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The Scriptures Testify about Me
Eight prominent evangelical pastors and scholars team up to demonstrate what it looks like to faithfully preach Christ from a variety of Old Testament texts.
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
65 people are currently reading
794 people want to read
About the author
D.A. Carson
338 books734 followersDonald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1978. Carson came to Trinity from the faculty of Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he also served for two years as academic dean. He has served as assistant pastor and pastor and has done itinerant ministry in Canada and the United Kingdom. Carson received the Bachelor of Science in chemistry from McGill University, the Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, and the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Cambridge. Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. He has written or edited about sixty books. He is a founding member and currently president of The Gospel Coalition. Carson and his wife, Joy, reside in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two adult children.
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May 27, 2013
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)
Far too often, believers center their study of Scripture solely on the New Testament, viewing the Old Testament as something of a by-gone era. This approach is unfortunate as all of Scripture is inspired by God and perhaps more importantly, a full understanding of Jesus and the scarlet thread of redemption that runs throughout Scripture can only be truly obtained by reading the front of the book. The gospel message is one established before the foundation of the world thus a proper study of salvation contained in the gospel message has to begin where the story of God’s interaction with humanity begins, namely in the Old Testament corpus.
Dr. D. A. Carson has edited a book containing the transcript of eight addresses from the plenary session of the 2011 The Gospel Coalition Conference. In these addresses, a number of theological leaders address the importance of understanding Jesus from the pages of the Old Testament in order to more fully grasp the events and message contained in the New Testament. Men such as Dr. Albert Mohler, Dr. Tim Keller, Dr. Alistair Begg, Dr. James McDonald, Conrad Mbewe, Matt Chandler, Mike Bullmore, and Dr. D. A. Carson, engage this topic with great elucidation and theological insight helping the reader more fully understand the Messianic patterns and statements found throughout the Old Testament. While every chapter in this book is excellent and well worth reading, I will focus on the addresses of Dr. Mohler, Dr. Keller, and Dr. Carson for purposes of this review.
In his address, Dr. Mohler aptly sums up a reason why many young people are leaving the church noting “The absence of biblical, gospel preaching explains how we have created in our churches a generation of moralizing, therapeutic, practical deists.” The rejection of the meta-narrative of Scripture by the liberal establishment should cause concern. Far too often, the Old Testament is referred to as the Hebrew Bible or Hebrew Scriptures as if its content was only intended for the Jews. Furthermore, some have taken the opposite extreme claiming the Old Testament can be read without any need to engage the New Testament. Additionally, the dispensationalist approach to Scripture often wrongly bifurcate Scripture seemingly denying the flow of the biblical message.
Mohler aptly outlines how the great theologians of church history clearly noted the vital importance of the Old Testament. Men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin argued for the gospel to be understood from the pages of the Old Testament in order to clearly comprehend how it is fully revealed in the New Testament. More importantly, the book of Hebrews uses the Old Testament as the springboard by which to proclaim Jesus as being the perfect fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. A lack of engagement or understanding of those Old Testament promises will only result in a diminished understanding of Christ. Mohler concludes with the salient statement “We must preach Christ from all the Scriptures and find Christ in the gospel of the Old Testament as well as in the New.”
Dr. Tim Keller provides some excellent insight into the concept of redemption, rooting his discussion in the Old Testament story of the Israelites deliverance from bondage in Egypt. This is an excellent place by which to begin a discussion of the concept of redemption and salvation given the numerous references to this event and its overall importance in the life of not only the Israelites, but all generations of believers. Keller rightly notes, “Salvation is about getting us out of bondage. That’s what the word redemption means.” He then proceeds to outline four areas believers have been given deliverance, namely freedom from bondage to the law, deliverance from works-righteousness, deliverance from our sin nature, and deliverance from bondage to idols. Only by understanding the purpose of the law, that of pointing us to the need for the Redeemer, can we truly understand the salvation we obtain from the curse of the law. It is not that we are no longer required to follow God’s commands as it is not the law itself that is the issue. Conversely, it is humanity that was incapable of living up to God’s perfect standard. Christ came in part to be the perfect Lamb of God, the One who followed God’s law perfectly.
Furthermore, we are no longer slaves to sin as we serve a new Master. This does not mean we will never sin again, however, it does mean we have a new desire that swells within us to love God and love one another born out of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Just as Israel crossed over the Red Sea to the land of promise, believers also cross over from bondage to life. Through God’s grace, we have obtained redemption and deliverance from bondage to sin. We will still struggle; however, Keller rightly notes “you are not saved because of the quality of your faith. You are saved because of the object of your faith: the Redeemer, the God who is fighting for you.”
In his plenary address, Dr. D. A. Carson address the subject of that rather enigmatic Old Testament character, Melchizedek. Psalm 110, the most quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament mentions Melchizedek, specifically in relation to the promised Messiah being “in the order of Melchizedek.” So one may rightly ask, what is there to be excited about, especially since there are so few mentions of Melchizedek in Scripture and he just seems to appear out of nowhere in Genesis 14 only to disappear again into the pages of history. Carson rightly begins his discussion with who wrote Psalm 110, a necessary beginning for this discussion given the Psalms important content and the One whom it focuses on. In Psalm 110, David declares “The Lord said to my Lord…” a statement referred to by Jesus in Mark 12:35-37 as evidence that David was speaking of the Messiah. Jesus used David’s statement to affirm not just his lineage from David, but to also affirm that He is the Messiah spoken of by David.
Carson also notes some interesting elements of prophetic prose that can be found in Psalm 110. The phrase “The Lord says to my lord” is indicative of other prophetic declarations thus David was relaying an important prophecy about the coming Messiah. Carson notes six vital theological inferences that can be found from the small phrase “Sit at my right hand”, references that also point to Jesus being the promised Messiah. Based on this foundation, Carson then engages Melchizedek providing an excellent exposition of this individual to include the events found in Genesis 14 that provide background as to who Melchizedek just might be and why we should care. Carson saliently outlines the typical interpretations of Melchizedek throughout church history, one being a “pre-incarnate visitation of Jesus”. This approach is overwhelmingly rejected by Carson for a number of valid reasons, in particular the manner in which Melchizedek is described and compared to the Messiah affirming that Melchizedek is a model, a proto-type of the Messiah and not a divine figure in an of himself. Carson also notes the argument from silence that is used in Scripture, namely the lack of historical background given for Melchizedek, specifically the lack of any personal or genealogical information. Normally an argument from silence would be considered a very weak theological approach; however, Carson states “an argument from silence is very strong if you are expecting noise.” The lack of information about Melchizedek in Genesis 14 or elsewhere in Scripture was to provide a means to compare the Messiah to this character, not to make them to be equal. The very sequence provided by the author of Hebrews was established to note the manner in which Jesus exceeded any Old Testament type to include Melchizedek. The Messiah is the fullness of God’s promises found throughout the Old Testament to include that of Melchizedek.
The Scriptures Testify About Me is an excellent resource for those wanting to dig further into the Old Testament or Scripture in general, specifically those who desire to understand the importance of starting from the beginning to understand the end. Replete with theological insight and thorough exegesis, this collection of plenary addresses is well worth the read. While theological substantive, it is not beyond the reach of the average laymen. I highly recommend this book for pastors, scholars, and laymen alike.
I received this for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Far too often, believers center their study of Scripture solely on the New Testament, viewing the Old Testament as something of a by-gone era. This approach is unfortunate as all of Scripture is inspired by God and perhaps more importantly, a full understanding of Jesus and the scarlet thread of redemption that runs throughout Scripture can only be truly obtained by reading the front of the book. The gospel message is one established before the foundation of the world thus a proper study of salvation contained in the gospel message has to begin where the story of God’s interaction with humanity begins, namely in the Old Testament corpus.
Dr. D. A. Carson has edited a book containing the transcript of eight addresses from the plenary session of the 2011 The Gospel Coalition Conference. In these addresses, a number of theological leaders address the importance of understanding Jesus from the pages of the Old Testament in order to more fully grasp the events and message contained in the New Testament. Men such as Dr. Albert Mohler, Dr. Tim Keller, Dr. Alistair Begg, Dr. James McDonald, Conrad Mbewe, Matt Chandler, Mike Bullmore, and Dr. D. A. Carson, engage this topic with great elucidation and theological insight helping the reader more fully understand the Messianic patterns and statements found throughout the Old Testament. While every chapter in this book is excellent and well worth reading, I will focus on the addresses of Dr. Mohler, Dr. Keller, and Dr. Carson for purposes of this review.
In his address, Dr. Mohler aptly sums up a reason why many young people are leaving the church noting “The absence of biblical, gospel preaching explains how we have created in our churches a generation of moralizing, therapeutic, practical deists.” The rejection of the meta-narrative of Scripture by the liberal establishment should cause concern. Far too often, the Old Testament is referred to as the Hebrew Bible or Hebrew Scriptures as if its content was only intended for the Jews. Furthermore, some have taken the opposite extreme claiming the Old Testament can be read without any need to engage the New Testament. Additionally, the dispensationalist approach to Scripture often wrongly bifurcate Scripture seemingly denying the flow of the biblical message.
Mohler aptly outlines how the great theologians of church history clearly noted the vital importance of the Old Testament. Men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin argued for the gospel to be understood from the pages of the Old Testament in order to clearly comprehend how it is fully revealed in the New Testament. More importantly, the book of Hebrews uses the Old Testament as the springboard by which to proclaim Jesus as being the perfect fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. A lack of engagement or understanding of those Old Testament promises will only result in a diminished understanding of Christ. Mohler concludes with the salient statement “We must preach Christ from all the Scriptures and find Christ in the gospel of the Old Testament as well as in the New.”
Dr. Tim Keller provides some excellent insight into the concept of redemption, rooting his discussion in the Old Testament story of the Israelites deliverance from bondage in Egypt. This is an excellent place by which to begin a discussion of the concept of redemption and salvation given the numerous references to this event and its overall importance in the life of not only the Israelites, but all generations of believers. Keller rightly notes, “Salvation is about getting us out of bondage. That’s what the word redemption means.” He then proceeds to outline four areas believers have been given deliverance, namely freedom from bondage to the law, deliverance from works-righteousness, deliverance from our sin nature, and deliverance from bondage to idols. Only by understanding the purpose of the law, that of pointing us to the need for the Redeemer, can we truly understand the salvation we obtain from the curse of the law. It is not that we are no longer required to follow God’s commands as it is not the law itself that is the issue. Conversely, it is humanity that was incapable of living up to God’s perfect standard. Christ came in part to be the perfect Lamb of God, the One who followed God’s law perfectly.
Furthermore, we are no longer slaves to sin as we serve a new Master. This does not mean we will never sin again, however, it does mean we have a new desire that swells within us to love God and love one another born out of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Just as Israel crossed over the Red Sea to the land of promise, believers also cross over from bondage to life. Through God’s grace, we have obtained redemption and deliverance from bondage to sin. We will still struggle; however, Keller rightly notes “you are not saved because of the quality of your faith. You are saved because of the object of your faith: the Redeemer, the God who is fighting for you.”
In his plenary address, Dr. D. A. Carson address the subject of that rather enigmatic Old Testament character, Melchizedek. Psalm 110, the most quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament mentions Melchizedek, specifically in relation to the promised Messiah being “in the order of Melchizedek.” So one may rightly ask, what is there to be excited about, especially since there are so few mentions of Melchizedek in Scripture and he just seems to appear out of nowhere in Genesis 14 only to disappear again into the pages of history. Carson rightly begins his discussion with who wrote Psalm 110, a necessary beginning for this discussion given the Psalms important content and the One whom it focuses on. In Psalm 110, David declares “The Lord said to my Lord…” a statement referred to by Jesus in Mark 12:35-37 as evidence that David was speaking of the Messiah. Jesus used David’s statement to affirm not just his lineage from David, but to also affirm that He is the Messiah spoken of by David.
Carson also notes some interesting elements of prophetic prose that can be found in Psalm 110. The phrase “The Lord says to my lord” is indicative of other prophetic declarations thus David was relaying an important prophecy about the coming Messiah. Carson notes six vital theological inferences that can be found from the small phrase “Sit at my right hand”, references that also point to Jesus being the promised Messiah. Based on this foundation, Carson then engages Melchizedek providing an excellent exposition of this individual to include the events found in Genesis 14 that provide background as to who Melchizedek just might be and why we should care. Carson saliently outlines the typical interpretations of Melchizedek throughout church history, one being a “pre-incarnate visitation of Jesus”. This approach is overwhelmingly rejected by Carson for a number of valid reasons, in particular the manner in which Melchizedek is described and compared to the Messiah affirming that Melchizedek is a model, a proto-type of the Messiah and not a divine figure in an of himself. Carson also notes the argument from silence that is used in Scripture, namely the lack of historical background given for Melchizedek, specifically the lack of any personal or genealogical information. Normally an argument from silence would be considered a very weak theological approach; however, Carson states “an argument from silence is very strong if you are expecting noise.” The lack of information about Melchizedek in Genesis 14 or elsewhere in Scripture was to provide a means to compare the Messiah to this character, not to make them to be equal. The very sequence provided by the author of Hebrews was established to note the manner in which Jesus exceeded any Old Testament type to include Melchizedek. The Messiah is the fullness of God’s promises found throughout the Old Testament to include that of Melchizedek.
The Scriptures Testify About Me is an excellent resource for those wanting to dig further into the Old Testament or Scripture in general, specifically those who desire to understand the importance of starting from the beginning to understand the end. Replete with theological insight and thorough exegesis, this collection of plenary addresses is well worth the read. While theological substantive, it is not beyond the reach of the average laymen. I highly recommend this book for pastors, scholars, and laymen alike.
I received this for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
November 6, 2023
This book discusses how the Old Testament not only lays out our need for a savior, and also predicts the coming of the messiah that will someday rescue all the oppressed, but the shows how the overall message of the OT sets the stage for Jesus and His gospel of grace.
This book had been sitting on my TBR stack for years, but for some reason I finally picked it up last weekend on a whim. The first chapter happened to be an exposition of John 5, where Jesus explains that his claims to divinity are backed up by four “witnesses”:
- The message of John the Baptist
- The works (miracles) of Jesus
- The Father (at the time of his baptism and the transfiguration)
- The scriptures (i.e. the OT testifies about Jesus)
Strangely enough (or perhaps not strange at all!), my BSF group was scheduled to discuss John 5 two days later. It’s funny how often these kinds of “coincidences” occur!
Here are the chapters / topics:
Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus (John 5:31-47)
-R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Getting Out (Exodus 14) -Tim Keller
From a Foreigner to King Jesus (Ruth) -Alistair Begg
When You Don't Know What to Do (Psalm 25) -James MacDonald
The Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:1-8) -Conrad Mbewe
Youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8) -Matt Chandler
God's Great Heart of Love toward His Own (Zephaniah) -Mike Bullmore
Getting Excited about Melchizedek (Psalm 110)
-D. A. Carson
It seems that most books of this type that feature chapters each written by a different author are just mediocre. Maybe each writer usually wants to hold onto their best stuff to put into their own books. I don’t really know, but in this case every chapter is quite good. My favorites are by Keller, Chandler, and Carson, but they’re all worthwhile.
This book had been sitting on my TBR stack for years, but for some reason I finally picked it up last weekend on a whim. The first chapter happened to be an exposition of John 5, where Jesus explains that his claims to divinity are backed up by four “witnesses”:
- The message of John the Baptist
- The works (miracles) of Jesus
- The Father (at the time of his baptism and the transfiguration)
- The scriptures (i.e. the OT testifies about Jesus)
Strangely enough (or perhaps not strange at all!), my BSF group was scheduled to discuss John 5 two days later. It’s funny how often these kinds of “coincidences” occur!
Here are the chapters / topics:
Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus (John 5:31-47)
-R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Getting Out (Exodus 14) -Tim Keller
From a Foreigner to King Jesus (Ruth) -Alistair Begg
When You Don't Know What to Do (Psalm 25) -James MacDonald
The Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:1-8) -Conrad Mbewe
Youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8) -Matt Chandler
God's Great Heart of Love toward His Own (Zephaniah) -Mike Bullmore
Getting Excited about Melchizedek (Psalm 110)
-D. A. Carson
It seems that most books of this type that feature chapters each written by a different author are just mediocre. Maybe each writer usually wants to hold onto their best stuff to put into their own books. I don’t really know, but in this case every chapter is quite good. My favorites are by Keller, Chandler, and Carson, but they’re all worthwhile.
March 14, 2021
This is a brilliant book comprised of eight sermons which preach Jesus from Old Testament passages. It offers great insights such as the necessity of seeing how the New Testament interprets the Old. Scripture interpreting scripture. Tim Keller’s sermon on the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 blew my mind and Don Carson’s final chapter on “Getting excited about Melchizedek” made my head hurt but it was well worth the mental strain! This is a book I will go back to again and again.
November 26, 2018
This book is a collection of sermons from a TGC conference. Each chapter is a sermon manuscript from a different speaker. Some are better than others and in different ways. The book is good overall and a couple of chapters were really good.
May 7, 2018
Overall, I was disappointed by this book. It is a lightly edited transcription of addresses given at the 2011 TGC Conference. Some of the chapters were simply not helpful.
Mohler's intro was a little reductionistic: the Church Fathers did more than just allegorize the OT, there are at least 1000 years between the Fathers and Luther which were skipped entirely.
Keller's treatment of the Exodus and Red Sea was excellent.
Begg's intro to Ruth was quite good as well.
James MacDonald's use of Psalm 25 was scattered and hard to follow. He didn't really show Jesus from that Psalm, but rather David with Jesus shoe-horned in later.
Conrad Mwebe's exposition of Jeremiah 23:1-8 was fair, but placed the redemption of the Righteous Branch fully at the eschaton, neglecting it as the manner of how YHWH establishes righteous shepherds. At times, he significantly departed from the text.
Matt Chandler's discussion on Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8 was an incoherent diversion away from the text. He seemed to simply bounce around the New Testament, completely departing.
Mike Bullmore's treatment of Zephaniah was at least an exposition, though he relegated all of it to a final fulfillment at the eschaton, not something Christ inaugurated in His first advent.
D.A. Carson's treatment of Psalm 110 on Melchizedek was excellent, giving a model of simple, careful reading of Apostolic reading of the Old Testament. Wonderful. This chapter saved the book.
Mohler's intro was a little reductionistic: the Church Fathers did more than just allegorize the OT, there are at least 1000 years between the Fathers and Luther which were skipped entirely.
Keller's treatment of the Exodus and Red Sea was excellent.
Begg's intro to Ruth was quite good as well.
James MacDonald's use of Psalm 25 was scattered and hard to follow. He didn't really show Jesus from that Psalm, but rather David with Jesus shoe-horned in later.
Conrad Mwebe's exposition of Jeremiah 23:1-8 was fair, but placed the redemption of the Righteous Branch fully at the eschaton, neglecting it as the manner of how YHWH establishes righteous shepherds. At times, he significantly departed from the text.
Matt Chandler's discussion on Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8 was an incoherent diversion away from the text. He seemed to simply bounce around the New Testament, completely departing.
Mike Bullmore's treatment of Zephaniah was at least an exposition, though he relegated all of it to a final fulfillment at the eschaton, not something Christ inaugurated in His first advent.
D.A. Carson's treatment of Psalm 110 on Melchizedek was excellent, giving a model of simple, careful reading of Apostolic reading of the Old Testament. Wonderful. This chapter saved the book.
August 26, 2024
Preaching is hard. Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, and doing so well, is especially hard. But it is right, it is the responsibility of every preacher, and more to the point, that the activity of which this book claims to be a model. I'm afraid I have to add my voice to those who didn't enjoy reading it.
There was so much treasure in each text being considered, and yet regularly that treasure went unexplored, and it's specific illumination of Christ went undiscussed. I think, on the whole, each speaker spoke true things, but in several cases they weren't really the things this text was saying. Furthermore, as a book about the Old Testament and Jesus, I wanted to hear each text sing of Christ - as each does - and yet most of these talks fell short; some: far, far short.
Having said all that, the final sermon in this collection from Don Carson on Psalm 110 is definitely worth a read (but as a model of study, not of preaching, as I suspect he would himself attest): lots of helpful comments, beautiful observations about Melchizedek and Hebrews' discussion of him. While it's a dense chapter, I appreciated it because Carson's goal is a profoundly significant one: "to see that the New Testament authors are reading the Old Testament carefully". Amen. So must we.
There was so much treasure in each text being considered, and yet regularly that treasure went unexplored, and it's specific illumination of Christ went undiscussed. I think, on the whole, each speaker spoke true things, but in several cases they weren't really the things this text was saying. Furthermore, as a book about the Old Testament and Jesus, I wanted to hear each text sing of Christ - as each does - and yet most of these talks fell short; some: far, far short.
Having said all that, the final sermon in this collection from Don Carson on Psalm 110 is definitely worth a read (but as a model of study, not of preaching, as I suspect he would himself attest): lots of helpful comments, beautiful observations about Melchizedek and Hebrews' discussion of him. While it's a dense chapter, I appreciated it because Carson's goal is a profoundly significant one: "to see that the New Testament authors are reading the Old Testament carefully". Amen. So must we.
January 3, 2018
This book is based on the lectures given at a TGC conference from 2011. The topic was about preaching Jesus from the Old Testament, a subject dear to my heart. It is only when one understands that the Old Testament Scriptures point to Christ, that it begins to make real sense to readers today. The authors preach from a variety of texts, not only illustrating how a particular Old Testament. text points to Christ, but also how one is to find Christ throughout the rest of the Old Testament. It is one of the few books that I can say that I wish was even longer than it actually is. I particularly enjoyed Matt Chandler's lecture on Ecclesiastes, entitled, "Youth" and D. A. Carson's lecture on Psalm 110, entitled, "Getting Excited About Melchizedek". Highly recommended.
July 14, 2021
This book is a collection of manuscripts of sermons given at a Gospel Coalition conference. The theme is about seeing how the Old Testament points to Jesus. So, talk about dense! It’s basically sermons given by pastors to pastors so it was compiled for people who are smarter than myself. For the most part, I really enjoyed it though. Definitely a beneficial read to help me see all of Scripture with Christ at the center. Would recommend for people wanting to grow in their theological knowledge & understanding of Scripture, specifically the OT. And for people who want to expand their view & awe of God!
May 16, 2018
Excellent read about some great books in the Old Testament and how reading through a New Testament hermeneutic you can see the Bible as a story to Jesus. This goes great with dealing with the weight of some of the texts of the OT. Additionally, I found out after the fact that you can watch all of these being taught in about 1 hour chunks on YouTube...so how ever you want to digest this, go ahead.
November 3, 2017
The examples presented to illustrate how to use different text and preach Christ from them were good, but not enough to teach about the technical side of it. However, the book does not pretend to teach how by giving techniques than it does by offering examples.
November 27, 2017
I was not expecting these to be more sermons than how to, but they were very informative on how to preach the Old Testament in light of the work Of God in those days as well as the work of God in the time of the New Testament.
April 13, 2019
The purpose of this book was to show how the Old Testament Scriptures point to Jesus, but not through principles. The book shows you how others have done it, and the book shows a variety of preachers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading!
January 26, 2018
Very readable collection of essays on interpreting the OT for the NT. Wasn't what I expected but some good insights here.
July 15, 2013
D. A. Carson in his new book, “Jesus and the Gospel in the Old Testament book coverThe Scriptures Testify About Me” published by Crossway explores Jesus and the Gospel in the Old Testament.
From the Back Cover: The Bible’s storyline is grand in its sweep, beautiful in its form, and unified in its message. However, many of us still struggle both to understand and to best communicate how the Old and New Testaments fit together, especially in relation to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Eight prominent evangelical pastors and scholars demonstrate what it looks like to preach Christ from the Old Testament in this collection of expositions of various Old Testament texts: Albert Mohler — Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus (John 5:31-47) Tim Keller — Getting Out (Exodus 14) Alistair Begg — From a Foreigner to King Jesus (Ruth) James MacDonald — When You Don’t Know What to Do (Psalm 25) Conrad Mbewe — The Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:1-8) Matt Chandler — Youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8) Mike Bullmore — God’s Great Heart of Love toward His Own (Zephaniah) D. A. Carson — Getting Excited about Melchizedek (Psalm 110)
From the experience of the Israelites during the exodus, to the cryptic words about Melchizedek in the Psalms, here are 8 helpful examples of successful approaches to preaching the gospel from the Old Testament by some of the most skilled expositors of our day.
There are individuals that believe that Jesus appears for the first time as He is presented in the Gospels and Acts then straight on through Revelation. D. A. Carson has provided us a Bible study that shows us that Jesus is there from the very beginning and in this book works through eight different books. For me this is an exciting study as I was always thrilled when my pastor taught on Jesus represented in “Types and Shadows” in the Old Testament. Now Mr. Carson and seven other authors display Him in eight books of The Bible. ”The Scriptures Testify About Me” is not a book that should be rushed through, if you do you will miss all the flavor of these teachings. ”The Scriptures Testify About Me” also is not a book that will be read once and then put on the shelf. On the contrary it is a book that will be referred back to over and over again. I liked this book a lot and recommend it highly! I think you will enjoy it as well and give it as gifts to your friends and loved ones. They will enjoy it and always remember you every time they read it.
You can find “The Scriptures Testify About Me” at a discount at http://www.deepershopping.com/item/ca...
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Crossway. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the Back Cover: The Bible’s storyline is grand in its sweep, beautiful in its form, and unified in its message. However, many of us still struggle both to understand and to best communicate how the Old and New Testaments fit together, especially in relation to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Eight prominent evangelical pastors and scholars demonstrate what it looks like to preach Christ from the Old Testament in this collection of expositions of various Old Testament texts: Albert Mohler — Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus (John 5:31-47) Tim Keller — Getting Out (Exodus 14) Alistair Begg — From a Foreigner to King Jesus (Ruth) James MacDonald — When You Don’t Know What to Do (Psalm 25) Conrad Mbewe — The Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:1-8) Matt Chandler — Youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8) Mike Bullmore — God’s Great Heart of Love toward His Own (Zephaniah) D. A. Carson — Getting Excited about Melchizedek (Psalm 110)
From the experience of the Israelites during the exodus, to the cryptic words about Melchizedek in the Psalms, here are 8 helpful examples of successful approaches to preaching the gospel from the Old Testament by some of the most skilled expositors of our day.
There are individuals that believe that Jesus appears for the first time as He is presented in the Gospels and Acts then straight on through Revelation. D. A. Carson has provided us a Bible study that shows us that Jesus is there from the very beginning and in this book works through eight different books. For me this is an exciting study as I was always thrilled when my pastor taught on Jesus represented in “Types and Shadows” in the Old Testament. Now Mr. Carson and seven other authors display Him in eight books of The Bible. ”The Scriptures Testify About Me” is not a book that should be rushed through, if you do you will miss all the flavor of these teachings. ”The Scriptures Testify About Me” also is not a book that will be read once and then put on the shelf. On the contrary it is a book that will be referred back to over and over again. I liked this book a lot and recommend it highly! I think you will enjoy it as well and give it as gifts to your friends and loved ones. They will enjoy it and always remember you every time they read it.
You can find “The Scriptures Testify About Me” at a discount at http://www.deepershopping.com/item/ca...
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Crossway. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
February 22, 2021
This book - WOW! I can't say enough good things about this book. First, you must understand it's really a collection of sermons transcribed. Secondly, their focus is on Christ in the Old Testament, and this is where I became hooked. Here and there I'd been intrigued by coming across Christ in the OT, but it wasn't a serious focus for me. This book awakened a new hermeneutic for me, as well as a true heartfelt passion for this arena of study.
June 3, 2013
Originally posted in angelroman
According to the book itself, the content its a transcription of some plenaries given at The Gospel Coalition conference back in 2011, the main topic was "Preaching Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament".
Each chapter belongs to a different "author", so one can expect a lot of writing styles through the book. Some of the chapters make allusions about the conference giving an odd effect when it's read.
I chose this book because I believe, as the first chapter states, that the Old Testament is losing importance in our churches. Many preachers, not only in America but around the world, are using the Old Testament only as a source for moral guidelines and/or happy stories for Sunday morning school while the person of Jesus is taught only from the Gospels.
Most of the chapters do a great job pointing to Jesus, some of them only make a final statement or reference about Him, while others chapters are read as a bible study, giving more details. I specially liked the teachings from Tim Keller, James MacDonald and D.A. Carson.
There's a note in the preface about what "The Scriptures Testify about Me" it's not, and definitely is not a comprehensive study or biblical commentary on "how to preach" or "finding Jesus in the whole Old Testament". If you're looking for something deeper and detailed, then this book it's not for you. But it's a really good book for those who want to start reading the Bible in a different light.
I received this for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
According to the book itself, the content its a transcription of some plenaries given at The Gospel Coalition conference back in 2011, the main topic was "Preaching Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament".
Each chapter belongs to a different "author", so one can expect a lot of writing styles through the book. Some of the chapters make allusions about the conference giving an odd effect when it's read.
I chose this book because I believe, as the first chapter states, that the Old Testament is losing importance in our churches. Many preachers, not only in America but around the world, are using the Old Testament only as a source for moral guidelines and/or happy stories for Sunday morning school while the person of Jesus is taught only from the Gospels.
Most of the chapters do a great job pointing to Jesus, some of them only make a final statement or reference about Him, while others chapters are read as a bible study, giving more details. I specially liked the teachings from Tim Keller, James MacDonald and D.A. Carson.
There's a note in the preface about what "The Scriptures Testify about Me" it's not, and definitely is not a comprehensive study or biblical commentary on "how to preach" or "finding Jesus in the whole Old Testament". If you're looking for something deeper and detailed, then this book it's not for you. But it's a really good book for those who want to start reading the Bible in a different light.
I received this for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
July 16, 2013
From chapter one,
The entire Scriptures--and Jesus was referring specifically to the Old Testament--bear witness to Jesus. In other words, Jesus said, in effect, "You cannot read those words without reading of me. You cannot read the Law without reading of me. You cannot read the History without reading of me. You cannot read the Psalms without reading of me. You cannot read the Prophets without reading of me." (18)
I love the Bible, and I love the Old Testament. I know some readers don't take the time to read or try to understand the Old Testament, but, for me it's worth it. There are treasures to be found in discovering what the Old Testament has to say about Jesus Christ. This book highlights eight examples of Christ in the Old Testament. The first chapter, "Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus," serves as the introduction to the concept of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. The scriptural foundation is John 5:31-47. The remaining seven chapters are drawn from the Old Testament. The passages highlighted include: Exodus 14:1-31, Ruth, Psalm 25:1-22, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8, Zephaniah, Psalm 110:1-7.
The Scriptures Testify About Me is a collection of sermons or a collection of essays. Each writer has their own style or their own voice. Some chapters meant more to me than others. Some I felt were really strong and persuasive, others not quite as much. What all writers have in common is a passion for the Word of God, a zeal for making Christ known to their audiences.
The entire Scriptures--and Jesus was referring specifically to the Old Testament--bear witness to Jesus. In other words, Jesus said, in effect, "You cannot read those words without reading of me. You cannot read the Law without reading of me. You cannot read the History without reading of me. You cannot read the Psalms without reading of me. You cannot read the Prophets without reading of me." (18)
I love the Bible, and I love the Old Testament. I know some readers don't take the time to read or try to understand the Old Testament, but, for me it's worth it. There are treasures to be found in discovering what the Old Testament has to say about Jesus Christ. This book highlights eight examples of Christ in the Old Testament. The first chapter, "Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus," serves as the introduction to the concept of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. The scriptural foundation is John 5:31-47. The remaining seven chapters are drawn from the Old Testament. The passages highlighted include: Exodus 14:1-31, Ruth, Psalm 25:1-22, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8, Zephaniah, Psalm 110:1-7.
The Scriptures Testify About Me is a collection of sermons or a collection of essays. Each writer has their own style or their own voice. Some chapters meant more to me than others. Some I felt were really strong and persuasive, others not quite as much. What all writers have in common is a passion for the Word of God, a zeal for making Christ known to their audiences.
November 27, 2013
This book is based upon the national conference for the Gospel Coalition in 2011 in which the topic was on how to preach Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament. I purchased this book because of the name D.A. Carson, who was the editor; I also wanted to see how other preachers expound on Jesus from the Old Testament. The quality of each chapter was mixed—depending upon the contributor. The two chapters that stood out were the first and the last one. Al Mohler begins the book by laying the foundation concerning studying the Scriptures and finding Jesus. Mohler’s chapter was basically an exposition of John 5:31-47. D.A. Carson wrote the last chapter on Melchizedek in Psalm 110 and he did a superb job of illuminating our understanding of Jesus fulfilling in Psalm 110 in light of antecedent theology and later revelation in the book of Hebrews. I thought Carson’s contribution was a good example of an exposition on the Old Testament pointing towards Jesus with careful biblical theology. It is an example for other pastors and teachers to emulate. Personally, the weakest chapter in the book was by James MacDonald. MacDonald’s treatment on Psalm 25 seems to me to be more of a running commentary; even then I felt I learned more about MacDonald but not necessarily of how Psalm 25 bears witness to Jesus. Some of the chapters I think some of the preachers could have done a better job connecting the dot to Jesus. I was expecting the book to have more emphasis on the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament pointing towards Jesus. Overall an edifying read.
June 24, 2014
Very good book... Très bon livre.
Une compilation d'enseignements donnés à une conférence The Gospel Coalition. Ce livre nous encourage à anticiper l'arrivé du rédempteur dans notre étude même de l'Ancien Testament, à partir du verset où Jésus dit: Les Écritures mêmes témoignent de moi (faisant référence à l'Ancien Testament. L'Ancien Testament n'est pas mauvais en comparaison au Nouveau Testament. Au contraire l'Ancien Testament introduit le Nouveau Testament. D'autre part, le Nouveau Testament explique l'Ancien. Un livre à lire pour obtenir une brève perspective de l'anticipation du Messie promis à partir des tous premiers versets de la Bible, allant du récit de la mer rouge, aux Psaumes en passant par les petits prophètes!
Une compilation d'enseignements donnés à une conférence The Gospel Coalition. Ce livre nous encourage à anticiper l'arrivé du rédempteur dans notre étude même de l'Ancien Testament, à partir du verset où Jésus dit: Les Écritures mêmes témoignent de moi (faisant référence à l'Ancien Testament. L'Ancien Testament n'est pas mauvais en comparaison au Nouveau Testament. Au contraire l'Ancien Testament introduit le Nouveau Testament. D'autre part, le Nouveau Testament explique l'Ancien. Un livre à lire pour obtenir une brève perspective de l'anticipation du Messie promis à partir des tous premiers versets de la Bible, allant du récit de la mer rouge, aux Psaumes en passant par les petits prophètes!
October 13, 2016
Decent collection of sermons from The Gospel Coalition's 2011 national conference. Carson's sermon on Melchizedek is definitely the highlight of the volume. Keller is also very good on the exodus from Ex. 14, as is Alistair Begg on Ruth (although far too brief). James MacDonald on Psalm 25 and Mike Bullmore on Zephaniah were okay (Bullmore being slightly stronger). Conrad Mbewe on Jeremiah 23 was just so-so. And then you have Matt Chandler on Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8. Terribly weak. I don't know how he sells so many books or attracts so many congregants. His style is chatty and his meat, well, lean.
I guess I wouldn't recommend this book unless you wanted to brush up on Melchizedek. And who doesn't?!
I guess I wouldn't recommend this book unless you wanted to brush up on Melchizedek. And who doesn't?!
December 23, 2013
On the Emmaus road, Jesus reveals to two of His disciples how the entirety of the Old Testament is, in actuality, about Him. Following in the tradition of that moment (as well as the rest of the New Testament), these authors present glimpses of Christ in the OT, revealing Him as not just a shadowy figure on the fringes, but the very inspiration of the words and events recorded there—words and events pointing to Him.
January 16, 2016
Although the Scriptures testify of Jesus, this book doesn't. Even though each author gives a good commentary on the passage assigned to him, the majority fail to connect Christ to the Old Testament in a meaningful way; many of them talk of moral characteristics and then apply them to Jesus. Given the level of scholarship the contributors in this book have I was extremely disappointed.
June 25, 2013
This book is a collection of sermons about seeing Jesus in the OT.
Most of the chapters in this book are extremely helpful, a couple were pretty dull.
Overall I am glad I read this book and would recommend it to any person studying typology and NT use of the OT.
Most of the chapters in this book are extremely helpful, a couple were pretty dull.
Overall I am glad I read this book and would recommend it to any person studying typology and NT use of the OT.
June 26, 2013
A really good sampler of different sermons focused on how the OT speaks of Christ. I appreciated seeing the different perspectives and methods all committed to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
April 7, 2017
Some solid chapters in this book which is composed of misc sermons turned into essays.
January 8, 2014
This is a collection of sermons that have been transcribed into a book. The expositions are great! Worth reading for personal edification and for learning to see the gospel in the Old Testament.
February 26, 2016
There has been a resurgence in understanding that the Scriptures Testify of Christ...all of them. This book is a great demonstration of how that is the case.
March 14, 2020
Cristo é o fim de toda Escritura. Essa pequena coletânea nos encaminha a maneira correcta de pregar uma mensagem cristã mesmo a partir do Antigo Testamento
February 27, 2021
I enjoyed this book so much. Reminders of how Jesus is all over the Bible not just in the New Testament. This book had different contributors which made it more impactful.
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