Date

5-1-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)

Chair

David Maas

Keywords

Peter, Torah, NT use of OT, Bible, Theology, Biblical theology, Sensus plenior, typology, Second Temple Judaism

Disciplines

Religion

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to answer an unasked research question: How did Peter use the Torah? The findings help fill a hole in scholarship on the NT’s use of the OT and provide practical guidance to the modern church as it struggles to use the Law appropriately. The question was answered by conducting a Bible exposition of every Petrine use of the Torah, which totaled 20 pericopes. The research assumed that Peter wrote or significantly influenced the Petrine corpus, comprised of 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and all the words Peter spoke in the canonical Gospels and Acts. The research question was answered through five paradigms, each representing a critical aspect of describing the NT’s use of the OT: original context, sensus plenior, typology, interpretive environment, and replication. Additionally, every Petrine use of the Torah was classified on a spectrum of echo-allusion-quotation-citation.

Each Petrine pericope’s detailed classification, Bible exposition, and five paradigms were synthesized to create a useful Petrine profile highlighting several notable insights. First, Peter was generally aware and respectful of the original context of the Torah. Second, Peter’s use of the Torah was significantly influenced by his time with Christ and God’s spoken word to Peter (i.e., the Transfiguration and Acts 10). Third, Peter dynamically interacted with his interpretive environment, showcasing similarities and differences. Lastly, Peter’s use of the Torah can be replicated by Christians today and should inform their use of the Law.

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