The Old in the New: Understanding How the New Testament Authors Quoted the Old Testament

Book excerpt: Evangelical scholarship has had over fifty years of extensive (and at times, heated) discussion over the usage of the Old Testament in New Testament. However, now with the appearance of Professor Vlach's book THE OLD IN THE NEW: UNDERSTANDING HOW THE NEW TESTAMENT QUOTES THE OLD TESTAMENT, perhaps we have now come to a grand summary of that extensive dialogue. Michael J. Vlach has carefully summarized seven key positions held by various evangelicals (including my own view) and has given a legitimate critique of each view. But more than that, he has also taken up a wide sample of most, if not all, of the passages usually raised on this subject and has given a reasonable solution in Scripture text after Scripture text-in a succinct, but credible manner. I cannot endorse Vlach's work too highly, for I found that he had hit the nail on the head in case after case. In years to come, theological students and pastors will turn to this excellent treatment of this subject and they will find it is exactly what they had been looking for. Thank you, Professor, for carrying out this task so successfully. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, Massachusetts