Light & Heat
The New Testament doesn’t give pat answers about how to interpret or apply Old Testament laws, but invites us to wrestle with the question. Here, Alex Kirk ponders Christ’s fulfillment of the Law. He writes, “The degree stands completed and we are the honorary recipients. We all get to hang the diploma on our wall by faith, all its requirements having been accomplished for us by Christ.”
We can’t help but agree with C.S. Lewis, who said, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” All of us at Tennent are book lovers, and it is largely by reading that we have been shaped to know and love Christ, to engage the world’s great thinkers, to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. From time to time we would like to share a few favorite titles from our own bookshelves for your reading pleasure. Here’s a small sample of books that are fascinating, encouraging, challenging, and lively. Enjoy!
Alex Kirk reflects on one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible. He writes, “The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1–17 stand as a summary and introduction to the law. To unlock their freedom and beauty, we must see that they flow from who God is. God is our system of morality. And he is not abstract. Right and wrong flow from God’s character and promote relationship with him. That’s what the Ten Commandments are about: they liberate you to live with the LORD.”
In Part VI of our series, The Theology of the Pentateuch, Alex Kirk explores what it means for us to know the name of our God. “Christ’s death and resurrection is the ultimate expression of his character, the ultimate display of grace triumphing through justice. This is how he draws us into a relationship. He tells us his name so that he can call us ‘friend’ and we can learn to love like him.”
Third in our series on the Theology of the Pentateuch, Old Testament professor Alex Kirk shares his reflections on an often-overlooked aspect of the Fall: what does it mean that Adam and Eve were “naked and unashamed”? What did it mean for them to become conscious of this? He explains, “After she eats, the Serpent’s words come true but there is a cruel twist. Divine knowledge becomes nothing other than self-consciousness—that sinking feeling that you are on a stage with no clothes on.”
Over the next several months, Alex Kirk will be unrolling a new series for us: The Theology of the Pentateuch. It is just a small preview of our OT 500 course, The Torah, which is a deeper exploration of the foundational Old Testament doctrines of creation, sin, faith, redemption, the character of God, law, holiness, and blessing. We hope this whets your appetite to dig into the first five books of the Bible with fresh curiosity and appreciation.
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