Richard Pratt on Teaching 1 Chronicles

Few teachers are rushing to teach the book of 1 Chronicles. Perhaps that's because they have already taught through 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings and so much from these earlier books is repeated in 1–2 Chronicles. But according to Richard Pratt, president and co-founder of Third Millennium Ministries and author of the volume on 1–2 Chronicles in the Mentor Commentary series, to not study these books because of repeated material would be similar to a person not studying Mark or Luke because they’ve already studied Matthew. The Chronicler intentionally diverged from the records of Samuel and Kings to reveal his theological perspectives, and, according to Pratt, this perspective does not take away from the credibility of the book. Rather it serves the purpose of the book, which is to direct his audience to reconsider what they believed about the people of God, about the king and the temple, and about God’s blessings and curses.

Rather than simply thinking of the book as historical chronology, we should also view it as representing an underlying logical argument, a step-by-step effort at persuasion. In this conversation, Pratt talks about how best to handle the first nine chapters of the book (a lengthy genealogy of the twelve tribes), the importance of the term “all Israel” that is used throughout the book, and the unique contribution the book makes to what we understand about the role of music in worship.

Recommended Resources:

• Pratt’s section on 1–2 Chronicles in A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised
• 1 & 2 Chronicles: A Mentor Commentary by Richard Pratt
• ESV Expository Commentary: Ezra–Job, Volume 4
• Who Needs The Chronicles? We Do.
• Knowing the Bible: 1-2 Chronicles, a 12-week Practical Study Series on the Books of 1-2 Chronicles (TGC Course)