Jason S. DeRouchie, Understanding and Applying the Old Testament: The Old Testament for Christians (Cruciform, 2026).
Dr. DeRouchie believes the Old Testament is Christian Scripture, and this second book in a trilogy is designed to help Christian laypeople gain skill in interpreting the English Old Testament with care, ever with an eye to treasuring Christ. Understanding and Applying Jesus’s Bible is an abridgment of his How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament (P&R Publishing, 2017), yet it does more. In five chapters covering Text > Context > Observation > Meaning > Application (TCOMA), DeRouchie leads laypeople through eleven steps to interpreting Jesus’s only Bible and then guides them through English Bible exercises, step-by-step.
Tested on both high schoolers and church laypeople, this book would be a great instruction tool for upper-level homeschoolers, early college students, or church small groups or training classes. It concludes with an illustrative answer key to all the exercises.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Preface
Introduction: A Journey of Discovery and Encounter
1. Text: What Is the Makeup of the Passage?
2. Context: Where Does the Passage Fit?
3. Observation: How Is the Passage Communicated?
4. Meaning: What Does the Passage Mean?
5. Application: Why Does the Passage Matter?
Conclusion: A Final Word on Journeying in the Dark
Practice Exercises on the Eleven Steps
Illustrative Answer Key to the Practice Exercises
“People often ask me how they can grow in understanding the Bible when seminary is not an option. Understanding and Applying Jesus’s Bible provides exactly what those of us who don’t know Hebrew and Greek need to take a huge step forward in our learning. This book not only provides instruction on using the tools such as genre, grammar, and context, but also demonstrates clearly and effectively how to use these tools.” —Nancy Guthrie, Bible Teacher; Author, Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series
“I think Jason DeRouchie would be happy if I said that this book is designed to move us from revelation through rigor to rapture—from the sacred Word of God, through the serious work of reading, to the satisfaction of knowing and enjoying God…. I recommend this book if you have a wanderlust for exploring ancient treasures. There are many, and they are great. DeRouchie will show you how to find them.” —John Piper, Founder and Teacher, Desiring God; Chancellor and Professor of Practical Theology and Biblical Exegesis, Bethlehem College & Seminary
“Many Christians struggle with how to understand the Old Testament and apply it to their lives today, but this work removes the fog and makes the Old Testament come alive for Christians…. Jason DeRouchie has given us a real gift, and I highly recommend this work for anyone who is serious about the study of Scripture and desirous of seeing God’s Word proclaimed, taught, and obeyed.” — Stephen J. Wellum, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Editor, The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
