Abner Chou, The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers (Kregel Academic, 2018), 256 pp.
Reviewed by Jonathan Seed
How did the apostles interpret the Old Testament? Consider Matthew’s understanding of Hosea 11:1. The gospel writer clearly read the phrase “out of Egypt I have called my son” as a reference to a future event, namely the return of Christ from Egypt during his infancy. It is often claimed that Matthew interpreted this phrase in a way that was entirely foreign to the original author. This is just one text among many where the apostles are accused of a dynamic, at times even symbolic, understanding of the Old Testament. Abner Chou’s work provides a detailed analysis of the most difficult texts in question and shows a unified hermeneutic among all the biblical authors. In a day when postmodern, deconstructionist interpretation of literature has permeated our education systems, it is of utmost importance that we learn to interpret biblical texts in the same way the biblical authors themselves did. If you enjoyed David Gooding’s “Riches of Divine Wisdom,” you will find this volume an excellent companion.
