In 2011, I was sitting in a seminary class when another student shared that G.K. Beale’s New Testament Biblical Theology was freshly placed on the shelf in the seminary bookstore. Without a second to pass, my professor literally sprinted out of class. About 3 minutes later, he came walking back into class with a brick of a book. Of course, as soon as class ended, I went and purchased the book and continued my love for studying the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
A couple of years later, at another seminary, I took a class with Ben Gladd. As a student of Beale himself, I continued swimming in the waters of Biblical Theology, particularly with a fresh lens of interpreting the New Testament with a mind and heart full of the Old Testament. These two men have guided my view of the Scriptures for the last 15 years, and the CSB Connecting Scripture New Testament is a diamond that will reflect the glory of Christ for years to come.
Structure
Sometimes the fruit of decades of rigorous study is a simplicity passed on to others. The crown jewel of this New Testament is the color-coded system. Every direct Old Testament quotation is in blue font, making clear that the particular New Testament author is purposely quoting that verse(s) in its entirety. Now, this is where it gets most rewarding: every Old Testament allusion is in green, helping readers see and understand what the New Testament author has in mind. For those who are aware of the number of Old Testament allusions in the New Testament, this will serve as a gift, saving the amount of time studying where certain allusions come from. For those unaware of the significant number of allusions, this will be like taking the red pill in The Matrix, opening eyes, heart, and mind to the unveiling of Christ.
One quote, at the introduction to the book of Revelation, demonstrates this: “Revelation is the capstone of biblical prophecy, with more references to the Old Testament than any other book in the New Testament. This book paradoxically includes more references to the Old Testament than it has verses, and John continuously echoes and alludes to Old Testament sources, often by combining two or more snippets of Old Testament within a single verse” (493).
What I have found to be the fruit of reading the Bible this way is a type of transport into the hearts of the Apostles, often leading to my heart burning inside of me (Luke 24:32).
Study Notes
Sometimes, even with the help of the color-coded quotations and allusions, it can be hard to grasp how a New Testament author is using the Old Testament. Thankfully, there is a team of pastors/scholars that aid the reader with study notes. These notes help guide the reader through the context and use of the Old Testament quotation of verse, giving the reader a fuller understanding of the flow of each particular Gospel, Historical Narrative, or Epistle. I found these notes to be incredibly helpful.
Articles
Throughout the CSB Connecting Scripture New Testament, there are 2-page articles on Biblical Theology themes. These are written by Biblical Theology scholars like Beale and Gladd, as well as other men whose hearts burn within them. Some of these themes include The Kingdom of God, Resurrection, Mystery, Image, and Marriage. My favorite article was Priest, by Matthew Emadi (436-437). The most significant part of these articles is that readers will get a vision for how to see these themes that run from Genesis to Revelation, demonstrating the minds and hearts of the Apostles’ teaching that was passed down from Christ himself (Luke 24:44-47)
Critique
I truly loved reading this Bible. I will keep reading it. I don’t think I can exaggerate how important I think this work is, especially for the layperson. However, there was one area where I believe this resource falls short: The Old Testament isn’t included. I think I understand some potential reasons, and I also believe they are working on a version with the Old Testament included, but it felt like an extra step to have to have two Bibles open all the time. Of course, that is not a bad thing, and may just be a personal preference, but I do think a complete Bible would make the study of the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament a bit easier.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a resource that is the fruit of decades of labor. I was thrilled when it came out, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it in its entirety. My heart truly burned within me as I had one foot in the Old Testament and one foot in the New Testament. The joy and transformation that come from such labor are worth the time one can and should put into reading this Bible.
Old Testament Allusions 