We received a couple of complaints in response to the article “Rightly dividing the word of truth” by Kevin Daly, accusing us of “misrepresenting” Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum.
The article – based on email correspondence between Dr. Fruchtenbaum and the author – dealt with the question of whether the Old Testament should be interpreted in the light of the New Testament or understood independently from the revelation of the New Testament.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum wrote, “A basic problem I see in your hermeneutical principle is you seem to use the New Testament to interpret what the Old Testament says, but I think that is the wrong way to go about it.”
The article was written in response to that premise, questioning the principles of interpretation common among dispensationalists, which Dr. Fruchtenbaum succinctly expressed. Dr. Fruchtenbaum has published his point of view in various publications, books and articles in which he too quotes numerous other Biblical expositors with a view to refuting their teachings and showing forth more clearly his own point of view.
Nonetheless, in the interests of fairness we have decided to publish the full text of the original correspondence below together with the complete 3 part article. Readers may then assess whether Dr. Fruchtenbaum has been quoted out of context or misrepresented.
Dear Kevin Daly:
Thank you for your e-mail letter of November 15, 2007.
Your argumentation you are presenting in your paper is not new to me since I have seen it before in other contexts.
A basic problem I see in your hermeneutical principle is you seem to use the New Testament to interpret what the Old Testament says, but I think that is the wrong way to go about it. Every Old Testament passage must be interpreted as to actually what it means contextually and exegetically in its own context. Once that is established then precede and interpret subsequent revelation about what God gave previously.
Whatever additional information subsequent revelation gives it cannot so totally change what the original revelation says.
Whatever additional information the New Testament gives, whatever it may promise for the church, et cetera, it cannot undo change, rectify the promises already made in the Old Testament specifically for Israel. If it does that then the New Testament becomes a fraudulent document.
We reject other so-called Scriptures such as the Book of Mormon and The Key To The Scriptures because it contradicts what is clearly taught by the revelation found in the Old and New Testament. The same applies to the New Testament. The Old Testament promises a national salvation of Israel, it promises a natural restoration when the Jews will live in peace in the whole Promised Land, and nothing in the New Testament can cancel those divine unconditional promises, and if it does so it becomes a fraudulent document. If it precedes to provide additional information, that is a different issue.
But to interpret the Old Testament by the New means that the Old Testament documents cannot be understood, or the meaning cannot be determined until centuries later when the New Testament came into being and that is just a faulty way to treat the Holy Scripture.
The issue is not what constitutes salvation, salvation is by grace through faith and the content of our faith today is the death of the Messiah for our sins and His resurrection. Nor is there any question when Israel is saved it is saved only because they believed the content of the gospel. But to say what constitutes Israel, and trying to make the Church Israel just carries no biblical warrant and you will not find a single verse that clearly uses the term “Israel” in reference to the Church.
I have also received a letter from Peter Cohen and I will be sending him two of our books, Israelology: The Missing Link In Systematic Theology and The Footsteps Of The Messiah: A Study Of The Sequence Of Prophetic Events. I will be happy to send you both of those books if you send me your mailing address where we can send them to you so you have a better understanding where we stand. Whether you choose to accept it or not you really should be more informed.
In the meantime, with this e-mail I will be sending you in PDF form a copy of our manuscript entitled “The Eight Covenants of the Bible” that will help to spell things out in a clear way though in less detail than the books I am offering you, if you would like to receive them.
Yours for the salvation of Israel,
Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Director
AGF/dcv
