2024 Fall Faculty Lectures

Dr. Richard P. Belcher, Jr., Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte, will give this year's Fall Faculty Lectures titled The Role of the Davidic Psalms in the Psalter with Implications For How to Understand the Psalms' Relationship to Christ. The lectures are on November 12-13 of this year. 

The traditional approach to understanding the Psalms' relationship to Christ makes a distinction between certain "Messianic psalms" and other non-Messianic psalms. While this helps explain many of the Psalms, it may limit our understanding of how the Psalms as a whole relate to Christ.

Recent scholarship on the role of the Davidic Psalms in the structure of the Psalter, as well as discussions of how the New Testament uses the Old Testament, provides a foundation for a broader and more comprehensive approach to the question of Christ in the Psalms. These lectures will explore moving beyond the traditional Messianic versus non-Messianic view to gain deeper insights into the Psalms' relationship to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Lecture 1 (Nov. 12 @ 1:30 pm)
The traditional approach to the Messianic Psalms has focused on a select set of psalms seen as directly prophetic of the Messiah. However, the apostles in the New Testament often used a wider range of psalms to discuss the life and experience of Jesus Christ, including non-Messianic psalms. This raises the question of whether we can understand the justification for the apostles' use of the Psalms in reference to Christ, and if so, whether we can adopt a similar interpretive approach in our own study of the Psalms and their Christological significance.

Lecture 2 (Nov. 13 @ 8:30 am)
This lecture will explore how the Davidic psalms in the Psalter serve as a foundation for understanding the apostles' use of the psalms. The Psalter tells a broader narrative, with the Davidic psalms playing a pivotal role related to both King David and a future Davidic king. Recent scholarship on the New Testament's use of the Old Testament has emphasized not just direct quotations and allusions but also the significance of biblical language and themes.

Lecture 3 (Nov. 13 @ 10:30 am)
The implications of using the Psalms in reference to Christ will be explored based on how the apostles utilized the Psalms. The focus will be on how David and other psalmists grappled with external enemies and internal fears, which are also reflected in the life of Christ. Beyond that, we can learn how to face our own enemies and fears by studying these examples, as the Psalms not only relate to Christ but are also relevant to how we live our lives.