Three Views on the NT Use of the OT: Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Overall, the book is helpful.  It is laced with exegetical examples and principles for interpretation.  I am not a big fan of the 3, 4, 5-views kind of books, but this book may be an exception.  It showed the value of rigorous exegesis and developing antecedent theology from the OT to understand NT passages in their context (Kaiser), it demonstrated how historical-exegetical and canonical-theological readings of the text are not at odds with one another, but together help interpret the whole Bible (Bock), and in a shorter piece than his controversial Inspiration and Incarnation,  it showed some of the extra-biblical tendencies that Peter Enns espouses in his reading of Scripture.  For those reasons, I commend the book for pastors and students of the word who want to read their Bible’s more faithfully.

For those interested in the subject of hermeneutics, biblical exegesis, and systems of interpretation, I would encourage you to look at these other helpful books (the first two are very basic and accessible; the last four are more technical):

According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bibleby Graeme Goldsworthy.

Let the Reader Understandby Dan McCartney and Charles Clayton.

Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testamentedited by John Feinberg.

The Fabric of Theology: A Prolegemona to Evangelical Theologyby Richard Lints.

The Right Doctrine from the Wrong Texts? Essays on the Use of the Old Testament in the Newcompiled and edited by G. K. Beale (who is supposed to be coming out with a book on this subject; that should be an excellent treatment)

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testamentedited by D.A. Carson and G.K. Beale.

 Sola Deo Gloria, dss