Monday, January 19, 2015

The "Old" Testament?

As I mentioned once before in this blog, the term, "The Old Testament", strikes me as a bit odd.  Sure it's old, but so is the "New" testament.  Even more than the name, it strikes me odd that Christians draw such an artificial distinction between the teachings of the two testaments.

I am studying Acts now, and just finished with 1 and 2 Peter. Peter clearly lays out the Gospel in his letters as well as in Acts.  Keep in mind that the "New" Testament had NOT yet been recorded and collected.  Recall too, that the last chapter (24) of Luke records that conversation on the Road to Emmaus, wherein Jesus says, "27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures."

Note too, that verses like Eccl 7:20 (“There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.”) says the same as Rom 3:23 does.  Despite that The Acts of the Apostles, or maybe better, The Acts of the Holy Spirit, records the beginnings of the Christian church, everyone who is saved, is saved because of the shed Blood of Jesus the Christ.  "Old" Testament saints are saved by the atoning work of the Christ.  Many of those old timers seemed to have a better grasp of this than some, maybe most, modern Christians.

New Testament critics also seem to miss this point.  Guys like Bart Ehrman forget that the Christ is clearly described in the "Old' Testament.  All those prophecies were fulfilled, but more importantly, the gospel message is also clearly laid out.

I take great comfort in the gospel of the "Old" Testament.

There is "Nothing new under the Sun" we are told in Eccl 1:9.  Notice that is an ancient Scripture.

Ancient indeed.

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