# Lecture 1: Two Covenants, One Bible [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mdq998o25jm2iouupqkpl/Video-Lecture-1-Two-Covenants-One-Bible.mp4?rlkey=fv5axrxg30f766jm0mi3uqf47&dl=1](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mdq998o25jm2iouupqkpl/Video-Lecture-1-Two-Covenants-One-Bible.mp4?rlkey=fv5axrxg30f766jm0mi3uqf47&dl=1) ##### What is the Hebrew Bible? - Collection of writings written and edited by members of Hebrew/Jewish community between 1250 BC (time of Moses) and the Christian era - Contains prose, poetry and prophetic (elevated prose) genres - Mostly written in Hebrew, some parts in Aramaic - "The Old Testament" is a Christian term designating the first scriptural collection as opposed to the New Testament ##### One Bible, Two Covenants - "The Church units in one volume the Law and the Prophets with the writings of the evangelists and apostles, from which she drinks in her faith" - Tertullian - The Hebrew Bible is unique because it belongs to two distinct religious systems: Judaism and Christianity - The Old and New Testament Scriptures are held in unity by the unique Jesus-event - Unity in diversity due to the continuities and discontinuities between the two testaments ##### Early Usage of Hebrew Scripture - Jesus-Event (His incarnation, upbringing, ministry, death and resurrection) - Kerygma: Proclamation of the Gospel of Salvation - Inscripturation (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John) - Use of Hebrew Scriptures in Greek Translation (Septuagint) as "proof" of Jesus' Messiahship (Disciples of Emmaus, St Justin the Martyr) - Use of the Old Testament in defining dogmas (Christology, Trinitarian Theology, Mariology, etc.) - Use of the Old Testament Liturgically (e.g. Psalms) ##### Unity in Diversity: Continuities and Discontinuities **Continuities** - Monotheism (One God) - Creatio ex nihilo ("creation out of nothing") - From beginning to the end of OT (e.g. Genesis 1, 2 Maccabees 7) - Centrality of humanity within God's creation - Bodily resurrection - Unique to ANE - Daniel 12 - Christ raises **Discontinuities** These should be taken in a relative way - Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Logos Incarnate - Trinity - Disregard of the Law - Starting with the Apostolic Council ##### Early Attitudes toward the Old Testament - Rejection and Underestimation: Marcionites, Gnostics, Manichaeans - God of the Old Testament is the "lesser" God of the Jews and the creation of the world - Old Testament proclaims violence and should be rejected - Overestimation: Judaizers (Jewish Christians), Ebionites, Pelagians - Imposing Circumcision (and the whole Jewish Law) to Gentiles embracing Christianity - Supersessionism - The middle way of holding the two Testaments in "one volume" as the early Christian Church in her wisdom considered appropriate - Marcionite tendencies that underestimate the relevance of the OT for Christians - "OT is a piece of history with no substance, served the purpose to pre-announce the events of the NT and to offer the background for where Christ would be born, live and die" - disguised Marcionism - "If the OT has value, it lies exclusively with the messianic prophecies" - This reduces the complex relationship between OT and NT as a hermeneutical scheme: "Prophecy-Fulfillment" #### The Old Testament's Relevance to Christians Today ##### Theology - Creatio ex nihilo (Genesis 1:1, 2 Macc 7:28) - Humanity is created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27) - Unlike the other ANE stories of creation of mankind to be subject to the gods, here humanity is created as a "god" itself (e.g. having dominion) and being a representative of the Highest - Revelation of God's Personal Name (YHWH) (Exodus 3) - Revealing your name in ancient times meant vulnerability; other ANE gods would never reveal their real name to their believers - Prophetic Monotheism (Isaiah 45:5, Exodus 20:3) - "I am the Lord, and there is no other god." (Isaiah 45:5) ##### Liturgy and Spirituality - Psalter - Reciting the psalter is central to our Liturgical mechanism - Old Testament Lectionary - Old Testament themes in hymnography and iconography ##### Ethics - The Decalogue (Exod 20:1-17) - The Shema (Deut 6:4-9) - "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 19:18) - Steadfast love and knowledge of God are better than all sacrifices (Hosea 6:6) ##### Messianism - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14 NRS) - The etymology of the Hebrew word for "young woman" is derived from a verb meaning "to be strong" or another verb "to hide, conceal" - The New Testament supports this etymology in calling Mary "betrothed" (hence, concealed, veiled) at the time of Jesus' conception - If this etymology is correct, then the Septuagint "virgin" does not contradict, but complements it with more information... the "betrothed" one was a "virgin" - The Hebrew and Septuagint are complementary readings