7 What wind orientation controls Palestine’s weather? What is Jerusalem’s average weather around the time of Passover (late part of April)? Describe the setting of a typical house and family in a small town of Galilee during the adolescent days of Jesus 10 What was the average education of Hebrew children? IV HOW TO APPROACH THE NEW TESTAMENT It is very helpful in New Testament studies to be acquainted with the setting, which has been discussed in the preceding pages It is also helpful and even necessary to have the right approach in studying the New Testament Without the right approach and clear guideposts, valuable time can be lost when studying the testament’s many historical facts, theological doctrines, and end-time prophecies Also, one might become discouraged and confused over di cult or obscure portions of the text But those pitfalls can be avoided in various ways, some of which are discussed below As guideposts, they help the Bible student keep on track whenever he makes detailed, analytical studies of the Bible text Those guideposts will reappear in the later survey studies of the individual books of the New Testament A VIEW THE NEW TESTAMENT AS THE FULFILLMENT AND INTERPRETER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT The Old Testament pointed forward to the New Testament, and so when passages in the latter look “Old” (e.g., lamb sacri ce, Sabbath, Temple), it should not surprise or confuse us Every New Testament reference to the Old is natural, sound, and necessary If you are convinced of that, you will feel at home in all passages that refer back to the pre-Christian era Such passages include (1) prophesied events of Christ’s life and His ministries; (2) applications of the Old Testament’s doctrines of sin and salvation (e.g., in the book of Hebrews); and (3) prophesied events of end-times (e.g., about Israel) This approach to the New Testament rests on the foundation that both testaments are the one Book, the Bible In that Book is the story of God revealing more and more of Himself and His redemptive work to men Norman Geisler writes of this: Christ at once sums up in Himself the perfection of the Old Testament precepts, the substance of Old Testament shadows, and types, and the ful llment of Old Testament forecasts Those truths about Him which bud forth in the Old Testament come into full bloom in the New Testament; the ashlight of prophetic truth turns into the oodlight of divine revelation.40 Such an approach supports the principle that a knowledge of the Old Testament is one of the best preparations for a study of the New Testament How does the accompanying diagram illustrate the relationship of the New Testament to the Old? B SURVEY THE NEW TESTAMENT ... later survey studies of the individual books of the New Testament A VIEW THE NEW TESTAMENT AS THE FULFILLMENT AND INTERPRETER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT The Old Testament pointed forward to the New Testament, ... of the Old Testament is one of the best preparations for a study of the New Testament How does the accompanying diagram illustrate the relationship of the New Testament to the Old? B SURVEY THE. .. Himself the perfection of the Old Testament precepts, the substance of Old Testament shadows, and types, and the ful llment of Old Testament forecasts Those truths about Him which bud forth in the Old