The 'Church' in the Old Testament: Systematic, Linguistic, and Metaphoric Perspectives

Abstract

The present study looks at the way Old Testament data is used and integrated in recent ecclesiological studies. After a brief look at linguistic connections (looking at the route of MT via the LXX to the NT), it focuses on the important contribution that the study of metaphors can make in this context. As a starting point it highlights the two metaphors of "family" and "body" as important links between the Old Testament and the New Testament, providing a useful conceptual basis for an ecclesiology that is rooted in both Testaments.

Key Words: ecclesiology, Old Testament, family, metaphors, systematic theology, church