James 4:12 states that “there is one lawgiver and judge” (εἷς ἐστιν ὁ νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής). Most of the secondary literature observes that the use of εἷς is likely an allusion to the Shema (Deut 6:4; cf. Jas 2:19). The “one lawgiver and judge” of James 4:12 is therefore widely considered to refer to the … Read more
Despite the Gospel of Matthew’s indebtedness to Israel’s scriptures, the paucity of διαθήκη (“covenant”) is striking. This paper addresses the silence by investigating the reception and intertextuality of Deuteronomy 29-30 in Matthew’s Gospel—a key text in Israelite restoration eschatology. I argue that two Matthean motifs—the function of divine/apocalyptic revelation and the description of the ἐκκλησία … Read more
Evangelical scholarship rightly argues that the book of Proverbs coheres with the theology of the Old Testament. However, less attention has been given to the possibility that the authors of Proverbs utilized earlier OT Scripture, and in what ways they may have done so. Prov 3:11–12 provides one example of the book’s familiarity with prior … Read more
This study considers Zephaniah’s hermeneutic in approaching his preliminary canon and how later authors employed Zephaniah’s message. I first evaluate some Old Testament allusions, considering how Zephaniah parallels the coming fires of judgment to the waters of judgment at the flood, how he portrays the day of the Lord as a new conquest to claim … Read more
Hebrews 8:8-13 features the longest quotation of the Hebrew scriptures in the New Testament wherein the author of Hebrews quotes the new covenant prophecy from Jeremiah 31:31-34. It is often understood that this quotation is merely a preface for the author’s larger argument about the inefficacy of Israel’s sacrificial system, which spans Hebrews 9:1-10:18. The … Read more
The characterization of David throughout I and II Samuel and into I Kings exhibits numerous examples of intertextual resonance with previous figures in the Torah. From his initial appearance in I Sam 16.00 to his death in I Kings 2.00 are examples of this plan. For instance, in 1.00 Sam 16:11 his function as a … Read more
The goal of this paper is to test the referens-plenior/advancement-of-revelation theory by the use of the Old Testament in Paul’s letter to the Romans. In his 2024.00 Mere Christian Hermeneutics, Kevin J. Vanhoozer suggests that rather than speaking about a “fuller sense” (sensus plenior) of the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament, we should … Read more