The Christian and the Old Testament

Many Christians today either outright dismiss the Old Testament or there are others who give lip service to it but in practice see no relevance in it. Yet all of Scripture is clear – the Old Testament is essential for the Christian believer for it contains the very words of God. There are numerous reasons as to why the OT offers an essential message for Christians. Here are a few brief ideas in no particular order.

1. The Sovereign Plan of God. In the providence of God he has determined to provide his people with a twofold covenantal book. The Lord of the Old and New Testaments did not plan and purpose for the writing and establishment of the OT only for the purpose of it being superseded by the New Testament. The Holy Spirit has sovereignly preserved the whole Bible over thousands of years.
2. Progressive revelation. The OT begins the story of creation, fall, redemption and the NT fulfills it. We are left in suspense with the ending of the OT. We have reached the height of the problem. How will God solve this problem of sin and depravity set forth in the OT? Well, that is what the NT completes. It is the rest of the story, the grand finale, and the climax of the Biblical story. Christ is shown to be the answer, the redemption from the fall into sin. Without the NT it would be like reading a mystery novel with never finding out “who did it?” With the NT alone it would be finding out “who did it” without knowing what they did.
3. The OT is foundational to the NT. The NT cannot be properly understood without the OT and vice versa: the OT cannot be properly understood without the NT. The Bible is a unity and Christians should view it as a complete whole. We should not call ourselves NT Christians, but biblical Christians. The Old Testament is the foundational structure for the New Testament superstructure. And the NT is the only interpretive lens for understanding the OT biblically.
4. 1 Corinthians 10:6. “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” The history of the OT is a historical lesson for Christians. The sins, failures and accomplishments of the Saints in the OT serve as illustrations of what the NT teaches didactically. For example, David’s sin with Bathsheba serves as an example of how Jesus defined adultery in Matt. 5:28. David’s lust began with a look and was carried out into the physical act of adultery. Yet, this story also highlights the radical forgiveness of God found ultimately in Christ (Psalm 51).
5. It is the Story of Jesus. This is what Christ himself argues. Luke 24:25-27: He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.[1]
6. Shadow and Reality. The OT paints a picture of the need of Christ while the NT shows the reality of Christ. In the OT the absolute necessity of Christ is set forth with all the rules and regulations of the OT. The sacrificial system points to the need of a perfect sacrifice which was fulfilled by Christ on the cross. Christ is needed in the OT, but Christ is here, present in the NT. The shadow becomes reality.[2]
7. Jesus’ use of the OT. Our Lord himself continually quotes and alludes to the OT. He provides clarification on its stipulations and also fulfills the law perfectly like no other could. Also for Christians who seek to follow Christ shouldn’t we understand his exaltation of the OT as God’s words and then seek to do likewise?[3]
8. Paul’s use of the OT. Paul quotes the Old Testament approximately ninety-three times. Ladd argues that the purpose of Paul quoting the OT is not so much to prove the validity of prophecy but to show the NT continuity with the OT.[4] In other words, Paul uses the OT to provide justification for the NT.
9. Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Paul here particularly referring to the OT says that the words of God are profitable for numerous things. The OT Scriptures are important and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
10. Deuteronomy 32:45-47. “When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, ⁴⁶ he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. ⁴⁷ They are not just idle words for you-- they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." The words of Scripture are the words of life. For both the OT and NT saints the OT is made up not of idle words, but words that give life. All of Scripture holds out words of life to those who will hear it call.

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[1] See Edmund P. Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1988); Charles D. Drew, The Ancient Love Song: Finding Christ in the Old Testament (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1996, 2000) and Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Messiah in the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995).

[2] See Tremper Longman III, Immanuel in Our Place: Seeing Christ in Israel’s Worship (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2001) and Vern S. Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1991).

[3] Graeme Goldsworthy, The Goldsworthy Trilogy: Gospel and Kingdom (Paternoster Press, 1981, 2000). He writes, “The Christian cannot be committed to Christ without being committed to his teaching. It follows that Christ’s attitude to the Old Testament will begin to convey itself to the Christian who is carefully studying the New Testament” (19).

[4] George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament. Rev. Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974, 1993): 432-434. He writes, “Paul’s use of the Old Testament is not so much to seek a one-to-one equating of prophecy and fulfillment as to place the new redemptive events squarely in the stream of Old Testament redemptive history” (433).