agrees with all of Beale's nuances, this handbook will be a helpful resource for those interested in developing their exegetical capabilities and should be recommended material for anyone interested in biblical studies."
Todd A. Scacewater,
Exegetical Tools Quarterly
"Beale shows himself to be a judicious guide for those who want to understand how and why Jesus and the writers of the New Testament made so much use of the Old Testament. This handbook contributes to a greater appreciation of the unity of the Bible, a unity that is centered on Jesus as the goal of God's purposes in history."
Greg Goswell,
New Life