12 Propositions…#4
December 28, 2009
The Fact of Incarnation was such that it required radical re-interpretation of many passages of Hebrew scriptures, so passages that would have occupied a small place in Israel’s theological reflection previously were now thrust to the fore: Such as Paul’s reflections on Adam and Christ.
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Tony Hunt
jstambaugh
Shawn Wamsley
December 28, 2009 at 17:31
I really like this series and have been looking forward to them. The fact that my conteplation of them throughout the days has not yet yielded anything of consequence to say in reply is only a reflection on my intellect, not on the quality of your excellent and succinct little posts. Keep up the good work, Tony.
James
December 28, 2009 at 20:48
Thanks James! You just made me feel like a million bucks. I only hope I don’t run out of propositions.
++Eileen,
Exactly. I think I’ve got a couple more roughly going off of this idea. Have you read C. S. Lewis’ “Reflections on the Psalms?” It’s a great little book from which I’m getting a couple of these.
December 28, 2009 at 18:26
I think this is so true. The early Church, faced with the astounding revelation of Jesus as God-with-us, plundered the Hebrew scriptures, grabbing every verse that could remotely refer to Christ, simply to try and explain his significance. So Bethlehem is suddenly important, the Psalms are inspected line-by-line, and Isaiah is mined. All to re-tell the amazing story of Jesus.
December 28, 2009 at 20:57
I get so confused when I hear adhunt agreeing with the Archdruid.
Are you saying you believe and think about this Hebrew Bible “mining” phenomena in the same way?
December 28, 2009 at 20:59
Oooops, I just noticed: You cleaned up your Blogroll and I got removed. Sniffle.
December 28, 2009 at 21:01
I don’t recall having removed you. Or, come to think of it, having added you. What did we have the name under?
December 28, 2009 at 21:10
It was either under “Triangulations” or “Sabio Lantz” but I forgot which one. But maybe I am hallucinating and accidentally put your site under my “Friends who link” folder in my RSS reader !
December 28, 2009 at 21:11
Well if it makes you feel better Sabio, I don’t recall having removed it.
December 29, 2009 at 6:22
Sabio, I think we’re coming from a similar view. This doesn’t discount the concept of OT prophecy, but says that the fact of the Incarnation required a re-evaluation of the data of the OT Record. To take an obvious example – I don’t believe there’s anything in Isa 7:14 that, read from a Jewish perspective, would require anyone to think that the Messiah will be born of a virgin mother. But the NT Church, reading that verse in the light of the Incarnation, saw that meaning in that verse – whether you think that they then read the Virgin Birth out of the passage, or whether they read the verse in the light of traditions about Mary’s virginal conception will depend upon your attitude towards predictive prophecy and the origin of scripture. I’d see it as the latter, because again I can’t see why you’d even mention this verse without the tradition of the Virgin Birth up front – but plenty of more liberal theologians would see it as the former.