Justin Taylor at The Gospel Coalition recently posted a great article on the New Testament use of the Old Testament. He examines how Paul quotes Deut 25:4 in both 1 Cor 9:9 and 1 Tim 5:18. Moses commanded Israel not to muzzle their oxen while threshing. Paul wants people to pay their pastor. How does the first support the second?
From Paul’s use of Deut 25:4, Taylor argues two key principles to keep in mind when a New Testament author quotes an Old Testament passage:
- Never ignore the original Old Testament context
- Be slow to assume that the New Testament writers are quoting things out of context
These are great principles for Bible study, and Taylor ably demonstrates them from this example. Check it out.
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But sometimes it feels like the NT writers are taking so much out of context. They seem to do it so much. Is there anytime that they do? It is ok to take things a little out of context to make a point in bible study (that does not contradict scripture?)
Can you give any examples?
Galatians 4:24 — How can He just choose to use it allegorically?
Does taking it allegorically mean that he’s necessarily taking it out of context?