THE VALUE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

February 18th | Pastor Gino

Many Christians today spend little to no time in the Old Testament Scriptures (OT). Many churches no longer preach from the OT. As one prominent preacher has said in recent years, we ought to unhitch ourselves from the OT. This is unfortunate for several reasons. First, and most obvious to anyone reading the New Testament Scriptures (NT), is the testimony of the NT itself. From the Apostle Paul’s writing to Timothy, we read:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14–17).

When Paul wrote these words the NT was still being produced. It is clear that the Scriptures, or sacred writings, he is referring to are the OT. This alone ought to compel us to see the value of the OT. But look closer at what Paul actually says about these sacred writings: (1) they are able to make one wise for salvation thru Christ; (2) profitable for teaching, reproof, and correction; and (3) good for training in righteousness and good works. All these things are true and contained in the study and reading of the OT.

Another point that proves the value of the OT is how often it is quoted in the new. It is estimated that the NT writers directly quote the OT more than 200 times and allude to OT passages more than 1000 times in their writings. It’s as if they use the OT as a reference or guide to argue for the NT faith. This is no surprise to those who have even a basic understanding of Redemptive History and the story that the OT contains.

Also, many today misunderstand was is ‘new’ about the NT. There is nothing new in the sense of understanding who God is; his character; and what he demands from His creatures and the world. What is new is the revelation of Jesus Christ and how he fulfills the obligations of the law for God’s elect and chosen people and sets the trajectory for his second coming in which He will restore all things back into a right relationship with God. Ie. the story of Scripture, from beginning to end, is how God is redeeming mankind and creation back into a right relationship with himself, for His glory and for the good of his people. Jesus is the One who makes all this possible as he works in and thru his people in the work of reconciliation.

The NT, then, is not new in the sense that it changes the trajectory of God’s plan, or who He is, but is rather the high point and Magnum Opus of the continuing story that began in Genesis 3 when God declared that the Promised Seed would crush the head of the serpent and destroy his works of rebellion and death in the world. The serpent is Satan (Revelation 12:9) and the Promised Seed, the Snake Crusher, the One who would restore and fulfill all the promises of God is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:17).

So, if you want to know the Story of Redemption you only have to read the OT Scriptures. The story of the OT reveals the problem God is solving and how he solves it in the Lord Jesus. All the OT points to Christ and all the prophets of the OT speak of these things (John 5:39; Matthew 11:13; Acts 3:24; Acts 10:43; Acts 18:28). If you want to know the fullness of Christ in the NT, become familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures and you will begin to see how on every page the coming of Christ is anticipated and how, in the NT, he is finally and gloriously revealed!