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Question 3

Justin Martyr tells Trypho that the Old Testament is “not yours, but ours,” claiming the Jewish Scriptures as Christian Scriptures; what does that ownership claim assume about the church’s identity, and how would adopting that posture reshape the way your group reads “difficult” Old Testament books like Numbers, Chronicles, and the minor prophets?

Another way to ask: When Justin Martyr says the Old Testament is “ours” as Christians, what does that assume about who the church is? How might that change how you read hard books like Numbers, Chronicles, or the minor prophets?

Direct Answer Justin’s claim assumes the church is the rightful heir of the Old Testament because those Scriptures ultimately testify about Christ and belong to Christians for instruction and proof. Adopting that posture would push a group to read “difficult” books expecting “gold… hidden” there—especially connections to Jesus’ work.

Support from Transcript:

Justin to Trypho: “They are contained in your scriptures, or rather, not yours, but ours.”
Chuck underlines this attitude: “These are our scriptures… The Old Testament.”
He warns believers: “don’t neglect any part of the Old Testament… Second Kings… Chronicles, numbers, the minor prophets.”
He calls those sections “nuggets… gold… great treasure hidden in those books.”
He cites Romans 15: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us… written for the Christians.”

Discussion Follow-ups What book do you tend to avoid, and what would it look like to read it asking, “How does this help me understand Christ and the gospel?”

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