It’s time for another Saturday Seminar at Calvary! If you are a Bible Fellowship teacher, part of a Bible Fellowship teaching team, or just love to study the bible, you will not want to miss this training opportunity to learn from one of our Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary professors! Dr. Heath Thomas will be at Calvary Central Campus on Saturday, November 10th from 9am-12noon. Dr. Thomas will be walking us through Amos, Hosea, and Jonah.
Dr. Heath Thomas is Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He earned a Ph.D. in Old Testament from the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham (United Kingdom) and has also done studies at Oxford University.
- Dr. Thomas is a Fellow in Old Testament Studies at The Paideia Center for Public Theology
- Dr. Thomas’ faculty page at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Dr. Thomas recently contributed a chapter on the minor prophets to a volume titled Hearing the Old Testament: Listening for God’s Address (Eerdmans, 2012). Thomas’ chapter has a very helpful section focusing on God’s address to the Twelve (Minor Prophets) which explores the themes of history and theodicy, Israel and the nations, the future hope, and life before God. The end of the chapter is wonderful. Thomas closes out his presentation by focusing on the story of Israel and the story of Jesus. He writes:
The story of Jesus serves as the climax to the story of Israel, as is apparent in the citation of Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15: “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”…a striking portrayal of Jesus as the true Israel, whose sojourn in and departure from Egypt intimates a ‘new exodus,’ during which Jesus proves faithful where Israel had not been. As Israel experienced the wilderness, Jesus too has his wilderness temptation (Matt. 4:1-11). But Jesus – as the faithful son of God (Matt. 4:3-6) and the true, obedient Israel – overcomes temptation and obeys the Father. Ultimately, Jesus as Israel is the Son in whom the Father is well pleased (Matt. 3:17). Readers of the Gospels receive the identity of Jesus and are invited to have faith in the Son and be incorporated into faithful Israel as well. By following him, Jesus disciples constitute the nucleus of eschatological Israel, of which Jesus is king.” (373)
Matt Capps 