The Six Utilities of the Old Testament
Lapide's systematic enumeration of six benefits of the Old Testament: (I) it establishes faith, (II) it is richer in content than the New, (III) the New cannot be understood without it, (IV) it surpasses the New in allegorical richness, (V) it provides figures, examples, and maxims, (VI) it served as forerunner to the New.
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
-
I. The Old Testament Establishes Faith
— The Old Testament establishes faith: from it we know creation, the immortal soul, original sin, the Cherubim, paradise, God's providence.
"the Old Testament, just like the New, establishes faith. Whence, I ask, do we know the world's beginning, creation, and Creator, unless because by faith we believe that the ages were fashioned by the word of God?"
-
II. The Richness of the Old Testament
— The Old Testament is far richer than the New: abundant ethics in Proverbs, politics in Moses's judicial laws, oracles in the Prophets, history from the founding of the world.
"the Old is far richer than the New. You may see abundant ethics in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Ecclesiasticus: admirable politics in the deeds and judicial and ceremonial laws of Moses"
-
III. The New Testament Cannot Be Understood Without the Old
— Without the Old Testament the New cannot be understood: the Apostles and Christ frequently cite it.
"without the Old Testament, the New cannot be understood: the Apostles and Christ frequently cite it, and still more frequently allude to it"
-
IV. The Old Testament Surpasses the New in Allegorical Richness
— The Old Testament surpasses the New in allegorical richness because it everywhere has allegorical, anagogical, and tropological senses.
"in this the Old Testament surpasses the New, because the Old everywhere has, besides the literal sense, an allegorical sense, and often also an anagogical and tropological one: the New almost lacks the allegorical"
-
V. Figures, Examples, and Maxims from the Old Testament
— God provided that from the Old Testament one might draw figures, examples, maxims, and oracles for every instruction of an honorable life.
"from the Old Testament one might draw so great a variety of figures, examples, maxims, and oracles, not only for faith, but for every instruction of an honorable life"
-
VI. The Old Testament as Forerunner to the New
— The Old Testament was a prelude and forerunner to the New, bearing testimony to it like John the Baptist to Christ.
"the Old Testament was a prelude to the New, and bore testimony to it, just as St. John the Baptist did to Christ the Lord"