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   

 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