The Testimony of the New Testaments to the Old Testament
Looking as briefly as possible into the epistles, we find the appeal to scripture always final and decisive. In Romans 3, man’s utter ruin, all having “sinned,” “all guilty,” and “all under sin,” proved by quotations from the Old Testament scriptures. In Romans 4, when the question is raised as to whether a man is “justified by works,” scripture is at once appealed to – “What saith the scripture?” And the writing of Moses, that “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness’ decides it. But lest any should suppose there was a difference as to this, in those who lived under the law, David is referred to, to show that even such as lived under law had no righteousness before God, but that which is of faith. “Even as David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Psa. 32). In other parts of the epistle references are made to the prophet Habakkuk, Isaiah, and other prophets, besides the books of Moses and the Psalms, as bearing divine and unquestionable testimony.
In the epistles to the Corinthians we see the same appeal to scripture. Who would have thought that when Jehovah wrote by Moses, “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn,” it had any reference to the saints now in ministering to those who preach the gospel? But, saith the inspired apostle, “Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1 Cor. 9:9-119For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? (1 Corinthians 9:9‑11)).
In Galatians when false teachers had been seeking to undermine the gospel by mixing law with it, Genesis is again quoted to show that Abraham had righteousness only on the principle of faith; and to prove that now, those who “be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham,” it is most authoritatively added, that “the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” Habakkuk also is referred to, and tells us that “the just shall live by faith,” Deuteronomy, that Christ has been made a curse for us, “As it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree,” and has thus redeemed us from the curse of the law; and the inspired apostle further sets the Old Testament before us in its divine and infinite authority, by saving, “The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” (Chapter 3; 6-22).
We cannot conclude our brief view of the apostle Paul’s testimony to the sacred writings of the Old Testament, without referring to the epistle to the Hebrews. There in Hebrews 1:11God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (Hebrews 1:1) he disperses all question on the subject, if any yet existed. “God,” he tells us, has spoken “unto the fathers by the prophets.’’ Nothing can be more conclusive and incontestable, for it is “God” who “hath spoken.” Let not the reader fail to notice also, that in Hebrews 3 and 10, the writer quotes from the book of Psalms and Jeremiah, and speaks of them as what the Holy Spirit saith. It need scarcely be added that a great deal of this epistle is a divine commentary on sacrifice, priesthood, approach to God, worship and communion as taught by types of the tabernacle, priesthood, and sacrifices offered according to the law. Hebrews 11 also authenticates a great deal of scripture from Genesis to the book of Daniel.
James appeals to scripture as conclusive. He also brings the prophets before us without one exception who have spoken in the name of Jehovah and quotes from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Joshua, and 1 Kings.
John, in his first epistle, gives us as a test to distinguish truth and error, the hearing of the apostles, “We are of God; he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” He authenticates the books of Moses by quoting from them. Jude also, in referring to Enoch and other parts of scripture, gives these writings unquestionable authority.
Thus we have looked briefly at a few of the testimonies which the New Testament writers and speakers give as to the validity and authenticity of the inspiration of the Old Testament scriptures. It is well not to overlook the fact, that the disciples were unintelligent as to the resurrection of our Lord, because “they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead:” that is, the Old Testament scriptures which “were written for our learning.” Our Lord also told His two loved disciples going to Emmaus that they were in error because they did not believe the scripture, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?”
(To be continued.)