Conclusion to "Why a New Testament?

What is it about?

Conclusion to Levi S. Baker, Why a New Testament? Covenant as an Impetus for New Scripture in Early Christianity, Texts and Editions for New Testament Study 19 (Leiden: Brill, 2025). This chapter concludes the study, summarizing the results of each chapter, outlining the implications of the study, and highlighting areas for further research.

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Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Baker argues that a significant factor that led to the early acceptance of NT writings as scripture alongside the Hebrew Bible (HB) was the connection between covenants and covenant documents. Specifically, given the covenantcovenant document pattern in the HB, since early Christians believed that Jesus had inaugurated the new covenant, they received some of their early writings as the documents of that covenant, to be held alongside the documents of the old covenant (the HB). Thus, an internal impetus––the theological environment of early Christianity––can explain the NT authors’ reception of new scripture alongside the HB.