Evangelicals Now
Christian news worldwide
magnifying glass Search archives
home Home check the archives Archives Subscribe Subscriptions Advertising Information & booking of classifieds Adverts Find a local evangelical Church Find a church for the search engines and extremely curious! About us Contact us Site Map
Printable
Version

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament

PREACHING CHRIST FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT
By Sidney Greidanus
Eerdmans
ISBN 0 8028 4449 9

There has been a need for a book like this for a long time. Most preachers and teachers are aware of the importance of centring their sermons and lessons around Jesus Christ and the flow of 'salvation or redemptive history' in the Old Testament, but the question is - how do you do it?'

Greidanus has given us some excellent groundwork for knowing where to start. Many churches proclaim that they 'preach Christ crucified', but what does it really mean to do this? Greidanus defines this for us in chapter one, and goes on to give reasons why this is so important today. Chapter two is really foundational biblical theology, covering the importance of the Old Testament, its relation to the New Testament, and its witness to Christ. Chapters three and four are on the history of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. There is good discussion here on the difference between allegorical and typological interpretation using historical church schools and figures to define the distinction. There is also an overview of the fourfold method of the Middle Ages. Interestingly Greidanus is cautious about typology (p.97), indicating rightly that it can easily slip into allegorising.

How did Luther approach interpreting the Old Testament? How did Calvin and Spurgeon? Chapter four gives a succinct account of the methods used by these influential teachers. Greidanus highly praises Spurgeon, but then goes on to list what he considers to be shortcomings (pp.160-162).

Chapters five and six introduce us to the seven methods or 'roads' of preaching Christ from the Old Testament: the way of redemptive/historical progression, promise fulfilment, typology, analogy, longitudinal themes, and contrast. Chapters seven and eight give practical steps in using the various methods. If you are wondering how (or how not) to preach Christ from the Old Testament, this book is the place to begin.

Steve Gunderson,
Kew