Equinox

A while ago I was looking over the quotations of the OT in the NT (especially in the Gospels), and was struck by the apparent fact that the writers of the canonical gospels played fast and loose with the OT in ways that would get a modern student an E in many seminaries.

Before I start to slog through them again, does anyone know of a clear list either of OT quotations in the Gospels, or even better a list of the worst abuse of the OT by the Gospel writers? I mean, Mk 1:3 is probably the worst, but I remember many that were taken out of context, misquoted, mangled, used a mistranslation, or misused other ways….

Maybe this would be a good page to make for the errancy wiki......

Thanks-

Equinox

JEST2ASK

Thanks reading the 39 - 41 chapters of Isaiah esp. 40:1 - 2 shows IMO just how out of context Mark's message is to the orginal (apparent) intent. Good idea sorry I can not add anything.

Toto

Most standard Bibles have notes in the NT referencing the Hebrew Scriptures.

Go to www.biblegateway.com and start with the footnotes.

e.g. Matt 1

Jane H

The use of prophecy within the NT appears strange and silly, until you realise what they’re doing.

In the ancient world, a small allusion could summon up an entire implicit narrative. It’s not totally dissimilar today, when ‘freeze frame’ in a spoof can bring “The Matrix” film story to mind. This is the device that the NT writers are using when they quote prophecy. Part of that implicit narrative is the relationship between God and His chosen people, Israel. The OT functions as a mixture of statements about that relationship.

The OT isn’t used in the sound-bite proof text way many think it is used. The OT tells the story of God’s plan, and rather like Jesus and His parables, had a multi-layered, nuanced approach. The Early Church went back to scripture after the resurrection, and realised what the OT had been saying, and reference that tradition to show how Jesus had been in line with the OT, despite the different readings that were normally given in C1 Israel.

That’s why in the NT you get some very strange looking prophecy quotation. It’s not generally the ‘proof text’ they’re using, but an extended passage they’re highlighting, and the place in The Story. I have found it useful when reading an OT quote, to read the whole of the OT section it comes from. It’s that to which the NT writer is referring.

Isaiah 40:1,2, far from being isolated from v3, is precisely what Mark is trying to get across. The arrival of Jesus signalled the end of exile and the forgiveness of sins. Read on in that chapter, and you get the announcement of God’s Kingdom, the shepherd imagery, and the return of God to His people. These are precisely the images that Mark was trying to get over.

Thank you for bringing this example to my attention- I may make it my ‘standard example’.

Gamera

I fail to see how any text can be "misused." What would that mean? It implies a proper use, which mystifies me in this context.

The NT authors glossed and reinterpreted the Hebrew Scriptures. That's something every reader of every text does by necessity. It's not that they did something unusual with these texts, it's just that their reinterpretation is so powerful, influential and frankly moving.

Making the OT, with it incomprehensible narratives and incoherent Yahway, into a prelude to a God of Love is a tour de force of textual reimagining.

WishboneDawn

Isn't the point that they weren't moderns worth some consideration? What seems like playing fast and loose to modern eyes would have been nothing of the sort to the ancients.

I think Jane gave you the best response on this question.

Peter Kirby

Besides, is "fast and loose" the right metaphor? Maybe "deliberate and wringing" is closer to what you might want to say. As in, pouring over the written texts and fastening on to bits and squeezing out a meaning.

Jane H

Thanks, WD.

Peter, as with the OP, I think you’re perhaps not seeing how the early church used the OT.

An overview of the whole OT storyline would be this: Israel prats about, gets punished, is forgiven and redeemed. When Jesus told the story of the prodigal son, he was simply reminding his audience of the story of Israel. This sin/punishment/redemption sequence is the OT in a nutshell. It occurs in Adam, Noah, Moses…This was precisely the cycle that Jesus passed to the early church, in parable and deed, and they ran with it. Check the OT quotes in the NT, and you will find a reference to the story of Israel, as the OP example shows. The interpretation of the early church of the OT story works perfectly well as a retelling and climax of the story of Israel.

That’s why the NT writers get so excited about quoting OT scripture. That’s why the OT was used to “prove” Jesus was the Messiah in the NT stories. That’s why the early church were never defensive about using the OT, but seemed to relish quoting from it. Because the Israel OT story of rejection, judgement and renewal simply re-became Humanity’s story.

Equinox

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, Peter, that's closer to what I mean.

Also, (for everyone), if Christians and others see such use as justified, why do some Christians seem to get upset when other Christians do the same thing? I'm thinking of the quotation of both the old and new testament in the Pearl of Great Price and other Mormon scripture to show Mormon beliefs, or the quotation of the OT and NT to prove Jehovah's Witness beliefs. Those seem to be at least as justified as the ones that are the topic of this thread.

Have a good day-

Equinox

Steven Carr

In fact, the early church simply took OT stories, and rewrote them to become stories about Jesus. Rewriting OT stories is the hallmark of religious frauds - Muhammad and Joseph Smith did very much the same thing.

Jesus is only ever shown sleeping once - in a tiny boat, during such a violent storm that experienced fishermen feared for their lives. Now there's somebody I would call a heavy sleeper!

He was asleep, because Jonah was asleep on a boat during a violent storm, just before the storm was miraculously calmed.

There is way more on this at http://www.bowness.demon.co.uk/mirc1.htm