OTS4240 Old Testament

Following the resurrection, while the disciples were still trying to understand all that had happened, Jesus appeared to them on the Road to Emmaus and “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” he explained to them the scriptures, teaching them how the Old Testament pointed to himself. (Luke 24:27) The apostle Paul later writes concerning the Old Testament that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16).  It is a surprise, then, that the Old Testament features so infrequently in the preaching circuit of many churches, for the scripture of the New Testament church was the text of the Old Testament. The Old Testament, properly interpreted and applied, should lead one to Jesus Christ as the focal point of all history. Furthermore, it is impossible to properly understand the New Testament without a firm understanding of the Old Testament.

The goal of this course is to equip the student with the contexts and tools necessary to understand and exposit Old Testament texts. The learner will journey through the ancient world, encountering the people, cultures, and events out of which the Old Testament was written.  They will then encounter writing innovations, the process of textual transmission, and the mechanisms involved in the compilation of the corpus we now call the Old Testament.  From here the learner will probe the theological frameworks and concepts that unify the diversity of Old Testament texts.  Finally, the study will culminate with an examination of the hermeneutical method that finds Old Testament fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Describe the major Ancient Near Eastern stories and literary styles and articulate their relevance to the study and interpretation of the Old Testament text

• Explain how the major Ancient Near Eastern stories and literary styles may be similar or dissimilar with current African cultural expressions.

• Explain the textual formation of the Old Testament, evaluating the impact of oral tradition, scribal practices, and ancient writing technologies on its development and transmission.

• Explain how our understanding of oral traditions in the global south and Africa enable us to appreciate and understand oral tradition in the ancient near eastern context of the biblical authors.

• Articulate a clear, canonical story of the Old Testament material, with Christ as the hermeneutical centre.

• Explain an interpretive position of key Old Testament texts that is theological sound and contextually relevant, contributing to ongoing theological discourse within their local community.