Jesus and Scripture: The Impact of Jesus's Use of the Old Testament in the Non-pauline Epistles (Foundations in New Testament Criticism)

An integration and exploration of the two key sources of authority for New Testament writers: Jesus, and Scripture.

For the New Testament writers, the Old Testament scriptures and the teachings of Jesus were key sources of authority and influence. When these influences are considered alongside each other, each can illuminate the other, deepening the New Testament writers' presentation of Jesus and our understanding of their interpretations. In Jesus and Scripture, Tom Parker examines the way in which Hebrews, James, and 1 and 2 Peter deal with these two different sources of authority, how they relate to each other, and what shifts have occurred historically and theologically within the writing of these texts.
Treating the four epistles methodologically, Parker examines the particular ways in which each writer draws on the Hebrew scriptures. Ultimately, he argues convincingly that the nascent Jesus tradition, particularly via oral routes, influenced the way the Old Testament was processed by these various New Testament writers.

Tom Parker is Pastor at Chesterfield Community Church. His PhD, completed at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, focused on the use of the Old Testament in Hebrews, James and 1-2 Peter. His previous publications include Teaching 2 Peter (2023), as well as several journal articles.