Week 16

Biblical Typology — Seeing Shadows Without Losing the Story

Typology concerns the responsible interpretation of how God designed historical Old Testament persons, events, and institutions to foreshadow New Testament realities.

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Key Terms

Type & AntitypeThe pattern (type) and its corresponding fulfillment (antitype); a real historical Old Testament reality that previews a greater New Testament fulfillment
ForeshadowingThe predictive nature of a type looking forward to Christ and His redemptive work
CorrespondenceThe genuine, substantive points of resemblance between two biblical realities
HeighteningThe principle that the New Testament fulfillment always exceeds the Old Testament shadow
RestraintThe interpretive discipline of not finding Jesus in every detail, protecting against eisegesis

Key Concepts

  • A type is a real historical person, event, or institution that serves as a God-ordained preview of a greater New Testament reality
  • A 'story first' methodology ensures the original historical meaning is honored before searching for deeper connections
  • Responsible identification follows five criteria: Resemblance, Historical Reality, Prefiguring, Heightening, Divine Design

Scripture Focus

Romans 5:14 Hebrews 9:1-14 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 Colossians 2:16-17

Learning Objectives

  • Identify proof-texting in popular Christian culture and explain how context corrects the misuse of familiar verses
  • Develop the reflex of reading the full paragraph and chapter before drawing conclusions about what a verse means
  • Evaluate popular Bible quotations and memes by checking them against their original context

Resources

Download the companion handout for this lesson to review key terms and concepts offline.

Download Lesson Handout (PDF)