"If all you know is the New Testament, you do not know the New Testament"--so the late New Testament scholar Martin Hengel is reputed to have said. According to the Scriptures considers the way the New Testament writers utilized the Jewish Scriptures in order to describe, articulate, and evaluate the death of Jesus, taking Hengel at his word. What Old Testament texts are quoted in the New Testament, how are they used, and what might such analysis mean for the (contemporary) reader? Focusing in particular on the passion narratives in the Synoptic Gospels, According to the Scriptures seeks to engage with these questions. It will provide a useful new framework for thinking about why the early Church understood Jesus' death in terms of the Scriptures, what difference that understanding made, and what relevance that might have for us as we seek to make sense of the death of Jesus. "It goes without saying that the doctrine of salvation is at the center of our faith, but in general too much gets said and written without reference to the Old Testament. In fact, the passion narratives make many references and allusions to the OT which, when examined in this book, greatly enhance our understanding. As an aid to sermon preparation or leading study groups, or just for interest, this book is highly recommended." --Marion Gray, The Reader, Winter edition "This study of the appropriation and influence of OT texts on NT references to Jesus' death is very much worth noting. The author shows an impressive acquaintance with scholarly studies. The discussion is detailed and Allen threads his way carefully through the often difficult exegetical issues that result from the often indirect and allusive use and sometimes novel appropriation of OT texts. Recommended." --Larry Hurtado+, emeritus professor of New Testament language, literature, and theology, Edinburgh University David Allen teaches biblical studies modules and New Testament Greek at the Queen's Foundation in Birmingham and is academic dean within the Foundation. He has a particular interest in the letters at the end of the New Testament, notably the Epistle to the Hebrews, and is especially concerned that they get a hearing in the life and practice of the Church. Much of his research concerns the way in which the New Testament uses the Hebrew Scriptures, and the intertextual reading strategies this generates. He is a regular member of the British Old Testament in the New Seminar.