by D. Collier Brown
Hermeneutics—the principles by which we interpret the Scriptures—is essential to the foundation of every system of theology. Whether Dispensational Theology (DT) or Covenant Theology (CT) or New Covenant Theology (NCT), each system builds upon specific and unique rules of interpretation which, for the most part, differ from the others and lead to altogether different conclusions. The purpose of this article is to highlight one of the major interpretive differences between these systems by setting forth the primary hermeneutical principle of NCT.
The principle is this—We must interpret the Bible Christologically. In other words, we must view Christ as the central figure of all Scripture, the One who binds the two testaments together, and the One who is foreshadowed in the manifold types and figures of the Old Testament. Our Lord clearly established this principle in Luke 24:13-49. Consider its contents with me and let’s take a hermeneutics class from the Son of God.
The Occasion of the Lesson
The account opens with two of Jesus’ followers walking along the road to Emmaus, located about 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem, just after His crucifixion. Discouraged by what they had witnessed, they accepted defeat and headed for home. While they were discussing the events of the recent days, the risen Jesus joined them (though they were prevented from recognizing Him) and asked what they were talking about. They related the details surrounding the Messiah’s death and expressed their own disappointment with the outcome. This was certainly not what they had understood was supposed to happen.
The Content of the Lesson
Jesus’ response to the two men is striking—He admonished them for their unbelief. Yes, they possessed the Old Testament writings and were familiar with the content of the prophets, but they had not understood nor believed what was taught about His death and resurrection. The Greek word rendered explained (diermeneuo), which means “to interpret” or “to translate,” emphasized their interpretive failure.
After His rebuke, Jesus began with Moses and continued through the prophets explaining all that the Scriptures said regarding Him. Imagine this with me for a moment. Jesus started in Genesis and proceeded book by book through Malachi pointing out and interpreting those passages which made reference to Himself, the Christ. By teaching the correct meaning of the Old Testament, Jesus gave these disciples a lesson in how to interpret it Christologically.
Now remember these men did not know they were speaking with Jesus, yet their hearts responded positively to all that He taught them. For the first time, they truly got the message. They had considered these Scriptures before, but it took a special tutorial from our Lord to give them a proper understanding of what they taught regarding Him. (And the Old Testament Scriptures are literally full of passages about the Lord Jesus.)
Eventually, the Lord not only opened their minds to His Word, but He also opened their eyes to His Person. Filled to overflowing with this new and accurate understanding of the Bible and firsthand knowledge of the risen Christ, the two returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples all that had taken place.
Confirmation of the Lesson
The meeting with the disciples provides the climax to the Emmaus Road event. As the men retold their story, the Lord appeared in their midst and provided convincing proof that He was Jesus, risen from the dead. Then, He instructed them. Listen to His words and observe His action:
These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:44-47).
Once again Jesus employed a discernible principle of interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures, and again He interpreted them Christologically.
Jesus did something more for these disciples (The Twelve minus Judas), He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. In other words, He taught them the meaning of the texts using a Christological hermeneutic and then gave them supernatural ability to comprehend and embrace His instruction in their hearts. Without this divine instruction and divine enabling, even those who had been in His innermost circle for three years would not have correctly interpreted the Old Testament. Thus, a purely historical-grammatical method of interpreting Scripture is not sufficient by itself. As shown in the verses quoted above, Jesus had already spoken these words to them while He was with them, but they neither fully understood nor embraced them. His death and resurrection remained a mystery. Why? Because they did not have an adequate hermeneutic to interpret the passages regarding these events until He was ready to provide it to them.
I have often said that I wish I had been there on the Emmaus Road and could have heard the Lord teach through the Old Testament regarding Himself. It has occurred to me in more recent times, however, that through the apostles’ writings in the New Testament, I have been given access to all that they learned on that occasion and did not miss a thing. What a blessing for every child of God.
Implications of the Lesson
The instruction of Luke 24:13-49 provides us with unassailable evidence that the biblical way to interpret the Scriptures, especially the Old Testament, is Christologically. It teaches us that Christ is the chief interpreter of the Scriptures. The meaning He gives is the important one, the interpretation He gives is the true, accurate, and trustworthy one. It is His understanding of a text, and His alone, that we must concern ourselves with.
This Christological hermeneutic does not always follow the historical-grammatical method of interpretation. While this is certainly the place to start when studying the Bible, it is not necessarily the place to stop. Some texts will never be understood, and may even be misunderstood, if the student gets no further than discerning the historical context and sentence structure of a passage.
Jesus planted the Christological hermeneutic into the soil of His disciples’ hearts so that when they wrote the New Testament and quoted the Old they also taught that Moses and the Prophets spoke of Christ. This is the hermeneutic of the New Testament authors themselves. What this means is that we must look at the Old Testament and understand it through the lens of the New Testament, not the reverse; we must see it Christologically. If we do not follow our Lord’s instructions regarding biblical interpretation, we will end up exactly where the disciples were prior to His resurrection. We will also end up with a wrong hermeneutical system, committing many of the same mistakes made by those who embrace DT and CT.
Jesus Christ is the central figure and theme of both testaments of the Bible; He binds them together. He saves believers in both testaments (through faith in Him). He is the one foreshadowed by the enumerable types, figures, and typologies of the Old Testament. He is the fulfillment of all Old Testament promises in the New Testament as all of the promises of God are “yes” in Him. (See Doug’s article Jesus—the Story of the Old Testment.)
Conclusion
Those who embrace New Covenant Theology understand this Christological truth supported by all of the principles we have observed from Luke 24. We look for Christ from Genesis through Revelation. We see that one must interpret the Old Testament through the New, that one must begin with the New before we look at the Old. Unlike those who embrace the precepts of both DT and CT, we believe that viewing the Scriptures Christologically is the primary hermeneutical principle taught by the Bible itself, and that we must consistently apply it in order to accurately understand God’s Word.
While there are good and godly men in both DT and CT, what matters is what the Scriptures teach and the interpretive rules that can be gleaned from the Word of God. This is what is absolutely important.