Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 173:690 (Apr 2016)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Matthew S. DeMoss

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BSac 173:690 (April-June 2016) p. 249

Book Reviews

By The Faculty Of Dallas Theological Seminary

Matthew S. DeMoss

Editor

Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation. By G. K. Beale. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012. 173 pp. $19.99.

Understanding the many ways the authors of the New Testament appropriated Old Testament writings is one of the most difficult issues faced by interpreters. G. K. Beale, professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, sets forth a method for tackling these difficulties. According to Beale, his approach “reveals the depth, beauty, interpretative richness, and unity of Scripture” (p. 27). Intending to fill a perceived methodological void in the discussion (p. ix), Beale’s work is designed for “pastors, students, and other serious readers of Scripture,” with the hope that scholars will also benefit from the work (p. ix–x). Instead of focusing on details concerning debates over the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, Beale concentrates on “methodological approaches and sources to aid in the task of understanding how the New Testament writers refer to the Old Testament” (p. xvii). He also notes that the method described in the Handbook stands behind his earlier work, coedited with D. A. Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007).

The Handbook begins by briefly describing current debates surrounding how the New Testament authors used the Old Testament. For example, Beale addresses issues regarding the New Testament authors’ awareness of the Old Testament context when quoting or alluding to it. He concludes that “to varying degrees, the context of the Old Testament is important for understanding its use in the New Testament” (p. 13). He moves to a discussion of typology that provides key descriptors of typology and thereby a means to recognize when and where it might be in play in the New Testament. He contends that New Testament typology is more than mere allegory; the New Testament author is generally aware of the original Old Testament author’s intention (p. 23). Beale also argues for the validity of the New Testament authors’ exegetical approach for modern interpreters. He concludes that “the burden of proof rests on those who are trying to deny its normativity” (p. 26). Not all will agree with his confident support for the normativity of the New Testament authors’ exegetical approach, however. He does not address the fact that they read the Old Testament with a different purpose than modern interpreters do. In a separate chapter, Beale provides definitions and criteria for identifying quotations and allu...

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