How To Use The Old Testament
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect
thoroughly furnished unto all good works.:
2 Timothy 3:16:17
How then are we to use our Old Testaments?
We can learn…
1. Evidence: That Jesus Christ is the Son of God through the prophecies given concerning him. We can know that the Bible is the inspired word of God by examining the fulfillment of prophecies.
2. Hope: A source of Hope; “For whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4
3. Shadow: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed (The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed). Hebrews 8:4,5
4. Example: We can examine the judgment of God according to faithfulness.
The purpose of the Old Testament (the law).
1. Preparation of the way of Christ. (Galatians 3:23-25)
2. It was intend for Israel only (Deuteronomy 5:1-3; 6:6-7).
3. Christ abolished it by his death on the cross (Colossians 2:14).
The Authority of Christ
The word “Authority” denotes “The power of one whose will and commands must be obeyed by others” (Vines. 1:89). Therefore, whosoever possesses authority holds the right to command and the ability to enforce commands.
In these last days God has spoken to us through His son (Hebrews 1:2) and not through Moses. Let’s examine a passage. Matthew 17:1-5;
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain privately, And was transfigured before them; and his face did shine like the sun, and his raiment was as white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and, behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
When the transfiguration occurred Peter respected Moses and Elijah as having authority equal to Jesus in deed. This is indicated by his statement; “if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” However, while he yet spoke these things the Father of heaven deemed Christ Jesus as the one having authority, instructing us to hear him and not Moses and Elijah.
During Jesus’ ministry those who heard him teach were amazed “For he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29). Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old… But I say unto you…” (Matthew 5:21).
In the Great Commission Jesus said, “All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:20-23;
“For above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come; And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”
It is evident that in all things Christ is preeminent, is the head of the body, and possesses all Authority in heaven and in earth. (Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:18).
Establishing Biblical Authority
There are two particular types of Authority:
1. Inherent Authority – Authority that has been established through ownership. I.e. A father has the authority to command his children to wash their hands.
2. Delegated Authority – Authority that has been given to an individual by an owner. I.e. A father has given authority to one child in order to relay a message sent by the father commanding the other children to wash his hands.
There are two sources of Authority:
1. God
2. Man
Jesus gave two possible sources of authority in Luke 20:1-8.
“It came to pass that, on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, and spoke to him saying ‘by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority?’ He answered and said unto them, ‘I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The Baptism of John was it from heave or men?’”
To act with authority no higher than men is to worship God in vain. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
The Old Covenant
The Old Law was given to the Children of Israel and no one else.
“And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statues and ordinance which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. The lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.” (Deuteronomy 5:1-3)
No Sabbath keeping is found in the Old Testament until Exodus 16:23-26. Nor can we find the New Testament Christians establishing the Seventh Day Sabbath as law.
“Wherefore, then, serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Is the law, then, against the promises of God? God forbid; for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
By the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith, which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
One thing to notice is that the law was added.
During the Patriarchal Age God revealed His will through the fathers. What people knew of God under this time period was handed down by tradition from their fathers (1 Peter 1:18).
Later the Law was added due to transgressions. This is referred to as the Mosaic age, which should last till (indicating a time frame) the seed should come (Christ Jesus). Also Jesus spoke of the abolishment of the old law in Matthew 5:17,18
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
The law and the prophets have passed away because Christ has fulfilled them. “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.” Hebrews 10:9
The New Covenant
The New Covenant is the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 1 Corinthians 9:21). Within this New Covenant we are to walk by faith and the law is not of faith (Galatians 3:12).
In order for us to live and walk by faith we must know how to do so. Romans 10:17 tell us that;
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
The Christian walks by faith, insinuating that all he does in word or deed is done in the name of the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians 3:16,17) In order for us to establish the New Testament worship services we must “hear him” (Jesus; Matthew 17:5) who is the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:18) which has given authority to the Apostles to speak on his behalf. Knowing this, that if we walk by faith, we walk by the decrees, which were given by the Apostles to all the churches (Acts 16:4)
“And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep, that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders who were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith and increased in number daily.” Acts 16:4
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42
That which has been ordained for New Testament Christians to observe has been delivered to the whole world (Colossians 1:23) in the book of Acts and the Epistles through explicit, implicit, and expedient commands. To add to, or take away from those commands is deserving of death.
Conclusion
In order for one to establish Biblical authority for Sabbath keeping (the New Testament worship being ordained on Saturday) he/she must demonstrate from the New Testament scriptures where men were commanded to keep the Sabbath after the New Covenant came into affect on the day of Pentecost. Establishing this authority may be done explicitly, implicitly, or expediently. Also, it is the obligation of the one who upholds the affirmative to do so.
In this article I have briefly addressed the distinction made between the Law of Christ and the Old Testament Law.
1 Corinthians 16:1,2
It is a hermeneutical law to realize that a text without a context is a pretext. I suggest you take this advice seeing as the first verse of 1 Corinthians 16 says “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatian even so do ye.
· This is a command for the Church.
To say that we are to lay aside money at our homes is in direct contradiction of verse 2. We are told that the reason for the individual to lay aside while being assembled with the church (the plurality of the individual Christians) on the first day of the week is so that Christ will find no men gathering and storing riches on earth when he returns but instead the Church will be enabling Saints to further the work of Christ assuring us that there will be no gatherings when he returns.
It was also stated
Acts 20 states the meeting was Saturday night after Sabbath, where Paul walked the next day (sunday) to another city? Why was he not in a church?
I’d like to refute this by simply quoting the verse;
“And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the next day and continued his speech until midnight.”
Paul preached from day until night on Sunday. “When the disciples came together” indicates a common occurrence. Paul departed on Monday, “the next day”.
The Law of Liberty
One again, a text without a context is a pretext.
If anyone “offends in one point” of the Royal law (verse 8), “he is guilty of all” (Verse 10) that would include the Ten Commandments. In Comparison, we are to keep all of Christ’s commandments (The Law of Liberty).
The scriptures refer to the old law as the law of slavery, not liberty. Also, Christ has not set us free with the Ten Commandments in order for us to be a slave to them. We are now slaves to Christ and we hear him (Matthew 17:5; Ephesians 6:6).
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1
The Law of Liberty will judge us, which is not the Royal Law. Jesus said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” John 12:48
Christ never said keep the Sabbath.