The Old Testament

Robert Meredith

  Is man under the Old Testament today?  No!  The Old Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and then removed (Mt. 5:17; Col. 2:14).  The New Testament is one’s guide today in spiritual matters.  The Apostle Paul tells us to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).  To rightly divide the Word, one must understand the difference between Old Testament law and New Testament law.  The Israelites were under the Law of Moses from the time the Law was given to Moses at Mt. Sinai, until Jesus’ death on the cross (some 1500 years).  However, when Jesus died, the Old Law was “taken out of the way” (Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:13-15; Rom. 7:4).

  Religiously today, if one follows the Old Testament (Judaism) or goes to it for authority in religious practice, God says his religion is vain.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6-7).  Notice, Paul said that when the gospel of Christ was perverted, that one was removed from God.  The perversion of which Paul was writing was the bringing over of the Old Law into the New (Gal. 5:4).

  While on earth Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets (the Old Testament RM):  I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Mt. 5:17).  To destroy means to ruin, mess up or make havoc of.  Jesus did not come to this world to ruin or destroy the Old Testament, Jesus is the fulfillment of it.  He, by His birth, life, teaching, healing, trials, suffering, death, burial and resurrection, fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning Him.  He therefore, after fulfilling them, abolished them.  To abolish means to remove or take out of the way.  After the Old Testament had served its purpose, it was removed to make way for the perfect law of liberty, the law of Christ (James 1:25; Gal. 6:2). 

  In the third chapter of Galatians, the Holy Spirit, through Paul’s pen, reveals two purposes of the Old Law.  One was to show us the seriousness of sin (v. 19), the other was to be a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (v. 24).  A schoolmaster in Paul’s day cared for and tutored the children.  The Old Covenant served to prepare a people for the coming of Christ.  It was not, however, designed to take away sin.  Only Christ could do that (Heb. 9:22; Heb. 10:4; Heb. 9:26).  Today, the Old Testament should be studied; not that one is bound to its precepts, but as Paul said, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).  One can study the Old Testament and can see the many prophecies concerning the Christ and His Kingdom, and come to a greater understanding of and appreciation for them.  One can also learn of God and His dealings with people of olden times (1 Cor. 10:11; Jude 7).  When they were faithful, God would bless them, when they were disobedient, God would discipline.  One can see God’s love, grace, mercy and also His justice and wrath.  God has not changed, the lessons still apply to us.

  Jesus died abolishing the Old Law (Eph. 2:15) and establishing the New (Read Heb. 9:13-26).  In matters of authority, only the New Testament is our guide, however, one may learn many great lessons and come to a greater understanding of the New covenant by a study of the Old (Rom. 15:4).