What is the Bible all about? Does it contain some larger narrative spanning all sixty-six books? How would you answer that? Is your answer reflected in the passages you regularly read, or the lessons explicated on a given Sunday? In theory, Christianity embraces the Old and New Testaments as a single, coherent set of documents which present a united and consistent worldview. They are all considered valuable, important, and in some way ordained by or originating from the divine. The earliest lectionaries we have recommend readings of the Old Testament (e.g., Jerusalem Lectionary; less so, but still present, in the Comes Hieronymi) alongside Psalms, Gospel, and Epistulary Readings. For example, a Palm Sunday reading might involve Zechariah 9 (prophetic) followed by Philippians 2.5ff and Matthew 21 — connecting the Old and New. In first century gatherings, the Old Testament would have been regularly read (following Jewish synagogal models), increasingly incorporating letters and other writings from first century Christians (e.g., Paul).

There were even early attempts to disentangle the ‘Old Testament God’ or ‘Demiurge’ (often associated with infantile wrath) from the God of the New Testament (interpreted more Jesus-like with an emphasis on ‘love’, or perhaps secret knowledge). These Marcionite and ‘gnostic’ assertions were roundly rejected as they were perceived as dismissing much of the narrative: of leaving out important sections of the story of the Bible. Marcion himself had to excise much of the writings which were being circulated in Christian circles, for the New Testament draws heavily on the Old — not as some source of eschatological dredging for obscure ‘prophecy’ (where prophecy is defined solely as ‘prediction’, albeit obscure) — but in which it sees itself as fulfillment. Perhaps ‘fulfillment’ is a bit overused, but it’s meant in the sense of the latter half of a novel ‘fulfilling’ the aims and intentions of the first half. The New Testament is the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the ‘casting’ of the ring into the fires of Mount Doom to the ‘Old Testament’ of everything that went before. In Christian eyes, it is the completion of the Old Testament. The satisfying conclusion that the Old was always pointing towards (as the fellowship of the ring was always pointing toward the climax of the fall of Mordor). And, since Christians continue to see themselves in the New Testament world (i.e., where Mordor has not yet fallen, or the Shire is still under the thumb of Saruman), the story is not yet finished.

The New Testament writings are therefore filled with references to the Old. These should not be perceived as mere ‘prooftexts’ (i.e., little decontextualized snippets which seem to prove something the author wants — modern ‘prooftexts’ are perhaps equivalent to ‘soundbites’ where speakers or politicians can be reduced to a mere ‘soundbite’ rather than engaging with an entire speech or interview). Early Christians were steeped in the Old Testament (for them at the time, just ‘Scripture’): regular readings (and singings, in the case of Psalms) during their meetings kept the stories and knowledge alive. They would not need to quote these passages at length, but merely refer to them — as a silly quote from a sitcom character may not be funny unless one is familiar with the character and the narrative arcs. For example, phrases like ‘Bazinga!’, ‘Serenity Now!’, or even brief decontextualized clips (Seinfeld’s Cramer throwing the door open) bring with them a large narrative. The New Testament writers make use of the New Testament in just the same way, drawing out ideas that were already familiar (or could be explicated in a lesson) to their audience.

Beyond a mere reference material, however, they saw themselves as inheriting this larger history, as being a part of this extended story which told about the relationship of God to human beings. Across some forty authors, three continents, three languages, and spanning some 1500 years, the message is stable. It’s this message that I’m going to explore over the next number of weeks. The content and readings are ultimately from an anonymous workbook (consistingly primarily of readings and questions) which I (and some fellow teachers) are using as a curriculum, and I’m using this forum as a means to explore some of the ideas presented there. The workbook consists of 27 readings, though I may add to or split them apart as this format seems to require.

The first reading is drawn from one of Paul’s many summaries of the subject which was so central to early Christians, the story of which they saw themselves participants in: Ephesians 1.

After a brief introduction (‘to the saints/holy ones’, ‘grace and peace to you’), he jumps into an overview of what this particular study is all about (vv.3-14). Paul1Or pseudo-Paul, if you’re in to that…though it still shows the continuity of thought and the importance of these ideas for Christians. rehearses a set of themes which draw on Old Testament parallels:

  • they are chosen (cf. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc.),
  • they are delivered (cf. deliverance/redemption from slavery in Egypt)
  • they are forgiven of sins (cf. holiness codes and sacrifices in Torah/Law)
  • they are adopted as sons and daughters of God (i.e., members of God’s family; cf. Abraham, Israelites as God’s firstborn in, e.g., Exodus 4)
  • they are heirs to a future inheritance (cf. promised land to Abram and Moses/Israelites)

These are all Old Testament themes which are seen as fulfilled and completed in the New Testament — well, in Jesus. The way Paul describes God’s action with respect to Christians looks back to the large narrative of the Bible. Christians are called/chosen like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, who, like us, were unexceptional except for their obedience (i.e., response) to God’s call. There was, however, a problem which required deliverance: the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and their rescue is described as ‘deliverance’ and ‘redemption’. What had been accomplished at a local level (i.e., in Egypt for the Israelite slaves) has been accomplished through the Messiah[mnf]’christ’ is the Greek for the Hebrew word anglicized as ‘messiah’. ‘Messiah’ means ‘anointed one’, with significant royal associations. We might say ‘king’ in English.[/mnf] Jesus at a broader level: deliverance and redemption from the problems of sin and death.

At present, we are at a stage between redemption (cf. Exodus) and inheritance (cf. Promised Land, Canaan), like the Israelites in their wilderness trek. We have been ‘saved’, but have not yet received what has been promised. The Israelites had the passover to look back to their salvations, and forward to their future inheritance, as Christians take bread and wine to look back to their salvation (in Jesus) and forward to their future inheritance when God makes all things new (see Revelation 21-22).

Paul continues in Ephesians to offer a prayer for the recipients, asking that they would receive the wisdom and knowledge to see the world with God’s vision overlayed upon it — i.e., to have a god-like worldview. To see the events that have transpired and do transpire through the eyes of God. Which, in part, is to see the story that the Bible tells. In the next installment, we’ll take a glance at the bookends: Genesis 1 and Revelation 21-22.