Old Testament Narrative & History¶
We've crafted an unofficial, source-cited, non-commercial index of Dr. R.C. Sproul's publicly available teachings, weighted by how many independent sources corroborate each point. The content is authored by Dr. R.C. Sproul and published by Ligonier Ministries (a few items are third-party YouTube re-uploads); see the Methodology & Rights page for more info. Quotations are brief, linked to their source, and reproduced for study under Ligonier's Copyright Policy (ligonier.org/copyright-policy). This site is humbly offered for personal use only, out of love and respect, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ligonier Ministries or St. Andrew's Chapel.
49 positions — 0 corroborated across multiple sources.
Further positions¶
Drawn from a single high-trust (official transcript) source.
The prophet Ezekiel taught that God judges every person based on their own sin, not the sins of their ancestors.
The prophet said that God treats every person according to his own sin. He doesn’t punish me for what my father did, nor does he punish my son for what I did, although the consequences may spill out into three or four generations.
Source: Is It Just That in Adam All Die? (Ligonier article)
The primary function of Old Testament prophets was forthtelling, which means declaring God's Word to their contemporary time and generation, rather than merely predicting future events.
Though the Old Testament prophets as agents of revelation are popularly conceived as being principally men involved in foretelling, that is, predicting future events, in reality the emphasis of their activity was involved in forthtelling. Forthtelling meant that they were declaring the Word of God to their own time and to their own generations.
Source: Covenant Prosecutors (Ligonier article)
The prophet's role was to serve as the conscience of the nation, warning the people and kings when they strayed from the ethical structure.
When the state and the people in it wandered from the ethical structure of the nation, it was the prophet who would prick the consciences of the people and of the kings.
Source: Covenant Prosecutors (Ligonier article)
True prophets were those who received a divine summons to stand alone against the crowd and against false prophets.
The true prophets were those who usually met with God alone in the wilderness and were given a divine summons to stand against the crowd and against the false prophets.
Source: Covenant Prosecutors (Ligonier article)
The opening chapters of Genesis are considered historical narrative because they contain elements like genealogies, real historical places, and a non-metered style.
On the one hand is a discussion of the creation of a man and a woman who are given names that thereafter appear in genealogical accounts. In Hebrew literature this clearly signals historicity. The garden of Eden is said to be set among four rivers, two of which we know were real rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates. The style of writing is not metered or rhythmic, as Hebrew poetry normally is. All this indicates that the opening chapters of Genesis are historical narrative.
Source: The Creation Doctrine in Reformed Theology (Ligonier article)
The biblical writers recorded historical events that they personally witnessed and experienced through their senses.
Peter said the Apostles didn’t proclaim clever myths but what they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears (2 Peter 1:16). The biblical writers tell us about actual events in history that they experienced.
Source: Faith Has Its Reasons (Ligonier article)
Critical scholars rejected all predictive prophecy and anything supernatural, reducing the Bible to merely a human book.
The Bible was the favorite target of this assault, by which critical scholars rejected all predictive prophecy and anything that smacked of the supernatural, reducing the Bible to just another human book of the ancient world.
Source: The Liberal Agenda (Ligonier article)
Biblical history shows that prophets and Jesus were persecuted and executed for speaking out against injustice and calling the culture to righteousness.
And for calling the culture of their day to righteousness every one of those prophets faced hostility, bodily harm, and death. Why was John the Baptist beheaded? Because he called attention to the immorality of the king, and the unjustness and illicit basis of his marriage.
Source: Principles for Voting (Ligonier article)
Throughout history, prophets consistently challenged secular authority and spoke God's criticism to the nation.
You read the pages of the Old Testament and you read the history of the prophets. You see a king like Ahab using the power of his secular authority to confiscate the personal private property of neighbors. And nobody says a word until Elijah risks his life to declare it unjust and call him to task.
Source: Principles for Voting (Ligonier article)
The narrative account of Balaam's ass is a historical narrative, not a piece of poetry, which affects how it should be interpreted.
The problem with that, however, is that the account of Balam's ass does not take place in the broader structure or the literary form of poetry. It takes place in a passage that is marked by all of the normal characteristics of what we call historical narrative, with a certain soberness to it.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
A key characteristic of historical narrative is that it cites real temporal situations, facts of location, and facts of time.
That is to say that the Gospel comes to us citing real life temporal situations, facts of location and of time. That is a characteristic of historical narrative.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:42
Historical narratives typically appear in prose form and are characterized by elements like genealogies and references to real time, space, and people.
but normally, historical narrative comes in a prose form. Another tip-off to real history is the presence of genealogies, those lists and catalogs of generations: so-and-so begat so-and-so begat so-and-so that begat so-and-so.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:17
The various prophetic titles and roles associated with the Messiah—such as King, Judge, High Priest, and Suffering Servant—all converge in the life and work of Jesus Christ.
Yet what we find in the New Testament is that every one of these individual strands converge in the symmetry of the life and the work of Jesus Christ.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:50
The title 'prophet' is not a downgrade from being the divine Son of God, as there is no conflict in the New Testament between Jesus holding the office of prophet and being the Son of God.
And we need to get over that because there is no conflict in the New Testament between Jesus holding the office of prophet and being the Son of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:26
When the Bible describes history, events, and people, it uses a type of language that describes things as they appear to the naked eye, known as phenomenological language.
it uses a kind of language that we can call the language of appearances, or descriptive language; or the more technical term for it is what we call phenomenological language. Phenomenological language just means language that describes things the way they appear to the naked eye.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:12
The purpose of historical narratives, such as the story of Abraham, is to teach about the nature of trusting faith in a sovereign God, not to test God's omniscience.
The point of the narrative is to reveal to us the nature of real trusting faith in a sovereign God, to tell us of the test of Abraham, not of the test of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:02
The apostles interpreted the narrative events to mean that all people, including non-Jews, were to be included as full members of the body of Christ.
In other words, the significance the apostles derived from the narrative events was that all of these people are to be included as full members in the body of Christ, the very opposite conclusion which is drawn from twentieth century neo-Pentecostal theologians
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:52
The patterns of history recorded in the Old Testament intersect with secular history, specifically regarding the establishment of grain storage facilities.
Now, here is incidentally one of those places where the patterns of history recorded in the Old Testament intersect secular history. We know that in fact there was a severe famine around this time in Egypt and that the Egyptians had the foresight to establish huge storage places like grain silos to store up the food for the eventuality of the famine.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:51
Jesus used the prophetic oracle of woe when denouncing the Pharisees, and Jeremiah used a similar repetitive structure to highlight their hypocrisy.
Jesus, when He gave His scathing denunciation of the Pharisees, prefaced His words of judgment using the Old Testament prophetic oracle by saying, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and once you've made him, you make him twice the child of hell that you are yourselves." I mentioned in our first session how rare it is, in all of Scripture, for anything to be raised to the repetitive level of the superlative, and I said the only attribute of God that's ever repeated to the third degree is the attribute of holiness: holy, holy, holy. But it's not the only thing that is repeated to the third degree. Jeremiah the prophet, when he went and gave the judgment of God before the Temple of the Jews, he said to them, "You people come here, and you say, 'This is the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord.'"
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:43
After the Old Testament prophets, God entered a period of silence lasting four hundred years before the coming of John the Baptist.
After many prophets had come to speak God’s Word to the people of Israel in the Old Testament, suddenly, after Malachi, God became silent—not for a year, not for ten years, but for four hundred years.
Source: The Angel & Zacharias (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Jesus warned that religious leaders, such as scribes and Pharisees, are hypocrites who will face greater condemnation.
Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.
Source: The Destruction of Jerusalem (Ligonier)
Historically, great figures like Athanasius and John Owen demonstrated that they contended for essential gospel truths even when facing great opposition.
No single individual in church history fought longer and harder for the church’s affirmation of the full deity of Christ than did Saint Athanasius in the fourth century, who was exiled time after time because of the Arian heretics who sought to destroy him.
Source: Faith Triumphs in Trouble (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The Gospels provide narrative accounts of events, while the Epistles interpret the meaning or significance of those events.
In the New Testament, the Gospels give us mostly narrative, and the Epistles give us didactic literature; that is, the Epistles interpret the narrative. The Gospels tell us what happened, and the Epistles tell us the meaning or significance of what happened.
Source: The Genealogy of Jesus (Ligonier)
The clergy have historically been the most violent enemies of God, often acting as hypocrites who are exposed by the genuine truth.
Throughout the ages, the most violent enemies of God have been the clergy. It was the false prophets of Israel and corrupt priests of Israel who devoured the people and were strangers to the covenant.
Source: If It Is of God (Ligonier)
Jesus taught that a prophet is generally not accepted in his own country.
Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
Source: Jesus Rejected (Ligonier)
The speaker justifies speaking on political issues from the pulpit by citing historical examples of prophets challenging rulers and governments.
The office of preacher and the office of prophetic criticism is well-attested throughout the whole of Scripture, beginning with Moses when he told Pharaoh, “God says, ‘Let my people go,’ because what you have done in your government of Egypt is wrong.”
Source: John Preaches (Ligonier)
The dramatic language used by prophets regarding God's judgment is often figurative and has historical precedents in other contexts.
There is a biblical precedent for the use of figurative language with respect to the coming judgment of God upon the nations.
Source: Christ Coming in Glory (Ligonier)
Critical scholars have assumed the text is a doublet (a repetition error) because of the many similarities between the two feeding narratives.
Many critical scholars have assumed just that about the text for the simple reason that there are so many similarities between this narrative and what we found already in the story of the feeding of the five thousand.
Source: The Feeding of the Four Thousand (Ligonier)
Differences in details within the biblical text, such as the number of people, the type of fish, or the location, indicate that the narrative is a separate account, not a copyist's error.
We also see a different word for “fish” in this situation, which takes place in gentile territory in the Decapolis, where the audience is almost certainly gentiles rather than Jews. It takes place in an area that specialized in the fishing and selling of a certain kind of fish, sardines. That’s the word that is used here. In the feeding of the five thousand, it was generic fish, not sardines.
Source: The Feeding of the Four Thousand (Ligonier)
The incident has been a source of confusion for scholars because it appears that Jesus overreacted to the fig tree for not bearing figs when it was not the proper season.
The passage that I just read to you is one that has vexed scholars over the centuries because, on the surface, it seems that Jesus overreacts to this poor, innocent fig tree for not bearing figs when it wasn’t even the season for figs.
Source: The Fig Tree and the Temple (Ligonier)
The scribes were criticized for using their status and long prayers to deceive and exploit vulnerable people, particularly widows.
Jesus said, “Watch out for the scribes, because they devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.”
Source: The Scribes and the Widow (Ligonier)
The rabbis focused on the Messiah's roles as a king, shepherd, and liberator, but they overlooked the element of suffering and shame.
All of these elements are intricately woven together, but the one element that the rabbis completely left out of the tapestry was the element of suffering and of shame.
Source: Taking Up the Cross (Ligonier)
The rabbis missed the point that Old Testament prophecies, such as Psalm 22 or Isaiah 53, could apply to the Messiah as a single person.
They did not conceive of applying Psalm 22 or Isaiah 53 or any of the servant prophecies of Isaiah to the Messiah. They thought they applied to the nation of Israel that went through all kinds of affliction and suffering, but never that those would converge in one person who would be the royal Messiah at the same time.
Source: Taking Up the Cross (Ligonier)
John the Baptist was a prophet who was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, and he was the herald who would usher in the Messianic era.
He is a prophet, yes, but he is more than a prophet. He is the prophet, the herald of the Messiah, the one who would usher in the Messianic era.
Source: Message from John the Baptist (Part 1) (Ligonier)
John the Baptist is considered the greatest prophet, even when compared to the great prophets of the Old Testament.
I’ll respond, “No, the greatest prophet is John the Baptist.”
Source: Message from John the Baptist (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Paul's confrontation with the false prophet was direct and accusatory, rather than gentle or subtle.
Paul looked at the man and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?”
Source: Paul at Cyprus (Ligonier)
Paul's preaching style involved giving a comprehensive overview and historical summary of God's plan of redemption, starting with the patriarchs.
He gave a capsule summation of the history of redemption, beginning with the patriarchs.
Source: Paul's Sermon at Antioch (Ligonier)
The entire historical narrative presented by Paul, from Abraham to Saul, was intended to point toward the significance of David.
Everything in Paul’s sermon that began with the promise to Abraham and the fathers and came down to Saul was pointing to one significant thing, and this is what we need to understand. Paul was bringing his hearers up to date with respect to David.
Source: Paul's Sermon at Antioch (Ligonier)
Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, which was followed by the rooster crowing and Peter weeping bitterly.
But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Source: Peter's Denial (Ligonier)
Luke wrote his account not merely as a believer, but also as a historian, taking care to trace the story from the beginning.
He was writing not just as a believer, but as a historian. He was basically saying, “I’ll take great care to trace the story from the beginning, from those who were there, to include in my account things that either I or other people whom I have interviewed saw.”
Source: A Second Account (Ligonier)
The accusers used false witnesses to accuse Stephen of blasphemy against Moses and God.
They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
Source: Stephen on Trial (Ligonier)
Stephen's defense before the leaders was a comprehensive overview of redemptive history, paralleling Jesus' teaching on the road to Emmaus.
Stephen’s rehearsal of Jewish history was set before the leaders in Stephen’s defense.
Source: Stephen on Trial (Ligonier)
The leaders of Israel repeatedly failed to follow God's guidance, culminating in the killing of the prophets.
Later, God sent them the prophets, and they killed the prophets. This litany went on, and Stephen’s rehearsal of Jewish history was set before the leaders in Stephen’s defense.
Source: Stephen on Trial (Ligonier)
Stephen's historical account was designed to show the leaders that they were repeating the pattern of their fathers by killing the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah.
Stephen asked a question: “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers.”
Source: Stephen on Trial (Ligonier)
The speaker asserts that the religious leaders are guilty of rejecting and building tombs for the prophets who were killed by their own fathers.
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.
Source: Woes to Hypocrites (Ligonier)
The religious leaders were complicit in the rejection and murder of prophets, including the supreme prophet.
Jesus said, “You built these tombs to honor the prophets, the same prophets that your fathers murdered.”
Source: Woes to Hypocrites (Ligonier)
The woman's perception that Jesus was a prophet stemmed from the fact that he knew her entire life and exposed her sin.
Because she had just met a man who knew her entire life. He went right through the façade, penetrated right to her heart, and exposed her sin right then and there.
Source: The Woman at the Well (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The Apostles were the charismatically endowed leaders in the New Testament, comparable to the Old Testament prophets.
In the New Testament, the charismatically endowed leaders of the Christian community were the Apostles. They were on the same level as the Old Testament prophets.
Source: Who can administer the sacraments? (Ligonier Q&A)
Studying history is crucial because those who refuse to do so are destined to repeat past mistakes.
those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.
Source: Why should Christians study history? (Ligonier Q&A)