That Scripture Might Be Fulfilled: Typology and the Death of Christ,
Paul M. Hoskins
(Xulon Press: 2009, 200pp.),
reviewed by Richard C. Barcellos
Paul M. Hoskins has done all of us a great favor in publishing That Scripture Might Be Fulfilled: Typology and the Death of Christ. Not only has he provided readers with a brief, compelling introduction to typology (chapter 1), he has exemplified careful, clearly argued typological interpretation (chapters 2-6). The first chapter is worth the entire book. The subsequent chapters provide a feast of interpretive morsels that will go a long way in understanding how the NT reads and applies the OT. Hoskins is among many others in our day who are renovating an old hermeneutical practice that endured hard times due to abuse and rationalizing tendencies smuggled into Evangelical hermeneutics and an over-reaction to the critical method. I applaud him.
Chapter 1 lays the methodological foundation for the rest of the book. Hoskins defines typology as follows:
Typology is the aspect of biblical interpretation that treats the significance of Old Testament types for prefiguring corresponding New Testament antitypes or fulfillments. Events (like the Exodus), persons (like David), or institutions (like the Temple) are common categories for Old Testament types. This definition brings together three related characteristics of the relationship between a type and its antitype. First, an Old Testament type prefigures its New Testament antitype. Second, in order to prefigure its antitype, a type possesses certain significant correspondences or similarities to its antitype. Third, as the fulfillment or goal of the imperfect type, the antitype will be greater than the type that anticipated it. (20)
Hoskins is quick to acknowledge that typology assumes “a basic understanding of God’s work in history and of the inspiration of the Scriptures” (20-21). God is both revealing himself as redeemer and “tracing in that very work patterns or types that prefigure his later saving work in Christ, the church, the end events, and the New Jerusalem” (21).
An important question Hoskins asks and answers briefly is “How does the New Testament help us to understand typology?” (23). Hoskins answers:
The authors of the New Testament provide the inspired examples of typology, which go back to the teaching of the apostles and their teacher, Jesus himself. Therefore, the most important guide for discerning genuine types and for tracing out typological relationships is the New Testament. (23)
Since the NT utilizes typology, then the typological interpretations in the NT are “the best place[s] to learn about typology” (24).
Hoskins properly acknowledges “that the New Testament provides many examples of typology at work, but it does not provide a list of guidelines as to how typology works” (24). In other words, what kinds of controls ought an interpreter to use and where do those controls come from? He offers three: the OT use of the New (25); the history of interpretation (25); and stating relationships between types and anti-types as strong as, and only as strong as, it can be found in Scripture (26). Further explaining this last control, he says:
Just because the New Testament draws correspondences between a type and antitype in one or two areas, this does not mean that one needs to stretch to find a whole series of detailed correspondences between them. For example, a number of Church Fathers were fascinated with Joseph typology. Some of them assumed a detailed typological relationship between the story of Joseph in Genesis and the life of Jesus, rather than starting with the New Testament hints of a more restrained Joseph typology. A better place to start would be with Joseph, the father of Jesus (Matthew 1-2), or Stephen’s words about Joseph in Acts 7:9-16, 51. A more modest picture of the possibilities for Joseph typology emerges from these texts. (26-27)
This is very sane advice. Just recently, I read this in William J. Dumbrell’s The New Covenant: The Synoptic Gospels in Context:
Like the patriarchal Joseph, this genealogical Joseph by whom Jesus’ Davidic ancestry may be affirmed vv. 20-25, had a father named Jacob. He also experienced revelation in dreams, guided by the requirements of the Torah, demonstrated high moral principles, and laid the foundations for Israel’s future by a timely descent into Egypt. Both also operated on the eve of God’s great movement to redeem Israel.” (19-20)
This seems to be the kind of relationships between type and anti-type that Hoskins is talking about.
Another crucial question asked and answered by Hoskins is “Does typology extend beyond that which is explicitly indicated by the New Testament?” His answer is a carefully qualified yes. He argues that the NT does not alert us “that typology is necessary to understand a given Old Testament quotation or allusion. The New Testament does not appear to hold to such a guideline, especially in the case of allusions” (25). Various terms are used by the NT to indicate the presence of typology, for instance – type (Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 11:6, 11; Heb. 8:5); antitype (1 Pet. 3:21; Heb. 9:24); shadow (Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1); true (Jn. 1:9; 4:23; 6:32; 15:1; Heb. 8:2; 9:24). But these terms are not always used, especially with allusions to the Old Testament, where some degree of typological correspondence can be established (cf. the example of Joseph above and the rest of Hoskins’ book).
For sake of brevity, let me say that I highly recommend this book. The first chapter is foundational; the subsequent chapters are theory put into practice. The book provides food for the soul and a good model for others to emulate.
Dr. Richard Barcellos is associate professor of New Testament Studies. He received a B.S. from California State University, Fresno, an M.Div. from The Master’s Seminary, and a Th.M. and Ph.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Dr. Barcellos is pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA. He is author of Trinity & Creation, The Covenant of Works, and Getting the Garden Right. He has contributed articles to various journals and is a member of ETS.
Courses taught for CBTS: New Testament Introduction, Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology I, Biblical Theology II.
