DBS 620

Encountering the Old Testament

A Christian Survey

Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer

Baker Books

Caron M. Allen

Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies

This paper is prepared for Newburgh Theological Seminary and College of the Bible

March 16, 2013

INTRODUCTION
I continued my study in pursuit of the doctoral degree in Biblical Studies by reading the text, Encountering the Old Testament. Little did I know when I began reading this text that it would so completely satisfy two of my greatest pleasures; studying the Word of God and studying people’s history.
I am an ardent historian. Knowing and understanding the history of peoples and nations is more than exciting or simply interesting to me. It is …show more content…

Remote context describes the biblical material in the surrounding chapters and beyond. Historical context refers to the setting in history in which the writer wrote the Bible passage (p. 30).
Determine the Type of Literature Next we must understand the type of literature or genre in which the passage was written. The various types of literature used in the Old Testament are stories, prophecy, parables, and poetry.
Interpret Figurative Language
Just as we do today, the prophets of the Old Testament used figurative language to convey meaning. One example of this is “The trees of the field will clap their hands” in Isaiah 55:12.
Let Scripture Interpret Scripture
Sometimes we find that one passage of Scripture will contradict another passage of Scripture. When this occurs we should find a different passage that presents clear teaching on the topic and interpret the difficult passage in light of the clear one.
Discover the Application to Modern Life
The principles of the Old Testament apply to our lives today. To receive the full benefit of the application we must understand what issues in our modern life parallel the issues in the Bible passage we are studying and then apply the Bible’s teaching to our modern situation. It is our responsibility as Christians to study, apply and share the Word of God with a dying world.

Chapter 2: Where and When Did the Events of the Old Testament Take Place?
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