Understanding the Old Testament with Dr. John Walton (podcast)

Many of us find the Old Testament difficult to understand. Some find it incomprehensible, and some find it difficult to square with our modern sensibilities. We wonder if the Old Testament is irrelevant. Or we try to understand it and find it so confusing that we give up trying to read it.

Our guest is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars of this generation. John Walton has spent his career engaging deeply with the Old Testament’s text and understands the ancient context in which it was written.

His latest book is Old Testament Theology for Christians: From Ancient Context to Enduring Belief (InterVarsity Press, 2025). In it, he invites us to leave our modern, and even our inherited Christian, preconceptions at the threshold as we enter the world of the Old Testament.

We discuss:

* How the New Testament writers viewed the Old Testament, and the danger of shirking our desire to understand it.

* That since the Old Testament was written for us, it was not written to us. To fully comprehend the way that it is for us, we have to do whatever it takes to join the author’s implied audience. We discuss the importance of delving into both the cultural and literary contexts.

* The Israelites swam in the “cultural rivers” of the Mesopotamian and Egyptian religious ideas. Does this mean that the Old Testament is just a flawed human creation because it was influenced by its Ancient Near Eastern context?

* From the beginning, God’s intention has always been to dwell among his people and to be in relationship with them. Not only that, God makes plans and has purposes, and includes humans in his plan as fellow workers. How can this foundational relationship principle help us grasp all the stories of the Old Testament?

* As Christians, we think the focus of faith is on salvation and eternal life. Therefore, we define our identity in those terms: “I’m saved and heaven bound.” The Israelites didn’t see it that way. The substance of their faith was something else. What can we learn about authentic faith from their view of their relationship with God?

Scroll down to learn more about John Walton.

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Your hosts are Dr. Bob Robinson and David Loughney. For further resources on reintegrating all of life with God’s mission, go to re-integrate.org.

John H. Walton, Ph.D.

Dr. John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament, emeritus, at Wheaton College and Graduate School. His many books include “The Lost World” series, which includes the influential book, The Lost World of Genesis One. He has written commentaries on Genesis, Job, Daniel, and Jonah. He is also the co-editor (with Craig S. Keener) of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.

Support independent booksellers! We recommend purchasing John’s books from Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts & Minds Bookstore. They are eager to serve God’s people with great books. Order online through their secure server or call 717-246-3333. Ask for 20% OFF by mentioning that you heard about these books on the Reintegrate Podcast!