Making Sense of the Old Testament (Three Crucial Questions)

by Tremper Longman III

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 1998

Overview

Though essential to the Christian faith, the Old Testament remains an enigma to many. Some view it as disjointed and difficult to understand, or as nothing more than a collection of archaic documents, irrelevant for Christians today. In clear and concise language, Tremper Longman addresses three questions to help resolve this problem:

• What are the keys to understanding the Old Testament?
• Is the God of the Old Testament also the God of the New Testament?
• How is the Christian to apply the Old Testament to life?

Christians face a number of obstacles to their understanding of the Old Testament; differences in culture, worldviews, traditions, language, and geography impede understanding of the ancient texts. And throughout the history of the church, there has been much debate concerning the differences between how God related to humans in the Old Testament and in the New. Longman points out false stereotypes Christians may encounter, demonstrating that the presentation of God is consistent across both Testaments. His work provides practical principles for achieving a fuller understanding of what the Old Testament says, and looks at each section—law, history, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy—explaining the issues involved in application to today’s Christian life.

Key Features

• What Are the Keys to Understanding the Old Testament?
• Is the God of the Old Testament Also the God of the New Testament?
• How Is the Christian to Apply the Old Testament to Life?

Contents

Top Highlights

“As we examine the biblical text from our own personal situations, we must not give up our goal to discover the author’s intention, ultimately God’s intention.” (Page 30)

“God—human author—BIBLICAL TEXT—first readers—present-day readers” (Page 29)

“The more time one spends in the New Testament, the more one realizes how much of it flows from the Old. That one cannot really understand the New Testament without being steeped in the Old is an inescapable conclusion.” (Page 17)

“This analogy, which is observed by careful readers of the Gospel, reminds us to allow room in our hermeneutic theory and practice for what the Bible itself clearly demonstrates: God’s intention may surpass the conscious intention of the human author. The ultimate meaning of a passage resides in the intention of the ultimate Author.” (Page 28)

“We conclude that the case laws of the Old Testament are applications of the Ten Commandments to the specific situations of the Old Testament people of God.” (Page 117)

Endorsements

Longman has put us in his debt for addressing the most difficult topics involved in making sense of the Old Testament.

—Asbury Theological Journal

Provides practical direction for those seeking to gain a more thorough understanding of the Old Testament. . . . This book can be used with success in a church setting. It conveys in a simple fashion important concepts for the study and use of the Old Testament. . . . Longman conveys the concepts in an accessible manner

—Minister’s Packet

Longman has written a nice primer with an evangelical approach to the topic at hand . . . The book would be a great resource for pastors who want to teach these topics to their congregations in a systematic and effective fashion. Longman’s material provides good apologetics that may be used to counter those who errantly claim that Jesus is starkly different from God in the Old Testament.

—W. H. Bellinger Jr., W. Marshall and Lulie Craig Professor of Bible, Baylor University

If the Old Testament (OT) seems more confusing than comforting to you, then perhaps you should pick up this readable book. . . . This book is excellent for anyone who wants to know why the OT is important for faith and life, or how Reformed Christians approach the OT. It is also a valuable refresher in sound principles of biblical interpretation, explaining why Paul said that all Old Testament Scripture is profitable!

—New Horizons

Longman’s discussion deals with numerous issues which have prevented many people from seeing the relevance of the OT for Christian living today. He does this in a clear and easily understood way, even when treating highly complex and hotly debated issues of hermeneutical, theological, and philosophical import. This book will be an enormous help to anyone who wants to read the OT with greater discernment and competence.

—Biblical Booklist

Product Details

• Title: Making Sense of the Old Testament: 3 Crucial Questions
• Author: Tremper Longman III
• Series: 3 Crucial Questions
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Print Publication Date: 1998
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. O.T. › Theology
• ISBNs: 9781441253286, 0801058287, 9780801058288, 1441253289
• Resource ID: LLS:MAKSENSEOT3Q
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:27:12Z

About Tremper Longman III

Tremper Longman III serves as Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. He has written over 35 books, including commentaries on Genesis, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel, Nahum, and Revelation. His books have been translated into 18 different languages. In addition, as a Hebrew scholar, he is one of the main translators of the popular New Living Translation, and has served as a consultant on other popular Bible translations, including The Message, the New Century Version, the Christian Standard Bible, and the Common Bible. He has also edited and contributed to a number of study Bibles and Bible dictionaries, most recently The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

He earned his BA from Ohio Wesleyan University, his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary, and both his MPhil and PhD from Yale University. Dr. Longman and his wife, Alice, have three sons and eight grandchildren.