The New Testament Church U SE OF O LD T ESTAMENT S CRIPTURES

The New Testament Church

USE OF OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES

THE NEW TESTAMENT—THE SOLE RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE

• Under the authority of Christ– “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke

in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”{Hebrews 1:1,2}

• “But I say unto you…”– “But I say to you that whoever…”{Matthew 5:22}

• “Under the Law of Christ”– “To those who are without law, as without law (not

being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ)…”{1 Corinthians 9:21}

– The New Testament fulfills and supersedes the Old Testament

OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES CANNOT BE RECOGNIZED AS

AUTHORITATIVE TODAY

• Old Covenant was taken out of the way:– “For He Himself is our peace, who has made

both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” {Ephesians 2:14-16}


AUTHORITATIVE TODAY

• Old Covenant was taken out of the way:– “Having wiped out the handwriting of

requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” {Colossians 2:14-17}


AUTHORITATIVE TODAY

• Old Covenant was taken out of the way:– “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become

dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” {Romans 7:4-6}


AUTHORITATIVE TODAY

• Christ the Mediator of a new Covenant which we live under today:– “But now He has obtained a more

excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.” {Hebrews 8:6,7}

MEDIATOR OF NEW COVENANT

• Law changed with the priesthood.

• “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” {Hebrews 7:12}


• Christ the surety of a better covenant.

• “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,... by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.” {Hebrews 7:18,22}


• Imperfections of the Old Covenant erased by the New Covenant.

• “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.” {Hebrews 10:1


• Imperfections of the Old Covenant erased by the New Covenant.

• “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” {Hebrews 10:9,10}


• New Covenant made effective after death of Christ.

• “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.” {Hebrews 9:15-17}


• To justify ourselves in anything in the Old Covenant is disastrous!

• “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” {Galatians 5:1-4}

HOW SHOULD SCRIPTURES OF OLD TESTAMENT BE USED?

• As evidence of divinity of Christ:– “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We

have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” {John 1:45}

– “Then He said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”{Luke 24:44}


• As evidence of divinity of Christ:– “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of

Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”{Acts 2:22-24}


• As evidence of divinity of Christ:– “Men and brethren, let me speak freely

to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.” {Acts 2:29,30}


• As evidence of divinity of Christ:– “You search the Scriptures, for in

them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”{John 5:39}

– “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”{Acts 10:43}


• Exemplifying principles of righteousness:– “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”{Hebrews 12:1,2}


• Witnesses:– Abraham– “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was

called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”{Hebrews 11:8-10}


• Witnesses:– Patience of Job– “Indeed we count them blessed who

endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”{James 5:11}


• Witnesses:– Courage of Elijah– “And Elijah came to all the people, and

said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.”{1 Kings 18:21}


• Witnesses:– Failure of Saul– “Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great

delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.” {1 Samuel 15:22,23}


• To give us hope:– “For whatever things were written before

were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” {Romans 15:4}

– “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.” {1 Kings 8:56}


• To give us hope:– “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the

earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.” {Joshua 23:14,15}


• Warn us of consequences of disobedience:– “Therefore we must give the more earnest

heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.” {Hebrews 2:1-3}


• Warn us of consequences of disobedience:– “Of how much worse punishment, do you

suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” {Hebrews 10:29-31}


• Warn us of consequences of disobedience:– “But with most of them God was not well

pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted... Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” {1 Corinthians 10:5,6,11}

FROM OLD TESTAMENT—TWO LESSONS OF IMPORTANCE

• God always rewarded and blessed those who obeyed Him.

• God condemned and punished those who were disobedient.– God’s word is steadfast and we cannot

afford to change or alter it!

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The New Testament Church U SE OF O LD T ESTAMENT S CRIPTURES