John Calvin's Exegesis of the Old Testament

by David Lee Puckett

John Calvin's reading of the Old Testament was a departure from that of many of his contemporaries. He rejected much of the traditional Christian exegesis of the Old Testament that attempted to to explain it in terms of the New Testament revelation of Christ. He also rejected much of the traditional Jewish exegesis of the Old Testament that favored a more so-called historical approach to the writings. Instead he offered a middle way to interpret the Old Testament scripture with respect to both traditions. David Puckett examines this often-neglected area of study of John Calvin's exegetical reasoning in this comprehensive and fascinating analysis. The Columbia Series in Reformed Theology represents a joint commitment by Columbia Theological Seminary and Westminster John Knox Press to provide theological resources from the Reformed tradition for the church today. This series examines theological and ethical issues that confront church and society in our own particular time and place.

Genres: Christian, Biblical Studies

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Tony Lee Ross Jr.]

Puckett explains how Calvin adopted a different exegetical method than his contemporaries when it came to understanding the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. Long story short, some interpreters were trying way to hard to find Jesus into the Old Testament that they went too far with what exactly were messianic references.

[TJ Ross]

It is interesting to note what John Calvin thought of the Old Testament not just because he was an influential figure, but because how he differed from the other prominent reformers and refused to "see Jesus behind everything" in regards to textual interpretation.

[Nick Roark]

Interesting