New Testament Writers and the Old Testament: An Introduction

How the Old Testament is used in the New Testament is currently a matter of fierce debate. Scholars argue about whether the early Christians as readers and writers or hearers would have known the Hebrew Bible by heart and the extent to which they would have acknowledged it as Scripture. Many modern translations of the Bible no longer include cross-references that indicate the sources of Old Testament quotations (or allusions) in New Testament writings. Students may therefore find it difficult to appreciate how much Old Testament material is included in the New Testament and to estimate the relative weighting of Old Testament themes in different New Testament writings. New Testament Writers and the Old Testament introduces the issues involved in understanding the controversy about the relationship of the Old and New Testaments. The wealth of information this book contains together with cross-references linking the two testaments make it an invaluable resource for both the Bible student and the general reader. John M. Court was formerly Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies and Head of Department at the University of Kent at Canterbury. He is the author of many books which include The New Testament World Reading the New Testament and The Book of Revelation and the Johannine Apocalyptic Tradition.