The Relevance of the Old Testament & Law
I. Modern Misconceptions of the Old Testament
A. That the OT is irrelevant.
B. Irrelevant because of:
1. Belief Structures – Ancient gods/myths compared to today’s theories (evolution, etc.)
2. Languages – Ancient vs. Modern
3. Technology – Sandals vs. Nike’s
4. Patriarchs/Clans – Families and Neighborhoods
5. Religious Experiences – Fire from heaven consuming sacrifices, etc.
C. The differences between these OT experiences and our current NT experiences can create a sense of difference or division between the two. This feeling can give an appearance of the OT being irrelevant.
II. Apparent Contrast Between OT and NT Teachings
A. Jesus’ Words -
1. Matt. 5.17 – “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
i. This is generally interpreted as our Lord signifying differences between the OT and NT teachings and beliefs concerning God and salvation.
ii. This is a misunderstanding. A Jewish Messiah could never disagree with the teaching of the OT Scriptures. Jesus never refuted the OT teachings or Scriptures, but the Pharisee’s interpretations of them.
iii. The Pharisees interpreted the Scriptures in the wrong ways.
B. Paul’s Words -
1. Romans 6.14 – For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
i. The common misunderstanding is that Paul taught that we are no longer under the OT’s teachings or authority (law), but under the grace of the NT. This leads to the conclusion that the vast majority of the teachings and principals found in the OT are irrelevant.
ii. This is not the case though; we are no longer under the law only in the sense that we are no longer under the judgment of the law.
iii. We are no longer under the law’s judgment but still under its teachings and authority.
iv. Romans 7 talks about how we cannot seek to obey the law as a means of salvation. The more we seek to carry out the requirements of the law the more our sin and our incapability is revealed to us.
v. Paul was not saying that this was something new and only true of the NT saints. The saints of faith in the OT dispensation had this perspective of the Scriptures as well. They were saved by the same faith that we are saved by; believing that God saves us not by our own merit, but by His mercy and grace.
2. Romans 10.4 – For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
i. This is misunderstood as Paul saying that the OT is replaced by Christ.
ii. Jesus did not put an end to the law in the sense of causing it to discontinue in NT times. He was not the end of the law in that it is no longer applicable to us. He is the end of the law in that He is the goal of the law (see Gal. 4.19-25, Romans 6-7, Romans 3.19-20).
iii. Christ was the goal of the law. The purpose of the law was to bring us to Christ. The law is still very relevant to all people to this day. The law of the OT is still bringing people of this day to Christ.
a. Recorded Law & Conscience
3. Romans 10.4-8 – Paul quoting Moses in Deut 30.12-14
Romans 10.4-8 – For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”‘ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “”Who will descend into the abyss?”‘ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
a. In the following verses, Romans 10.9-13, Paul describes how the NT beliefs are recorded as the same OT beliefs, which have been misinterpreted by the Pharisee’s teachings and hidden from those whose eyes had not been enlightened.
4. Deut. 30.14 – Moses Believed in Righteousness by Faith
Deut. 30.12-14 – It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
III. Why is the OT Relevant Now?
A. There are several continuities between the OT times and the NT times.
1. The Same God
2. The Same World
3. The Same Kind of People
i. These act as a bridge of continuity between the two Testaments and Dispensations of time.
B. The Same God –
1. God has the same character now in the NT as He did in the OT. God is immutable. This means that His character is always the same. God’s character never changes. The way God dealt with people in the Old Testament is the same way He will deal with people in the New Testament.
2. God keeps His covenantal promises. From the days of Abraham to the very last days of the final generation we can see the promises that God has made to His people. We can look at the record of God fulfilling His word and keeping His promises as proof of His immutable character and ways.
C. The Same World -
1. There are many historical similarities between the times of the OT and the NT, even though there are also many differences. If we only concentrate on the differences between their time and ours then we will miss all the similarities that still exist.
i. For Example: How the western world is, in many ways, predicated upon the Mosaic Law. Moses handed the law to the Jews and as a result throughout the generations it has effected the entire western world.
ii. The western world does has not, until now, embraced Islamic law, standards or traditions, but Judaic-Christian laws, standards and traditions.
D. The Same People –
1. All people are made in the image of God, OT and NT people.
2. We can identify with the people of the OT because we share in the same common experiences of psychology, emotions, sin, faith, relationships, values, etc.
IV. A Relevant OT Gives us a Correct Outlook of the NT
A. The NT writers never rejected the OT but they interpreted it.
B. 1 Tim. 3 – All Scripture is profitable. Timothy’s Scriptures were the OT Scriptures. Paul said they are all relevant and profitable for doctrine and edification in this new dispensation.
C. 1 Cor. 10 – Paul is telling stories out of the OT, and says that they were written for us (crf. Romans 15.1). The OT Scriptures are most relevant to us now, and will be even at the very end of the age because we are the ones that they were written for.
V. The Necessity of the Old Testament
A. The breadth of situations – The amount of diverse situations and circumstances covered in the OT far exceeds the number recorded in the NT. Each one of these situations are profitable for doctrine and our edification. The OT covers 2000 years of circumstances and situations throughout history, as where the NT only covers 1 century (2 at the most).
B. Foundational Concepts – The OT is also the foundation of many of the experiences and practices found in the NT. Many of the things which the people of God are commanded to do in the NT have their roots in the OT. Several things such as prayer, worship, music, etc. are hardly mentioned in the NT in comparison to the degree that they are recorded in the OT.
1. One of the reasons why is because the NT is not meant to be read or interpreted without the OT. These concepts all have their origins in the Old Testament Scriptures and especially the Psalms.
2. The Lord’s Prayer – is not a 5 sentence NT prayer, but it is a summary of all the main thrust of the prayers found in the OT.
3. The word Christ/Messiah - is not defined anywhere in the NT (besides a place in John 2 where it says that the word Christ means Messiah). It is not defined in the NT because it is meant to be understood as it is found in the OT.
4. Salvation – as a new creation has its background/foundation in the OT. The way the Lord has dealt with the Israelites gives us picture after picture of salvation as a new creation, or as an old creation being redeemed. This is a main theme found in the OT.
VI. Summary
A. We have seen that though there are many differences between the time in which we now live and the times which the OT was recorded there are many similarities as well. These similarities act as a bridge for us to understand that the times are connected and not separated.
B. We saw that Jesus, Paul and all the NT writers affirmed the OT as relevant and necessary for us now, and agreed with all of its flawless teachings, even though it has been interpreted wrongly in many circumstances.
C. We saw that the OT ultimately points to Christ, and that this has always been the faith of those in the OT. Now we see this mystery revealed in the records of the NT.
D. We saw that the same God, same kind of people, and same world all exist today as they did in ancient times, and so the context which we do life in is in many ways the same as theirs.
E. And we saw that the OT provides us with a vast amount of situations which we can relate to today. And it gives us many of the foundations for our Christian practices.
F. Also the OT has many futuristic prophecies which have yet to be fulfilled, and so are extremely relevant to us.
Filed under: Hermeneutics - (Rules for Interpreting the Bible), Sermon on the Mount
