Andrew T. Abernethy

Many Bible readers struggle with the Prophets. The historic setting, the genres, and the imagery are all unfamiliar. Yet these books are a vital part of Scripture. The same living God who inspired these messages still speaks an important word today. The Prophets deeply challenge our assumed ways of thinking, confronting us with the seriousness of sin as well as God's holiness and grace. In The Prophets, respected scholar Andrew T. Abernethy guides readers through the historical, social, literary, and theological dimensions of each prophetic book: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Minor Prophets. The Prophets is part of the Baker Handbooks on the Old Testament Series. This theologically and pastorally rich series is designed for a new generation of readers who want concise and understandable guides to the books of the Old Testament. Neither introductions nor commentaries, each volume provides section-by-section guidance through each book of the Bible to help readers quickly grasp the content and meaning of each passage. These guides also help readers see the overall logical flow of each book and include helpful maps, charts, and sidebars that provide valuable additional insights. Series volumes are suitable for classroom, personal, and reference use. The series editor is David G. Firth.

How should Christians read prophetic literature? Questions abound both in the academy and the church as to how to engage the prophets, particularly in light of the New Testament. The Gospel writers and the church fathers all read and appealed to the Old Testament, but are we as modern-day readers supposed to take the same approach? The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness is a dialogue among scholars that identifies the interpretive methods used throughout history while also charting a constructive way forward for our own approach to reading the Major Prophets. This comprehensive volume brings together experts on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to illuminate the following topics: How the Apostles Read the Major Prophets as Christian ScriptureLimits on Reading the Major Prophets as Christian ScriptureReading the Major Prophets in the Footsteps of the ApostlesThe History of Interpretation of the Major Prophets as Christian ScripturePreaching the Major Prophets as Christian Scripture This collaborative endeavor offers fresh and helpful insights to scholars, students, and pastors alike as they engage with the text of the Major Prophets.

This concise introduction to the interpretation of the book of Isaiah encourages in-depth study of the text and deliberate grappling with related theological and historical questions by providing a critical assessment of key interpreters and interpretative debates. It draws on a range of methodological approaches (author-, text-, and reader-centered) and reflects the growing scholarly attention to the reception history of biblical texts, increasingly viewed as a vital aspect of interpretation rather than an optional extra.

Two respected Old Testament scholars offer a fresh, comprehensive treatment of the Messiah theme throughout the entire Old Testament and examine its relevance for New Testament interpretation. Addressing a topic of perennial interest and foundational significance, this book explores what the Old Testament actually says about the Messiah, divine kingship, and the kingdom of God. It also offers a nuanced understanding of how New Testament authors make use of Old Testament messianic texts in explaining who Jesus is and what he came to do.

How should Christians read the Old Testament today? Answers to this question gravitate between two poles. On the one hand, some pay little attention to the gap between the Old Testament and today, reading the Old Testament like a devotional allegory that points the Christian directly to Jesus. On the other hand, there are folks who prioritize an Old Testament passage's original context to such an extent that it is by no means clear if and how a given Old Testament text might bear witness to Christ and address the church. This volume is a tribute to Willem A. VanGemeren, an ecclesial scholar who operated amidst the tension between understanding texts in their original context and their theological witness to Christ and the church. The contributors in this volume share a conviction that Christians must read the Old Testament with a theological concern for how it bears witness to Christ and nourishes the church, while not undermining the basic principles of exegesis. Two questions drive these essays as they address the topic of reading the Old Testament theologically. Christology. If the Old Testament bears witness to Christ, how do we move from an Old Testament text, theme, or book to Christ? Ecclesiology. If the Old Testament is meant to nourish the church, how do scriptures originally given to Israel address the church today? The volume unfolds by first considering exegetical habits that are essential for interpreting the Old Testament theologically. Then several essays wrestle with how topics from select Old Testament books can be read theologically. Finally, it concludes by addressing several communal matters that arise when reading the Old Testament theologically.