What to do with the Old Testament

As a Christian, the question rises: What are we to do with the Old Testament? If Christ came to put an end to the sacrificial system of atonement for believers, what does that say about the law? What obligation do Christian's have to the law now? By looking to what Jesus and Paul had to say about the Law and the Old Testament, it becomes clear that it is not something that Christians can just throw away.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (ESV) Jesus was saying here that He had not come to take away any part of God's Law that had already been given to humanity, but that He was the ultimate fulfillment of that law. God's “righteousness has been revealed apart from the law, and the Torah is shown to be a "custodian."1 What does this mean? Because He loves us, He gave us His law, and by “His grace He has given His people statutes and judgments that are perfect in righteousness, because: (1) they reveal with perfect clarity who He is; (2) they reveal with perfect clarity what sin is; and (3) they reveal with perfect clarity how that sin may be removed and a relationship of peace and confidence with him established/maintained.”2 It is within the new gospel of salvation “by grace alone through faith alone, YHWH graciously reveals the standard of righteousness by which His redeemed people may live and be confident of His approval. There is no conflict here between law and grace.”3

Also, without revealing the standards for human living, how could we live up to it? And by recognizing that we cannot possibly succeed without Him, how are we to recognize how much we need Him? Paul states in Romans 4:15: “Where there is no law there is no transgression.” (ESV) Only “where God has revealed his will to people can he accuse them of committing sins.”4 If He had not revealed His law to us, then He could not hold us to the standard of the law.

Without “the background of Old Testament law Paul’s call for obedience to the 'law of Christ', and Jesus’ call for adherence to the 'commandments' remain vague and empty, subject to anybody’s personal and subjective interpretation. Familiarity with the Old Testament laws is indispensable for an understanding of Jesus’ and Paul’s ethical exhortations.”5 It is then that “Israel's Scriptures become ours not because of some inherent necessity in those writings, but because of a 'New Testament' in Christ's blood, shed for all.”6


BIBLIOGRAPHY





Block, Daniel I., "Preaching Old Testament law to New Testament Christians." Southeastern Theological Review 3, no. 2, 2012.





Juel, Donald H., "The Old Testament in Christian proclamation : a New Testament perspective." Word & World 3, no. 3, 1983.





Moo, Douglas J. Romans. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.


1Donald H.Juel, "The Old Testament in Christian proclamation : a New Testament perspective." Word & World 3, no. 3 (1983) 235.


2 Block, Daniel I., "Preaching Old Testament law to New Testament Christians." Southeastern Theological Review 3, no. 2 (2012) 214.


3 Ibid., 216.


4 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 2000), 158.


5 Block, Daniel I., "Preaching Old Testament law to New Testament Christians." Southeastern Theological Review 3, no. 2 (2012) 220.




6 Donald H. Juel, "The Old Testament in Christian proclamation : a New Testament perspective." Word & World 3, no. 3 (1983) 233.