The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith

The heart of the Christian faith rests upon the confession "Jesus is Lord," yet faithful Christians sometimes overlook the fact that the Lordship of Jesus is firmly rooted in the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. Moreover, knowing Jesus more fully entails knowing the story of God's salvation that was planned before the foundation of the world. Modern readers tend to forget that the declaration "before Abraham was I am" underscores the continuity between the promise to Abraham and its fulfillment in Christ. Acquiring a basic understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments with respect to salvation's drama will enrich every reader's faith and appreciation for the Scriptures. Modern readers tend to forget that the declaration "before Abraham was I am" underscores the continuity between the promise to Abraham and its fulfillment in Christ. Acquiring a basic understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments with respect to salvation's drama will enrich every reader's faith and appreciation for the Scriptures.

Paul J. Achtemeier is the former Herbert Worth and Annie H. Jackson Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia. He has served as the past president of both the Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association. He has authored a number of books, including 1 Peter (Hermeneia), and is the general editor for the Harper Bible Dictionary.

Elizabeth Achtemeier (1926-2002) was adjunct professor of Bible and homiletics at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. She authored a number of books, including Nature, God, and Pulpit and Preaching from the Old Testament. She was an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA).