How do all the Old Testament laws and requirements apply to Christians today? I have heard this question many times, and it’s an excellent and important question. The Old Testament is full of dietary regulations, clothing requirements, feast and festivals… and the church hasn’t practiced many of those things for thousands of years. So what is for us today and what is not?
The good news is that there are answers to these questions. And over a series of a few posts I would like to share with you some principles for understanding and applying Old Testament law as New Covenant believers.
However, before we get into the specifics of how to understand the laws of the Old Testament, we need to understand the relationship of the Old Testament to us today. Romans 15:4 is helpful in our understanding of this.
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
John Stott points out 5 truths from this verse that helps us understand the Old Testament…
All Scripture has a contemporary intention.
We all understand that all of the books of the Old Testament were written to a particular audience in their day. But under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul here writes that “what was written in former days was written for our instruction.” God sovereignly intended for His Word written in the past to be for our instruction today.
All Scripture has inclusive value.
Having quoted half of Ps. 69:9 Paul concludes that “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction.” The word for whatever that Paul uses here isn’t a nebulous word but carries the idea of “everything.” Everything written was written for us as well as it’s original audience.
All Scripture has a Christological focus.
Paul understands that Ps. 69:9, written by David, is a passage that really points to Jesus. This is the same verse that came to the disciples mind when Jesus removed the money changers from the temple. All Scripture ultimately points to, and finds its fulfillment in, Jesus.
All Scripture has practical purpose.
In 2 Tim. 3:15 Paul, again under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reminds Timothy that “…the sacred writings…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” The only “sacred writings” that would have been available to Timothy when he was a child would have been the Old Testament. Paul understood, like Jesus in Luke 24:27, that all of the Old Testament writings are practical in helping us understand who Jesus is and how to be forgiven through faith in Jesus.
All Scripture is a divine message.
The same “endurance and…encouragement” that are attributed to Scripture in Romans 15:4 are attributed to God in verse 5. John Stott says that this “…can only mean that it is God himself who encourages us through the living voice of the Scripture. For God continues to speak through what he has spoken.” Scriptures words are God’s voice.
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Now that we have an understanding that all 66 books of the Bible are relevant for Christians today we can begin to see how we are to properly relate to the text of the Old Testament. We will look more at this in future posts…stay tuned!