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The Meaning of the Old Testament's Ceremonial Laws
In this excerpt from the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas shows, through the use of typology, how the sacrificial offerings of the Old Covenant prepared the human mind and heart for the sacrifice of the New Covenant in the cross and Eucharist of Jesus. See, too, St. Gregory the Great's letter to Abbot Milletus, which explains how the sacrifices of the Old Covenant are replaced by the feasts of the New.
The Importance of the Covenants
An excellent overview of God's covenants in Scripture by a Protestant scholar, R.N. Brinsmead.
We also recommend highly Brinsmead's Christ The Meaning of All Scripture, Life and History which explores
- The Historical Pattern of the Old Testament
- Christ, Meaning of Old Testament History
- Prophets and Law
Introduction to the Biblical Covenants
A 1999 edition of the Master's Seminary Theological Journal. While these will be helpful to advanced Catholic students, they do reflect a number of Protestant assumptions about Scripture and salvation history and should be used with caution. (.pdf files, requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.) Includes:
- Noahic and Priestly Covenants
- The Abrahamic Covenant
- The Mosaic Covenant
- The Davidic Covenant
- The New Covenant
- Bibliography of Works on the Covenant.
The Meaning of Covenant
An interesting article on human and divine covenant-making in the Scriptures.
The Covenantal Structure of the Bible
Rev. Ralph Allan Smith provides a good overview of the covenants of the Bible. Keep in in mind that this is a Protestant approach and hence doesn't reflect the Catholic understanding that the Church is the fulfilmment of the covenants of the Old Testament. With that caveat, the work is still very helpful for understanding the covenant makeup of the Bible. Also helpful is Rev. Smith's:
- Trinity and Covenant
- Adam, Noah and the Kingdom
Covenant, Treaty and Prophecy
A brief look at the relationship between biblical prophecy and covenants and those of the Ancient Near East.
The Law and Freedom in the Old Testament
A good look at the foundations for understanding the Law as an expression of both God's will and God's divine "attributes and essence." From a symposium hosted Concordial Theological Seminary on "The Law in Holy Scripture." (.pdf files, require free
Other helpful contributions from this symposium:
- Delighting in the Good Law of Yahweh: An Old Testament Perspectives
- The Torah Story: Identity or Duty as the Essence of the Law
- Luke, Jesus and the Law