I’ve been reading Chris Wright’s book Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, and have been enjoying it quite a bit. I’m usually on par with everything that has been said thus far, and really enjoyed the chapter on prediction and promise. At one point in the book, Wright discusses 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
and how both the death and resurrection of Christ is “according to the Scriptures.” I enjoyed what he had to say about it, but would like to bring the question to you all.
Where in the Scriptures is the death and resurrection of the Messiah found?
Paul usually uses this term for the Old Testament Scriptures, which I assume is the meaning here, but he also uses it in a quotation of the Gospel of Luke. In 1 Cor 15, is he talking about the Old Testament, or the possibly the Gospels? If the Old, where is it and how should we look to understand how Christ fulfills them? If the New, and Paul wrote 1 Corinthians between 51-55 AD, what does this say about our dating of the Gospels (particularly whichever Gospel we hold in priority).
5 Responses
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It’s unfortunate nobody’s commented here, Bryan - I was looking forward to the discussion. I assume that Paul was referring the the OT, and I’ve heard about the death and resurrection being according to scripture, but I’m not aware of the verses myself. I assume they’re in the latter prophets.
Damian-
I agree. I was hoping for some good discussion
I’ll wait to see if anyone else jumps in before I give my answer, which, if you know Jim Hamilton’s answer and (as far as I can tell) Christopher Wright’s answer, then you know mine. I’ll give it a day or two.
I haven’t read Wright’s answer, but I am wondering if Paul understood fulfilling the Scriptures as meaning a particular quotation, or a theme seen through the Christ-event (like Matthew re-reading Israel’s history through the life of Christ)?
Brian
I take it that Paul is utilizing a theme, particularly the theme of events that occur with the mentioning of 3 days. Certainly, the Servant Songs, as read through the NT, point to Christ being Israel himself, while also ministering “to” Israel. I think it’s this that is in view.
Wright points, correctly I think, to Hosea 6
:1ef, which says:
“After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us
that we may live in his presence.”
Originally national in scope, he links it to Jesus’ identity as Israel, in that in his “restoration” on the third day there is fulfillment, but there is also fulfillment in that the mission to the Gentiles starts after the national restoration, and that is what we see in the early church in Acts.
Bryan,
From the research that I’ve done on this question, the “according to the Scriptures” phrase in 1 Cor. 15:3,4
has reference to the Old Testament Scriptures as a whole, not necessarily one particular Scripture.