Introduces the literary form of the Decalogue

During the past two millennia, the Christian church has repeatedly faced challenges to its acknowledgment of both Old and New Testaments as Scripture. None of these challenges has been successful: at the dawn of the third Christian millennium, the Bible contains the same books as it did in the early church, with only slight variations between different traditions. And yet, doubts remain and questions continue to be asked. Do we need the Old Testament today? Is this collection of ancient writings still relevant in our postmodern and increasingly post-literary world? Isn't the New Testament a sufficient basis for the Christian faith? What does the Old Testament God of power and glory have to do with the New Testament God of love whom Jesus calls 'Father'? Are these two very different Testaments really one Bible? In this thoroughly revised, updated and expanded edition of Two Testaments, One Bible, David L. Baker investigates the theological basis for the continued acceptance of the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, through a study of its relationship to the New Testament. He introduces the main issues, surveys the history of interpretation, and critically examines four major approaches. He then considers four key themes, which provide a framework for Christian interpretation of two Testaments in the context of one Bible: 'typology', 'promise and fulfilment', 'continuity and discontinuity', and 'covenant'. He completes his study with a summary of the main conclusions and reflection on their implications for the use of the Bible today.

Any Christian response to today's ever-growing problem of poverty around the globe must be firmly rooted in biblical teaching. While books on various aspects of wealth and poverty in the Old and New Testaments have been published, so far there has been no thorough study of Old Testament law on the topic. David Baker argues here that an understanding of that law is not only fundamental for interpreting the entire Old Testament, but it is also assumed by the writers of the New Testament. Tight Fists or Open Hands? fills this gap in Old Testament scholarship and lays a foundation for considering the relevance of these laws to everyday life in the twenty-first century. The heart of this book is a study of all the biblical laws concerned with wealth and poverty. Baker groups these laws together by topic, considering the similarities and differences between the Decalogue, Book of the Covenant, Holiness Code, and Deuteronomic laws. He then places these in the context of ancient Near Eastern law in order to make clear which attitudes are distinctly biblical and which are held in common with other civilized peoples. Each section of Tight Fists or Open Hands? includes an extended conclusion that summarizes the main ideas, considers relationships with other biblical texts, and points to the significance of the laws for today's world. Such thorough exegesis and modern application make this book relevant to pastors, scholars, and students in a variety of courses.

Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Top Shelf Book Cover Award 2017 The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, have long been a pillar of Western law and culture. In more recent times they have been a point of controversy in the public square. But on closer scrutiny the commandments are particularly addressed to the people of God. In the exodus narrative, their revelation on Mount Sinai is framed in symbols of awe--fire, smoke, and blaring trumpets. To this centerpiece of Sinai, David L. Baker brings his extensive research and reflection. Setting each commandment within its ancient Near Eastern setting, he clearly backlights their cultural profile. Then, within their covenantal framework, he illuminates their biblical-theological meaning. Finally, viewing each commandment in light of our contemporary setting, he reflects on how they cut against the cultural grain and shed light on our pathway as the people of God. The result is a focused commentary on the Decalogue. For anyone studying the Decalogue and Old Testament ethics--students or laypeople, teachers or preachers--this book is an indispensable guide to the "ten words" God delivered at Sinai.