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How Do the Two Testaments (Old and New) Work Together?
People have varying views regarding how the Old Testament and the New Testament relate to each other. Some view the New as simply a carrying on of the Old after Christ died and rose again. Some view the New as a New Covenant that completely replaces the Old. There are many views in-between. These varied views, along with some other approaches to Scripture, cause many of the differences and divisions that we see in the church today.
This can be a hot topic, but one that also can be beneficial. My question is this:
How do the Old Testament and New Testament relate to each other according to Scripture from your perspective?
Lord Bless,
LT
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on
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LT
For one thing they fit together. I would hate to think of and Old Testament without the New or the New without the Old. That would be like reading half of a book and losing it.
The old tells us how badly we needed a Savior and the new reveals Him to us.
Careful reading of the Old Testament shows Christ to us.
Many think that God changed his mind about humanity but He knew all along how evil man could be but He loved us so much that He gave us salvation freely, and the price was His Son's suffering and crucifixion.
Our God is an AWESOME God!!!!
Blessings,
Rita
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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on
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LT, one of the most profoundly impacting truths I learned was how that every single book of Old Testament scripture speaks of Christ in a unique way. The fascinating part is that there is a direct correlation from each of the Old Testament pictures (types and shadows, as Colossians says) of Christ to a specific attribute revealed in his ministry in the Gospels.
An entire book could be written, revealing the "types and shadows of Christ" in the Old Testament.
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Lydia, your quote "the Old Testament prepares the way for the New Testament" is a very succinct and thorough statement revealing the truth of the matter: they are two parts of one whole Revelation.
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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I struggle to understand the two covenants and if the old one really fully ended when the new one began, having been taught that we are still under a mixture of both covenants.
The Old and the New Testament I believe work together to give us a picture of God--a complete picture. Some say the New Testament is a fulfillment of God’s promises given in the Old Testament and so the Old Testament is now obsolete--we are no longer under the law and need not keep it and the only sin is unbelief, etc… that the OT just pointed to Jesus and the NT teaches us the New Covenant which is God‘s grace.
But I was taught that there is a blend of the two covenants. There is law and grace; faith and works. It has something to do somehow with Galatians 4:24--Hagar and Sarah and two covenants. I don’t fully understand all of it but some believers rested in Christ alone and others in the law and now we have both and many try to live under both.
Is the OC Judaism and the NC Christianity? Should we blend the two?
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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The N.C. replaces the O.C.. This does not mean that the moral laws of God have been altered or done away with. It simple means that the manner in which God deals with people is changed. Under the O.C. you are guilty of sin and deserving death. God gave a provision through the sacrificail system, but that only removed the current guilt and did nothing to change the man. The sacrificial system was a precursor to what the Lamb of God was going to do once for all who will call upon the name fo the Lord. When we receive Jesus as Savior we come under the N.C.. Our sins are not only forgiven, but we are changed, marked, sealed and indwelt. We are justified, regenerated and become children of God. This is all possible because of the holy blood of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. His death PAID our sin debt. We deserved to go to that cross, but He went their in our place, thus we see it as as substitutionary sacrifice. Keep in mind that the cross is designed to crucify only one. For us it is either us or Jesus. This is illustrated in Abraham's call to sacrifice Isaac, but at the last moment there was a lamb provided to be sacrificed in Isaac's place. Once we come under the N.C. we are dealt with by God under different guidelines than when we lived under the O.C.. This does not mean that lying, stealing or adultery are not sin any longer ... absolutely not. It does not mean that there are no consequences for sin in this life under the N.C.. The consequences no longer mean death (separation from God).
There is a right way to live and a right reason to live that way.
Lord Bless,
LT
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May I ask a little further?
Incidentally, in the story of His crucifixion, out of all the characters in it, when I read it and it comes alive for me and I feel I am right there, watching it unfold, I always see myself as Barabbus. I wonder what he did after he was released, and I imagine him going to Golgotha and watching Jesus die in his place.
Can you give me Scriptures that clearly say the NC has replaced the OC? If both are not applicable, why are we still under the OC until we are born again? Or, will people be cast into hell not for breaking God's law but just for refusing to accept Christ as their substitutionary sacrifice? I think this is why many say the only sin now is unbelief. Unbelievers will be cast into hell.
The consequences for sin under the NC no longer mean spiritual death. Is this why many say that our sins are no longer imputed to us (Psalm 32:2; Romans 4:8; Romans 5:13). Many teach this as "no law" anymore because where there is no law, there is no sin.
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Can you give me Scriptures that clearly say the NC has replaced the OC?
Heb 8:13 By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Romans 6:1-14
Galatians 4 & 5
Jeremiah 31:31
Hebrews 8:8
Hebrews 9:15
Hebrews 9If both are not applicable, why are we still under the OC until we are born again?
Both operate today. The key is determining which covenant you are under. We are born into sin under the O.C.. All are destined to damnation under the O.C.. We, through grace by faith, enter into the N.C. which is in His blood (Lk. 22:20). Once we are born-again (regenerated) we are children of God and dealt with under the principles of the N.C. and at the same time the unregenerate is dealt with under the O.C..Or, will people be cast into hell not for breaking God's law but just for refusing to accept Christ as their substitutionary sacrifice?
People go to hell for personal guilt before Father God. Receiving Jesus is the remedy for our situation. Receiving Christ is more than a simple prayer, it is a life change wrought by the Spirit of God in a person.I think this is why many say the only sin now is unbelief. Unbelievers will be cast into hell.
I disagree with the statement based on God’s judgment is just. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus’ sacrifice is the payment for our debt and solution to our problem. Man is guilty of sin before Father God and in need of a Savior.The consequences for sin under the NC no longer mean spiritual death. Is this why many say that our sins are no longer imputed to us (Psalm 32:2; Romans 4:8; Romans 5:13). Many teach this as “no law” anymore because where there is no law, there is no sin.
There is a difference between no law and no longer under law. The law still stands, but Jesus is the satisfaction of our guilt and His blood is efficacious. Thus, there is a right way to live and a right reason to live that way.
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Here is something I wrote a while back:
In the Old Testament we find that God identified sin at various times in history. Each new revelation shed new light on the things that God considers sin or broaden the understanding of previously revealed sins. God also established at various times the consequences for the various revealed sins. These sins often carried at least two penalties. The primary penalty is sin separates one from God and they deserve spiritual death. The secondary penalty would be the punitive consequence for the sin regarding the flesh, such as stoning to death the person caught in adultery. Thus we see a minimum of two things being revealed. We see the sin and then the consequence for the sin.
In the Old Testament we find that people are described as lawful or lawless. Living under the law and seeking to fulfill the requirements that God had given or living against the law and ignoring the laws and requirements God had given. Those seeking to fulfill the Law by following its requirements would offer the appropriate sacrifices and perform the correct ritual. Their desire was to please God, but no man can live in this tainted world a life that is without failing to live by God’s requirements and thus they sin. Even in this time faith was required. They had to have faith that the things God required were sufficient to meet their need during that economy or administration of God.
This was God’s economy or administration that governed during various periods in the pre-resurrection era with some variations.
Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth to reveal the New Covenant and to fulfill the requirements of the Old Covenant. The Books of Galatians, Romans and Hebrews speak to this in depth. This N.C. does not negate sin, but rather placed the punishment of all who are born-again onto Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb who satisfied the justice and righteousness of a holy God. Our sin was imputed into Him and His righteousness and holiness is imputed into us at salvation. For the born-again believer the penalty of sin that caused separation has been paid and we have been redeemed.
People differ on their understanding of what it means to be saved. I believe the Bible teaches that we are to repent (change of mind), surrender (receive Jesus), are forgiven, changed, sealed, indwelt, marked and set apart as God’s children. Our spirit is new and the flesh is old, and the war of the mind ensues for the rest of this earthly life as the spirit and flesh war against one another. Once a person has been changed they cannot be unchanged only to be changed again. This change, which is the work of God, not man, is one a onetime event. We then embark on our Christian life needing to grow and mature. I believe a second act of grace is available called sanctification, but let’s leave that for another time.
Now, when the changed person has truly been changed will they really desire to return to their vomit? How can one claim that they have experienced true repentance (change of mind) and desire to return to their old ways without experiencing conviction regarding that sin. Such an action without conviction reveals no change of thought has occurred. Many say a prayer, but how many truly come to salvation through repentance? I will leave that for God to answer as only He can truly see the heart. A person who is born-again will feel the weight of conviction when they attempt to return to an old habit/sin. There is no free ride to do as one pleases.
The idea that a person can be saved and return to their vomit without cost is unbiblical. Sin is still sin and sin has consequences. The saved person has had their separation from God paid for and they are redeemed, but that does not give a license to sin. There are consequences for the believer who sins. God has established natural laws, though all of creation has been tainted at the fall, these laws still exist. If a person is an alcoholic they have good reason to believe that they will contract liver disease. A person who smokes can have good reason to expect some pulmonary issues later in life. A promiscuous person can expect to contract sexual diseases. Sin is not without cost. One may say that not everyone gets these, and that is true, but they are playing Russian Roulette with God’s grace. We also know that God uses divine discipline as seen in Hebrews 12. That discipline is meted out because He loves us and it is corrective in nature, not punitive. We also know that the Holy Spirit does not ignore sin and brings conviction into the life of the believer. Sin is not without cost. Jesus paid the price for our redemption and this life has consequences for sin, though we no longer fear eternal separation from God.
How can I be sure? We are saved by grace. This is the N.C. economy or administration by which God deals with people today. Man does not earn or deserve salvation. It is offered as a free gift and is available because of what Jesus has done and is doing. God draws us, reveals the truth, convicts us and we respond to His work in our lives. This is grace at work. We could never live up to the requirements in order to be saved, that is why the Bible calls it a free gift and recognizes that it is by grace through faith. I am saved by grace and my salvation is maintained by grace. I did not earn it to get it and I cannot work to keep it, for it is a trust that has been committed to Jesus and His work.
The question comes up that faith requires work. This is simple enough. A born-again person who is saved by grace through faith will desire to please His heavenly Father. Serving Him is totally a response of love because of faith. Hebrews 11 shows that the faith preceded the action. The action followed a trust in God to do what He had promised. The response was not a forced response, but a natural response to one who has faith.
None of the Old Testament is thrown out. It must be applied in light of the New Covenant.
Much of the discussion in this thread deals with variations of Covenant Theology and Dispensation Theology. You can discuss this for the next hundred years and these two views will still have differences.
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Nice article:
People differ on their understanding of what it means to be saved. I believe the Bible teaches that we are to repent (change of mind), surrender (receive Jesus), are forgiven, changed, sealed, indwelt, marked and set apart as God’s children. Our spirit is new and the flesh is old, and the war of the mind ensues for the rest of this earthly life as the spirit and flesh war against one another.
I understand all of this and the war of the mind can be unbearable at times. Repent is a change of mind and yet we are unable to change our minds. It is all a work of God. Some say why would God ask us to repent when we are not able to repent? Yet God enables repentance. That’s my present understanding anyway.
I also believe anyone who could “return to their vomit” without feeling miserable could not really be born again. I do see that people who are saved do return to their vomit--and they suffer consequences because of it.
I am not ready to tackle Covenant Theology and Dispensation Theology.
I will say I have been taught all my life that it is faith plus works. But I know what you mean when you say “there is a right way to live and a right reason to live that way.”
We are fully justified through faith in Christ. This naturally leads to good fruit and good works as we grow in our Christian life. I am not working to be justified or to stay saved (but I once thought we did have to maintain our salvation). However, sanctification is something totally different from justification.
This is my current understanding and where I am in my personal growth at this point. I am struggling also with feeling pressured to “hurry and grow up.” I am sorry I am not on the same page as those who seem more devout and closer to God in their walks. I still fall into some sins that others strongly condemn--even though I don't recognize sometimes that I am doing them--such as gossip. :'(
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Permalink Reply by Larry M. on
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Old Testament and New testament is both the left and right cross arm of the CROSS at the calvary , our Lord Jesus Christ pinned in the middle vine holding that branches altogether pinned in each arm...
I believed it is somehow a little bit awkward when somebody profess they are a New testament believers... just my opinion... tnx
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Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on
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Hi LT,
in my understanding the connection between the OT and the NT is Jesus. The prophecies about Jesus, the preachings about Jesus, the use of the OT scripture by Jesus and ultimately his fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets. I believe it is all about Jesus.
In Christ,
Desmond
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One of the leaders in a church did a sermon once where he looked at the Old Testament laws and which ones we are to follow. His answer was none except the ones Christ referrs to as we no longer bound by the law or come to God through the law.......
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