Bible Studies

HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE Part Three

by Henry Jaegers
04/08/19
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HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE

Part Three

By Henry Jaegers

 UNDERSTANDING THE NEW TESTAMENT

 INTRODUCTION

          As we begin this introduction to the study of the New Testament, I find it necessary to address theories held by many well-intentioned Christians concerning the Old Testament. First, the New Testament does not do away with the Old Testament. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are the Word of God. They are equally important, but the one does not do away with the other. I hear people say that they just believe in the New Testament, and do not agree with the teaching of the Old Testament.   They say “that the Old Testament is just a lot of rules and regulations intended for Jews.” Second, Jesus said, “I did not come to do away with the law, I came to fulfill it.” He didn’t say that he came to replace it, or as some believe, add to it to make it more complete. Again, these are thoughts many people hold that are not scriptural.

There are some who think that when Jesus came, his purpose was to give greater understanding of the law and introduced more laws in order to make it complete. Third, here is the one we hear most often. In the Old Testament, they were saved by keeping the law; in the New Testament, we are saved by grace. This view comes from misunderstanding of how law and grace complement each other. Again, this interpretation is based on an improper understanding of the purpose of the law. This teaching is most dangerous because it disregards the idea of holiness, attached to the purpose of the law and encourages lawlessness. “Under grace” does not mean we are free to do as we please, and ignore the Law’s requirements.

On a positive note, let’s look at how the Old Testament and New Testament are complementary and how the teaching of law and grace is necessary.

In the Old Testament, the law and the prophets were the means by which God communicated to his people. The law is holy and just and good (Said the apostle Paul), and it reflected the perfection of God. The 10 Commandments are reflections of God’s perfection. It is like a standard whereby men’s actions are measured. Because man has sin, he is unable to keep the commandments of God perfectly (as required). God’s passing grade is 100% (He does not grade on the curve).  In the book of James, chapter 2, verse 10, James states that “whosoever keeps the whole law, and offends in one point, he is guilty of all”.  God gave us a law that man cannot keep because of sin. I often like to ask people the question, “why would God give us a law that He knew we could not keep?” The answer is, He did, and He did it on purpose. God knew that man could not possibly keep that law perfectly. This is important to know. It raises the question, “why then, did God give us a commandment we could not keep?”

As we read in the New Testament, Paul states that the purpose of the law was not given for man to keep in the sense of producing righteousness. Paul also stated that if righteousness came by keeping the law, then Christ is dead in vain. He also said that the law was given in order for the whole world to become guilty before God. So. the law was given for the purpose of producing guilt. When sinful man is measured against the holiness of God, he falls short. That’s what Romans 3:23 means when it says “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. That addresses three important facts; first, the glory of God refers to the commandment that man cannot keep requiring a perfect fulfillment; second, the verse says all have sinned. That means all men. When measured against this standard, all men fall short. That’s what sin means; to miss the Mark or fall short. So, we come to understand Romans 3:23 in a new way. Man, when measured against the holy law of God, falls short. That includes the Christian in the New Testament era and the Jew in the Old Testament era. When they stand before the holy law of God, they are all equally sinners in need of salvation.

Now, this is taught both in the New Testament and the Old Testament. In order for man to find forgiveness, God has to make a provision. In the Old Testament, we have the book of Leviticus that describes in detail what is necessary to claim forgiveness and to live free from the power of sin. That’s what the New Testament teaches as well. The Old Testament system in Leviticus was a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ. The Levitical system was intended by God to be temporary, but necessary for the time. It was the way that God provided for guilty men to find forgiveness and freedom from the guilt. But later, there would be one who would come and fulfill all these ordinances and blood sacrifices and everything that the Levitical system contained. In other words, when Jesus came, these ordinances and such were no longer necessary. Christ performed all these ceremonies within himself and in that way, he fulfilled the law. The law was later completely fulfilled when Jesus came; it doesn’t mean that the law was done away. There was still sin, there was the law that produced guilt, there are men who were sinners who are guilty, and there was a way provided by God for men to be forgiven.

In Matthew, chapter 5 verse 17, Jesus gave a very important lesson on this matter of fulfilling the law. He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law; or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you; till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law; till all be fulfilled.” What Jesus was saying is that his coming did not do away with the law. The law required certain things to be fulfilled. For instance, death on the cross needed to take place before salvation could be available. Until all required actions are completed, the law would still be in place. The coming of the Holy Spirit would also be part of that fulfillment. The non-Christian who refuses the offer of salvation is practically still under that law because the application of guilt produced by the Holy Spirit, which leads to salvation, has not yet occurred so Christ’s finished work, would not apply to him. He is still under the curse of the law until he turns to Christ. All of the ceremonies listed in the Levitical system were all fulfilled in Christ. That means they are symbolic meaning that they have finally been fulfilled. Man, without Christ is essentially still under the law until he by God’s grace receives the gift of eternal life. Jesus final word on the cross as he gasped his last breath was, “it is finished”. The law’s requirements have been fulfilled and salvation’s work is complete. How shall we not respond with these wonderful words? “Hallelujah, what a Savior?”

So, you can see the teachings of the Old Testament are perfectly in harmony with the new. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament verifies all of this, but for now, this is all that we need to know. Be assured of this, the New Testament has not fulfilled the Old Testament, Jesus in his ministry has. He is our great high priest. So, we don’t need the Levitical priests. His blood is the only blood that avails. It is pure and replaces the blood of sheep and goats. The Holy Spirit places within the heart of every Christian the means by which he can fulfill the perfect law of God. Without Christ, men cannot keep the law and have no desire but for the Christian, there is love for the law and the ability and desire to fulfill it, made possible through the ministry of the Holy Spirit who resides within the believer. The fulfilling of the law is possible when the Holy Spirit resides in our lives.

  As we pursue the whole teaching of the Bible, we must keep the Old and New Testament intact because they teach these three things.

 First, that Jesus the Messiah is coming (The Old Testament).

 

Second, that Jesus the Messiah has come. (The New Testament)

Third, that Jesus the Messiah is coming again. (All prophetical scriptures including Revelation and Matthew 24.

It is proper to view the Old Testament Israelites as the Old Testament church (Before Christ’s arrival and the New Testament Church as such was established.) The “Greek word for church is the word “ecclesia” which interpreted means “a called-out assembly.” That can also include the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, however, in its truest sense, it refers to Christ and His followers and only converted Israelites. We must, of necessity, emphasize this distinction