How Does the Old Testament Relate to The New Testament?
How
the Old Testament Relates to the New Testament is a big question for many.
Since Marcion in the 2nd century, many have seen a radical
discontinuity between the testaments. Marcion and his adherents had a hard time
understanding the God of the Old Testament as compared with the Father of Jesus
in the New Testament as well as several other areas of perceived discontinuity.
For Marcion and other groups throughout history the discontinuity could only be
resolved by removing the Old Testament from the Christian Cannon. In contrast, Christianity
has always maintained that the Old Testament retains a very important place in
the Christian Cannon and Marcion’s views and similar views throughout church
history have always been rejected.
There
are many ways to look at the relationship between the two testaments but one of
the most important ways is to understand how the New Testament authors
themselves regarded the Old Testament. In general New Testament authors saw
themselves living in the fulfillment of the Old Testament, a direct line of
God’s revelation and work in the world. So the authors sought to understand
their times through the study of the Old Testament. Furthermore, the New Testament
authors wanted to establish the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles and to do that they
had to show that Christianity was indeed the fulfillment of the Old Testament
scriptures. If they could not show the connection to the Old Testament then
they had no Gospel message at all. When a quick survey of the New Testament
authors thoughts on the Old Testament is done four important thoughts about the
Old Testament emerge from their writing and they will be considered below.
I. New Testament authors
understand the Old Testament as God’s revelation. In other words, God spoke in
the Old Testament and revealed truth. Hebrews 1:1 demonstrates the attitude the
New Testament authors took toward the Old Testament scriptures. The Old
Testament forms the foundation of God’s revelation and now it is being built
upon through Christ and the NT authors themselves. For the New Testament
authors this truth did not pass away but retains permanent value and is to be
studied diligently. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 records this sentiment and also gives
good insight into Paul’s thoughts on the Old Testament as he exhorts Timothy to
continue to study the “sacred writings” and “scripture.” Paul understands all
the scripture to be “God breathed” and useful for teaching, reproof,
correction, training in righteousness, and for finding salvation through faith
in Christ. Interestingly enough, of the fifty-two times “scriptures” are
mentioned in the New Testament every incidence refers to the Old Testament
scriptures. 2 Peter 3:16 is the only exception as it includes Paul’s letters
with the scriptures. When the New Testament church got together to study the
Word of God they studied the Old Testament. Today it is imperative that we,
just like the New Testament authors, think about the Old Testament scriptures as
revelation that is useful for finding salvation and truth about how to live as
Christians.
“To the Old
Testament belongs more fear, just as to the New Testament more delight;
nevertheless in the Old Testament the New lies hid, and in the New Testament the
Old is exposed.”
-St.
Augustine
II. New Testament authors
understand the Old Testament as a record of divine intervention in the world as
lived pictures of God’s truth. This concept is a little harder to grasp, but the
New Testament authors see the Old Testament as enacted truth. This aspect of
the Old Testament is usually categorized under the term typology. Typology is
the way everything in the Old Testament, people, places, events, ceremonies,
cultic practices, holidays, and social positions anticipate and picture what
God was going to do in Christ. Hebrews 10:1, 8:5, and Colossians 2:17 all speak
of the way the Old Testament events and realities shadow the future and fuller
realities that would come in Christ. Similarly these events are for our instruction,
this can be seen in 1 Corinthians 10:6-13. They are still meant to teach us how
to live as believers in Christ. Once the typological nature of the Old
Testament can be grasped, it helps to make sense of the almost hyperbolic
nature of the stories. They are vivid, they are intense, they are shocking
because they are picturing spiritual realities that are to come in Christ. This
does not negate they reality of the events. They did happen, but it speaks to
the majesty of God in prefiguring the life of Christ in the historical events
of a people. As the New Testament authors advise, we need to let these pictures
speak to us and teach us what it means to follow Christ and be the people of
God. Furthermore, we need to study the events of the Old Testament to better
understand what God has done in Christ.
III. New Testament authors
understand the Old Testament to relate to the New Testament in a paradigm of
Promise and Fulfillment. There are many examples of promise and fulfillment between the
testaments, but the biggest example is found in Christ. One of my favorite
passages in the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5:17-18. I love this passage
because it messes with our mind on how we should think about the Law and the
Old Testament. Here Jesus is asserting the value of the Old Testament Law and
says that it is not passing away, but rather He is fulfilling it. As modern
Christians we have to get out of our heads the idea that the Old Testament is obsolete
as soon as Jesus comes. Rather it is fulfilled; it finds its completion in
Christ. We see the same attitude reflected in Romans 10:4. Here Paul speaks
about Christ as the end of the law for anyone who believes. Again the idea is
that the Law has found its completion in Christ. What the Law prefigured has
now come to fruition. I love the picture in Luke 24:25-27 as Jesus talks with
several men on the road to Emmaus and he walks them through the Old Testament
showing how it all speaks about Christ. That is one Bible study I wish I could
have been a part of!
“The ground
and proof of the New Testament is surely not to be despised, and therefore the
Old Testament is to be highly regarded. And what is the New Testament but a
public preaching and proclamation of Christ, set forth through the sayings of
the Old Testament and fulfilled through Christ?”
-Martin
Luther
IV. New Testament authors
believe Jesus validated the Old Testament. In Luke 24:44-47 Jesus mentions that
everything spoken about him in the “Law of Moses and the Prophets and the
Psalms must be fulfilled.” Here Jesus has mentioned the traditional breakup of
the Old Testament into the Law, Prophets, and Writings. By recording this
statement by Jesus, Luke has shown that Jesus validated the whole Old Testament
as scripture that speaks of the coming Christ, his death and resurrection,
salvation that can be found in him, and the mission of the people of God to
reach all the nations. For Jesus, the whole Bible should be read as if it had red
letters. This validation of the Old Testament and its message as particularly
Christian should not be taken lightly. Jesus said here and in other places that
the Gospel can be found in the Old Testament. As modern Christians we should
seek to understand the Gospel in the Old Testament and live it out.
The
Old Testament is foundational to Christianity and indispensible. As Christians
we should hold the sacred writings in high regard just like our brothers in the
New Testament church did. We should study the Old Testament diligently to find
salvation in Christ, explanation of God’s mysterious ways, and truth about how
to live as God’s people. If you really want to understand the New Testament you
must study the Old Testament.
*The image above was used in accordance with the licensing agreements of WikiCommons and in no way reflects the views of the artist that produced the image.
*The image above was used in accordance with the licensing agreements of WikiCommons and in no way reflects the views of the artist that produced the image.
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