Biblical Theology According to the Apostles: How The Earliest Christians Told The Story Of Israel

New Testaments provide direct access to the Old Testament story of Israel, offering valuable insights into the earliest Christians' biblical theology. Bruno, Compton, and McFadden's study highlights these summaries and encourages contemporary readers to follow the apostles' example.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 21 May 2020
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press

Although relatively few in number, the New Testaments explicit summaries of the Old Testament story of Israel provide readers with direct access to the way the earliest Christians told this story, which is to say, to the way they did biblical theology. These curiously overlooked summaries are the subject of this stimulating study. Bruno, Compton, and McFadden examine the passages in the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters, and Hebrews that recount the characters, events, and institutions of Israel's story in chronological order and at substantial length. They demonstrate just how valuable a lens these summaries provide for a clearer vision of the earliest Christians' practice of biblical theology. The authors' ultimate goal is to move beyond the descriptive to the prescriptive, to show how contemporary readers can and should follow the apostles' example.

Introduction:
The New Testaments provide us with valuable insights into the early Christian understanding of the Old Testament story of Israel. These summaries, often overlooked, offer a unique perspective on the way the earliest Christians interpreted and applied the biblical texts. In this study, we will explore the passages in the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters, and Hebrews that recount the characters, events, and institutions of Israel's story in chronological order and at substantial length.

The Value of the New Testaments Summaries:
The New Testaments summaries of the Old Testament story provide us with a direct window into the way the earliest Christians understood and interpreted the biblical texts. They offer a chronological account of the events and institutions of Israel's history, which allows us to see how the early Christians saw the connections between the Old Testament and their own faith. By examining these summaries, we can gain a deeper understanding of the early Christian practice of biblical theology and how they applied the Old Testament to their own lives and communities.

Bruno, Compton, and McFadden's Study:
In this study, Bruno, Compton, and McFadden examine the passages in the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters, and Hebrews that recount the characters, events, and institutions of Israel's story in chronological order and at substantial length. They analyze these passages to demonstrate how valuable a lens they provide for a clearer vision of the earliest Christians' practice of biblical theology. The authors argue that these summaries offer a valuable tool for contemporary readers who seek to follow the apostles' example and engage in biblical theology in a meaningful way.

Moving Beyond the Descriptive to the Prescriptive:
One of the key goals of the authors is to move beyond the descriptive to the prescriptive. They argue that the New Testaments summaries provide us with a model for how contemporary readers can and should engage with the Old Testament. By studying these summaries, readers can gain a better understanding of the apostles' interpretation of the Old Testament and how they applied it to their own lives and communities. The authors suggest that contemporary readers should follow the apostles' example by engaging in careful study, interpretation, and application of the Old Testament.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the New Testaments explicit summaries of the Old Testament story of Israel provide us with a valuable tool for understanding the earliest Christians' practice of biblical theology. By examining these summaries, we can gain a clearer vision of the early Christian understanding of the Old Testament and how they applied it to their own lives and communities. The authors' goal is to move beyond the descriptive to the prescriptive, providing contemporary readers with a model for how to engage with the Old Testament in a meaningful way. As we continue to study and apply the Bible, we can draw inspiration from the example of the earliest Christians and strive to live out our faith in a way that is consistent with the teachings of the apostles.

Weight: 332g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783599561