DYNAMICS IN THE. NEW TESTAMENT}

 IF ONE STOPS READING THE BIBLE WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT, THERE IS NO SENSE OF INCOMPLETENESS. JEWS FIND IT A COMPLETE AND SATISFYING WORK. AS THE BOOKS ARE ORDERED IN THE HEBREW BIBLE, THE OLD TESTAMENT DOES NOT END. ON A NOTE OF EXPECTATION OR WAITING; THE FINAL BOOK IS CHRONICLES IN WHICH, AS WE HAVE SEEN, SPATIAL IMAGERY WITH GOD'S PEOPLE. CENTERED AT THE TEMPLE DOMINATES OVER TEMPORAL METAPHORS. FROM THAT BOOK'S POINT OF VIEW, THE EXILE IS OVER. AND THE CHOSEN PEOPLE ARE ONCE AGAIN AT-CENTER IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. IF HOWEVER, ONE CONTINUES READING INTO, THE OLD TESTAMENT-- THE NEW TESTAMENT---- WITHOUT ITS TEXT CHANGING--- IS TRANSFORMED INTO A BOOK OF PROMISES AND SCENES OF WAITING EXPECTATION WHICH ARE FULFILLED IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. THE OLD TESTAMENT LOSES IT'S AUTONOMY AND BECOMES  SUBORDINATED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT, WITHIN THE HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS THE PROCESS OF SCRIPTURAL USURPATION  DOES NOT END WITH CHRISTIANITY. ISLAM SUPERSEDES CHRISTIANITY, AND BAHAI SUPERSEDES ISLAM. THE BIBLE WHICH WE ARE CONCERNED, HOWEVER, IS THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE. THAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH FULL RECOGNITION THAT EVEN THE TERMS "OLD TESTAMENT" AND " NEW TESTAMENT." ARISE IN A CHRISTIAN CONTEXT. THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CONTINUES THE LINE OF THE COVENANTAL PEOPLE LIVING IN DIALOGUE  WITH GOD. ISRAELITE RELIGION WAS NEVER MONOLITHIC. PROPHETS, PRIESTS, KINGS, AND WISE MEN WERE ALL CHANNELS OF THE DIVINE WORD, AND THEY DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH EACH OTHER. IN THE PERIOD FROM 4OO B.C. TO 2OO A.D.., HOWEVER, THE CENTERS OF CONFLICT WITHIN THE RELIGION SHIFTED. CONFLICT BEGAN TO REVOLVE AROUND THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE. CHRISTIANITY AROSE AMONG PEOPLE INFLUENCED BY APOCALYPTIC EXPECTATION. THERE WERE OTHER JEWISH SECTS OTHER THAN CHRISTIANITY, WHICH HAD A STRONG APOCALYPTIC BIAS;  THE ESSENE COMMUNITY AT WADI QUMRAN IS A NOTABLE  EXAMPLE. RABBAN YOHANAN ben ZAKKAI (FIRST CENTURY A.D.) REFLECTS THE PHARISAIC STRAND OF JUDAISM IN HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD MESSIANISM. IT IS CAPSULATED IN THE FOLLOWING FAMOUS SAYING:" IF YOU HAVE A SAPLING IN YOUR HAND, AND IT SAID TO YOU, BEHOLD, THERE IS THE MESSIAH, GO ON WITH YOUR PLANTING, AND AFTERWARD GO OUT AND RECEIVE HIM. VARIOUS KINDS OF ELITISM EMERGED AMONG DIFFERENT SECTS. SADDUCEES WILLINGLY ACCOMMODATED TO FOREIGN RULE AND SHARED THE RESPONSIBILITIES O F GOVERNING THE JEWS. AT THE OTHER EXTREME WERE THE SICARII, A RADICAL GROUP OF ZEALOTS, WHO SLIPPED AROUND IN CROWDED AREAS, KNIFING THEIR ENEMIES IN THE BACK. BY THE TIME CHRISTIANITY A ROSE, JUDAISM HAD AN ESTABLISHED BODY OF WRITTEN SCRIPTURE AVAILABLE IN BOTH HEBREW AND GREEK. THE SEPTUAGINT VARIED FROM HEBREW SCRIPTURES IN THE TOTAL, BUT IN EACH THE LAW (PENTATEUCH) AND PROPHETS. WERE THE SAME. INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE THEN BECOMES A SURROGATE FOR CHANGING THE TEXT. WITH JESUS CHRIST AS THE SOLE DISCLOSURE OF GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT A NEW SYMBOLISM OF THE CENTER EMERGES THE CENTER BECOMES WHERE JESUS IS. THROUGH PROPER RELATION TO HIM, MAN FINDS BLESSING PEACE, AND SALVATION.
 THE ONE "AWAY" FROM HIM EXPERIENCES DISTRESS, ALIENATION, AND DAMNATION. AMONG THE MANY STORIES WHICH CREATE THE FIGURE OF JESUS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION NARRATIVES ARE DETERMINATIVE. THEREFORE, THE NEW CENTER BECOMES, MORE PRECISELY, WHERE JESUS THE CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED ONE IS JESUS DIES IN JERUSALEM BECAUSE THAT IS THE CENTER, THE PLACE OF SALVATION. ENTERS THE END OF THE PASSION NARRATIVES IN THE GOSPELS.  JERUSALEM IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THEIR THE CHRIST DIED. CENTER SYMBOLISM THUS SHIFTS TO IMAGES OF THE LAND, JERUSALEM TEMPLE) TO THOSE OF PERSON. THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS ARE ALSO CENTRAL TO THE BIBLE. AMONG THE STORIES IN THE GOSPELS THE CRUCIFIXION  AND RESURRECTION WITNESS AN UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT OF DIVINE DISCLOSURE AND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. THAT TWO FOLD EVENT ALSO FULFILLS SCRIPTURE. IT IS THE NEW EXODUS; (LK. 9:31). IT REENACTS DELIVERANCE IN THE WILDERNESS (JN:3:14); IT IS THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OFFERED BY A PRIEST OF THE LINEAGE OF MELCHIZEDEK ( SEE HEBREWS ) IT IS THE OFFERING OF THE PASCHAL LAMB (1 COR. 5;7).; IT IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT IN DEUTERO-ISAIAH ( ACTS 8:32). THE CENTRAL POSITION OF JESUS DEATH AND RESURRECTION CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT.