The Gospels Through Old Testament Eyes: Exploring Extended Allusions

by Nicholas P. Lunn

Overview

Recognising veiled allusions to the Old Testament in the four Gospels has long contributed to our understanding of the Gospels message.

Nicholas Lunn takes the investigation of allusion a significant step further in The Gospels Through Old Testament Eyes. He explores allusions not just in isolated verses, but rather occurring throughout whole passages, demonstrating that many Gospel episodes interact with specific Old Testament accounts through an extended sequence of allusions. Furthermore, his examination is not restricted to episodes presented by a single Gospel, but includes allusions distributed across two or more Gospel treatments of the same event.

In The Gospels Through Old Testament Eyes, Lunn offers a series of self-contained studies that bring to light allusions, many of them previously unnoted, that affirm the intricate interweaving of New Testament texts with those of the Old. This volume will greatly enhance your appreciation of the Gospels' presentation of Jesus's life and ministry. It will inform and equip scholars, pastors, preachers, Bible teachers and readers to appreciate new depths in the Gospels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789744118
Publisher:	Apollos
Publication date:	09/22/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Nick Lunn is a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators and an Associate Tutor at Spurgeon’s College, London. He holds a degree in biblical studies (University of Manchester) and a PhD in Hebrew (London School of Theology). He is the author of The Original Ending of Mark (Pickwick), Jesus in the Jewish Scriptures (Apostolos) and Word-order Variation in Biblical Hebrew Poetry (Paternoster), and translator of Cyril of Alexandria: Glaphrya on the Pentateuch (Catholic University of America Press).

Table of Contents

Contents
List of abbreviations ix
1 Introduction 1
2 Mary the mother of Christ 16
3 The decree of Caesar Augustus 24
4 The birth of Christ 30
5 The baby in a manger 36
6 The flight into Egypt 44
7 The baptism and temptation 51
8 The Sermon on the Mount 61
9 Calming the storm 67
10 The feeding of the multitude 72
11 Walking on the water 87
12 The Syro-Phoenician woman 97
13 The transfiguration 106
14 The parable of the rich fool 123
15 The woman taken in adultery 127
16 The conversion of Zacchaeus 140
17 Jesus comes to Jerusalem 144
18 The parable of the wicked tenants 151
19 The last supper 156
20 Gethsemane 1 161
21 Gethsemane 2 170
22 Peter's denials 184
23 The trial and crucifixion 1 189
24 The trial and crucifixion 2 205
25 The two thieves 211
26 Resurrection appearances in the synoptic Gospels 214
27 The burial and the empty tomb 229
28 Jesus appears to Mary 240
29 Jesus appears on the eighth day 247
30 Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee 255
31 Conclusion 261
Bibliography 263
Scripture acknowledgments 275
Index of Scripture references 277

Editorial Reviews

"Another brilliant work by a lucid and clear teacher of scripture. Using his vast knowledge and skills in Hebrew and Greek and his many years of experience in meticulous reading and exegeting of both the Old and New Testaments in their original languages as a translation consultant, Nick Lunn opens before our eyes a completely new dimension of the meaning of the Gospels. Case after case and passage after passage, we see Christ shining from behind the same familiar passages in new and amazing ways. At a time when the discipline of biblical exegesis is freeing itself more and more from the limitations imposed on it by the old naturalist and historicist presuppositions often lurking beneath and behind the old grammatical-historical method, reading Lunn's book, The Gospels through Old Testament Eyes, is like enjoying a cool breeze of fresh air in a very hot summer."

Rev. Dr. Mehrdad Fatehi

"Nicholas Lunn is a careful reader, and he helps us to dig behind familiar passages from the Gospels and discover a wealth of allusion to earlier texts. A sense of the wonder and mystery of Jesus' nature as the human embodiment of the God of Israel is enhanced, as we see how these allusions illumine the events of his life with fresh theological meaning. Drawing on a wealth of scholarship from a wide range of Christian as well as Jewish sources, this fascinating study will also help us to appreciate the unity of Scripture as the gift of a single divine Author. Divided into concise, clearly-written chapters focusing on Gospel episodes, it offers plentiful new insights for preachers and will enrich the devotion of Christian believers to their Lord."

Stephen I. Wright

"This book alerts us to new possibilities when it comes to understanding the meaning, significance and artistry of New Testament texts. Lunn writes with clarity and conviction. He confidently appraises the NT text, drawing on scholarly insight, showing respect for details like literary design and linguistic choices. He hopes that his writing will be faith-building – and indeed this aim is reflected in the tone and emphases throughout. I was not convinced by every premise or conclusion, but I was stimulated by the journey. It is not always my experience that new publications intrigue me and capture my imagination, but this book did and I am very glad I pushed beyond my own approach to the biblical text to listen to the voice of a different approach that opens up a new world of interpretive possibilities."

Debra Reid

"The Gospels and the rest of the New Testament weren’t supposed to be read in a vacuum, but as part of the continuing story of God’s redemptive work as it had been expounded in the Old Testament. Readers of the Gospels who pay close attention to how their allusions to the Old Testament are expected to inform our understanding are reading as the authors intended and find rich rewards in a fuller understanding of each text. Nick Lunn has spent years doing that kind of careful reading and now shares his insightful observations with all who want to learn to do the same. Be prepared to have your understanding enriched and your own reading transformed!"

Roy E. Ciampa