Reading the Old Testament in Antioch

✍ Scribed by Robert C. Hill

• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 234
• Series: Bible in Ancient Christianity
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In the period between the councils of Nicea and Chalcedon in the fourth and fifth centuries, the faithful in the churches of the ecclesiastical district of Antioch were the beneficiaries of the ministry of the Word from distinguished pastors. Included in this ministry were homilies on the Old Testament by John Chrysostom and written commentaries by his mentor Diodore and his fellow student Theodore, and later by Theodoret. Though the biblical text was admittedly Jewish in origin, "the text and the meaning are ours," claimed Chrysostom; and the great bulk of extant remains reveals the pastoral priority given to this often obscure material. Students and exegetes of the Old Testament and its individual authors and books will be introduced here to Antioch?s distinctive approach and interpretation by commentators reading their local form of the Greek Bible. In the course of this survey, readers will gain an insight also into Antioch?s worldview and its approach to the person of Jesus, to soteriology, morality and spirituality.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface......Page 9
Abbreviations......Page 11
1. Tradition of the faith in Antioch......Page 15
A. Antioch a privileged community......Page 16
B. Antioch in fourth and fifth centuries......Page 17
C. Pastors of the Antioch churches......Page 19
D. Literary and philosophical education in Antioch......Page 21
E. Faith formation in Antioch......Page 24
2. The canon of the Old Testament in Antioch......Page 33
A. A Christian collection of Jewish books......Page 34
B. An Antioch canon......Page 37
C. A canon within the canon......Page 38
3. Antioch's concept of scriptural revelation......Page 41
A. Revelation in word and writing......Page 42
B. Authors and works divinely-inspired......Page 45
C. Mantic possession or the Spirit's guidance?......Page 46
D. A theology of the revealing Word......Page 49
E. An obscure revelation......Page 53
F. Revelation Old and New......Page 57
4. The text of the Old Testament read in Antioch......Page 61
A. Availability of a biblical text......Page 62
B. The Hebrew text a closed book......Page 64
C. Antioch commentators' biblical text......Page 68
D. Origin and character of the Antioch text......Page 71
5. Exegetical skills and resources in Antioch......Page 77
A. Establishing and critiquing a text......Page 78
B. Authorship and text history......Page 88
6. Old Testament commentary in Antioch......Page 99
A. Psalms......Page 100
B. Prophets......Page 106
C. Octateuch, historical books, Song of Songs......Page 114
7. Antiochene approach to the task of commentary......Page 121
A. Diodore......Page 122
B. Theodore......Page 126
C. John Chrysostom......Page 131
D. Theodoret......Page 137
8. Interpreting the Old Testament in Antioch......Page 149
A. A distinctively Antiochene approach......Page 150
B. The primacy of the historical sense......Page 153
C. “The letter killeth”......Page 164
D. A legitimate search for other meanings......Page 168
E. Where lies the truth?......Page 173
9. Theological accents in Old Testament commentary......Page 181
A. Trinitarian accents......Page 183
B. Christological accents......Page 186
C. Moral accents......Page 191
10. Pastoral and spiritual guidance......Page 197
A. The preacher and his congregation......Page 198
B. The commentator and his readers......Page 200
C. An asceticism without mysticism......Page 203
A. A commitment to pastoral care......Page 209
B. A belief in the Old Testament......Page 211
C. Accounting for Antioch's approach......Page 212
Select Bibliography......Page 217
General Index......Page 225
Index of biblical citations......Page 229
Index of modern authors......Page 233