One of the most challenging examples of how the New Testament uses the Old Testament is 1 Cor 9:9-10. Not a few notable scholars have deemed this text as a case of non-contextual use of the OT, some even saying that Paul is allegorizing the OT here. The text from 1 Cor 9:8-11 reads:

I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

The preceding context of this passage indicates that Paul is asserting his rights and those of others to be paid for their efforts in the cause of the Gospel. Just as soldiers have a right to be supported and vineyard planters have a right to eat from vineyards (see 1 Cor 9:7), so too, those who “sowed spiritual things” have a right to “reap material things” (9:11).

Joel Rosenberg’s Epicenter Conference 2012 met Sept 12-15 in Albuquerque, NM (www.Epicenterconference.com). A major focus of the conference was on addressing Replacement Theology and its assertion that the church replaced or superseded Israel as the people of God.

There are two sessions I want to draw your attention to. The first is a discussion panel that Joel Rosenberg, Michael Rydelnik, Skip Heitzig, and I participated in. Here we discuss what Replacement Theology is and why it developed. We also address the various forms of this view including the rise of so-called “fulfillment theology.”

The second is a message by Michael Rydelnik who is a professor at Moody Bible Institute. Here he offers a refutation of Replacement Theology from the New Testament. He documents how the NT actually affirms the OT promises to Israel. This is a message that cuts at the heart of the replacement/fulfillment position.

So in addition to the various books by Barry Horner (Future Israel), Ronald Diprose (Israel and the Church), and me (Has the Church Replaced Israel?) that have addressed Replacement Theology, these two videos should be of help as well. Make sure you watch them. Here are the links:

Discussion Panel on Replacement Theology: http://epicenterconference.com/media/videoPlayer/epicenter_2012_panel_discussion

Michael Rydelnik’s refutation of Replacement Theology from the New Testament: http://epicenterconference.com/media/videoPlayer/epicenter_2012_dr._michael_rydelnik

Daniel 7 parallels Daniel 2 in that Daniel had dreams and visions concerning four Gentile powers that will occur before the kingdom of God is established. Yet this chapter gives even more details for the student to ponder.

Daniel’s ministry took place in the context of Israel’s captivity to Babylon. Daniel 2 tells of a coming kingdom of God that will suddenly and decisively crush and replace the reigning Gentile kingdoms. As such it is an important section of Scripture for understanding the timing and nature of God’s kingdom.

If you are interested in issues related to Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology, you might want to check out a video from a January 20, 2012 meeting called "Theology Night with Sinclair Ferguson & R.C. Sproul," sponsored by Ligonier Ministries. (This can be found at Ligonier.org.)

If you are like me you have probably not heard many sermons or messages from Zechariah 8. But this chapter gives some beautiful descriptions of God's coming kingdom when Jesus returns. The chapter begins with God restoring Jerusalem. With "great wrath" and "jealousy" (8:2) the Lord returns to Zion and dwells in Jerusalem (8:3). The great city will have another name—"City of Truth" (8:3).

Last Tuesday (Nov 16) was the 25^th anniversary of the Dispensational Study Group at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Francisco. Craig Blaising, of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, offered a discussion on the validity of labels in distinguishing types of Dispensationalism. Bruce Compton, of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, gave a response to Blaising.

Books on Christian apologetics rarely reference Matt 12:22-29 and Jesus’ encounter with the unbelieving Pharisees, but I believe this passage has some important implications for apologetics. With this study I am not attempting a full explanation of Matt 12:22-29 but I want to address where this

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I begin my sixth year of teaching at The Master’s Seminary. The first five years have flown by, mostly because of the fantastic students at TMS and the great people I work with (both faculty and support staff). The courses I am teaching this semester are:

--Man, Sin, Salvation (Theology 3)

--Apologetics

--NT use of the OT

Because I will be immersed in these courses I will try to post material related to the topics in these courses. So keep coming back to TheologicalStudies.org for more. (Of course, I will still be writing on issues related to eschatology and Dispensationalism.)

I will also post updates on these matters at my twitter account—@mikevlach.

In my two previous blogs I summarized Zechariah 14. Now I want to highlight some key theological implications of this chapter.

First, Zechariah 14 affirms that there is a coming kingdom upon the earth. Verse 9 explicitly states—“And the LORD will be king over all the earth.” God will rule over the planet He created. Eugene Merrill is correct that, “The God who led His people through spatial, temporal history will recreate the