The Old Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Mentor's Guide, MG09

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T H E O L D T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

The following questions were designed to help you review the material in the second video segment. We saw in this section that the Messianic prophecies of the OT disclose God’s extension of the promise and blessings of Abraham to the Gentiles , to all who believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah. We saw how the NT uses OT Messianic prophecy in three interrelated ways, in Jesus’ explanation of the OT predictions about himself, in the apostles’ commentary on Jesus’ meaning in the NT writings, especially in the preaching of the book of Acts, and later through the Church’s application of the apostles’ commentary of Jesus’ understanding of the OT. The mystery that was hidden in past ages and times is now revealed through the prophets and the apostles: Gentiles are fellow heirs of the covenant and heirs of salvation. Making the Good News universal for all peoples is one of the great theological foundations of salvation, missions, and ministry. Therefore, you must understand and be able to articulate these truths in every phase and portion of your ministry. Carefully review the key points covered in the last section by answering the questions below. 1. To begin with, what should we expect to find if we engage in a serious, exegetical study of OT Messianic prophecy about the relationship of God’s promise to Abraham and his desire to save the Gentiles? Explain. 2. What are the three critical movements in the NT’s use of OT Messianic prophecy? How do these help us understand the primacy of Jesus’ views regarding the meaning and application of the OT to himself? Explain. 3. Explain carefully how the Abrahamic covenant promise was universalized to all nations, how it was brought out in the apostolic citations of the “mystery” that has been unveiled in this age through the apostles and prophets (cf. Rom. 16.25-27; Eph. 3.1-10; Col. 1.25-27). What clues of this mystery are given in the actual prophecies about the coming Messiah and his work? 4. What are some of the various strands of OT Messianic prophecy that the apostles referred to and understood to represent that God’s salvation is meant for all peoples , and not merely for the physical descendants of Abraham? 5. How do the apostles’ preaching of OT Messianic prophecies in Acts and their instruction about them in the Epistles reveal their developing understanding of Gentile inclusion in the faith? What were some of the more important citations they referred to on this theme?

Segue 2

Student Questions and Response

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