Journal: Global Journal of Classical Theology
Volume: GJCT 17:3 (Mar 2021)
Article: Jesus In The Torah: A Response To John Walton’s Lost World Ethics
Author: Joseph R. Miller

Jesus In The Torah: A Response To John Walton’s Lost World Ethics

Joseph R. Miller

Dr. J. R. Miller has more than a decade experience in teaching and 20+ years of pastoral ministry supported by a diverse educational background in science, theology, philosophy, and ethics. He has authored multiple books on church history, biblical theology, and leadership.

Abstract: Jesus’ testimony in Matthew 5:17–20 that He came to fulfill and not abolish the Torah is foundational for our understanding the Mosaic Law and its relevance for Christian ethics. Recent scholarship, however, has challenged this premise. One prominent example is John Walton’s “Lost World” hermeneutic which interprets the Old Testament text through the lens of Ancient Near East patterns of thinking. This critiques this hermeneutic in Walton’s latest book The Lost World of the Torah, while exploring the consequences normative ethics. Taking Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 5:17–20 as a hermeneutical starting point, the paper will show that the Law was fulfilled—not by universalizing the particulars of Torah code—but by affirming the Torah was grounded in the universal nature of YHWH which was manifest through the incarnate person of Jesus Christ.

Introduction

Jesus’ testimony in Matthew 5:17–20 that He came to fulfill and not abolish the Torah is foundational for understanding the Mosaic Law and its relevance for Christian ethics. However, recent scholarship has challenged this premise. One prominent example is John Walton’s “Lost World” hermeneutic which interprets the Old Testament (OT) text through the lens of Ancient Near East (ANE) patterns of thinking reconstructed from his analysis of ancient source-documents. This paper evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of Walton’s hermeneutic in his book The Lost World of the Torah and examines the specific consequences for Christology and normative ethics.

Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 5:17–20, if taken as the hermeneutical beginning point, shows that Law was fulfilled, not by universalizing the particulars of Torah code which were limited to Israel’s relational-covenant with God, but—contra Walton and Walton—by grounding the Torah in the universal nature of YHWH which was manifest through the incarnate person of Jesus Christ. This Christocentric hermeneutic allows for application of the Torah in modern cultures—not as an impersonal system of moral principles—but as a new covenant; given freely by God’s grace, received through faith, and sealed by the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer.

Summary Of Walton...

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