Judged from a surface standpoint the Bible is easily the most remarkable book in the world. That it should consist of two distinct parts, separated by about four centuries the one from the other, the latest book of the Old Testament being written nearly five hundred years before the first book of the New Testament, is a striking feature unshared by any other book in the world.
But digging beneath the surface we see how very wonderfully this was designed. Again, the inspiration of the Bible is stamped plainly on its pages, showing it to be the product of One Mind, even of God Himself. It is evident, too, that whilst the Old Testament is complete so far as its record goes, it needs something further to fully manifest its import.
We are reminded of a native convert, who had the New Testament given him by a missionary. By and by the convert came to the missionary, and, referring to the New Testament he was busy reading, said, "Please can you give me the first volume?" He plainly saw there were many allusions in the New Testament that referred to a previous book.
For instance, all the quotations from Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many of the Old Testament writers; references to Adam, Eve, Abraham, Melchisedec, Moses, David, Solomon, etc.; to customs such as the keeping of the passover, the rite of circumcision; the offering of sacrifices such as the sin-offering, peace-offering, burnt-offering—all show that there is a former volume of great authority, quoted as infallible and inspired of God.
It has often been tritely and truly said, that the New Testament is enfolded in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is unfolded in the New Testament. That the New Testament is latent in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is patent in the New Testament.
We have pointed out already that the Old Testament claims for itself inspiration, that our Lord affirmed this, that the New Testament also claims it. But how can we know that the New Testament is as fully inspired as the Old Testament? Our present inquiry furnishes the answer.
We will give an illustration, and then apply it. Some seals consist of two parts, the obverse and the reverse, the one fitting into the other with the most exact precision. The dictionary gives as a meaning of obverse, a second or complementary aspect of the same fact. Suppose further there is such a seal, made up of two complementary parts, known to be of great historic interest and value, but lost in the sands of Egypt. A party of archaeologists in the course of their excavations come across the reverse of this seal. They know there must be the obverse probably near. They diligently search for it. At last they find it. They compare the two parts. They fit exactly one to the other. One is complementary to the other. The design is so rich and full that it is not possible for an obverse belonging to another reverse to fit it perfectly. What conclusion do these archaeologists come to? That the reverse and obverse make one whole, one is part of the other, and together make completeness; that the one part is as authentic as the other. The proof is complete. The seal is one.
So with the Old Testament in relation to the New Testament. For instance, the prophecies of the Old Testament in relation to the coming of Christ into the world, the place and manner of His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, are all answered in the New Testament with their fulfillment to the very letter. The obverse and the reverse.
Again, the sacrifices—sin-offerings, burnt-offerings, peace-offerings—offered century after century on Jewish altars were prophetic in their character. They emphasized that there is no approach to God save through the offering up of the life of a victim, spotless and without blemish. "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)), is a refrain covering the whole of the Old Testament. But blessed be God, the one efficacious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus did what the blood of bulls and goats never could do. The Old Testament sacrifices were shadows, which effected nothing, save to point the way to the great efficacious sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Their priests were always standing offering the same sacrifices, which could never take away sins. The Lord Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, because the work of redemption is completed. It is thus proclaimed by a righteous God to be the full settlement of the sin question, that which sets Him free to offer salvation to guilty man wherever found. The obverse and the reverse.
The rite of circumcision, the cutting of the flesh, the rolling away of the reproach of Egypt (Josh. 5:99And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. (Joshua 5:9)), was prophetic in character. It found its counterpart in the rite of baptism in the New Testament, though baptism carries the thought still further. Circumcision was a rite to teach that the flesh, the evil nature, was condemned and would not do for God. It is like the broad arrow mark put upon the trees of the forest as the sign they are to be cut down. Baptism is like the sign acted upon, the trees felled to the ground. In baptism we are buried with Christ unto death, that, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, believers should walk "in newness of life" (Rom. 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)). Being planted in the likeness of His death, we, believers, shall also be found in the likeness of His resurrection. The obverse and the reverse.
Adam is " the figure of Him that was to come " (Rom. ς: 14). " The first man, Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:4545And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)). The obverse and the reverse.
We give two or three examples from the Epistle to the Hebrews. " Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a SERVANT... Christ as a SON over His own house " (Heb. 3:55And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; (Hebrews 3:5), 6). Note the contrast.
It is said of the priests of the old Jewish economy that " they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this Man [Christ], because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood" (Heb. 7:23,2423And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. (Hebrews 7:23‑24)). Note the contrast.
David writes in Psa. 32 " Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity" (verse 2). The Apostle Paul, quoting this in Rom. 4:7,87Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:7‑8), says, " Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Note, David in the dim light of types and prophecies could only take comfort from the negative, that the Lord will NOT impute sin to the believer; whereas Paul in the full light of the redemptive work of Christ gives us the comfort of the positive, that " God imputeth RIGHTEOUSNESS without works." How good it is to see the fuller light coming out.
First comes the starlit night of Judaism. David says in Psa. 8:33When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; (Psalm 8:3), " When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars," evidently a night scene. The Old Testament ends with "Unto you that fear My name shall the SUN of righteousness arise with healing in His wings" (Mai. 4: 2), a very evident allusion to our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, in his song of praise to the Lord exultingly exclaimed, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people... the Dayspring from on high hath visited us" (Luke 1:6868Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, (Luke 1:68) and 78). Our Lord Himself said, " I am the Light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:1212Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)). The obverse and the reverse.
Yes, it is blessedly true that "ALL Scripture [Old Testament and New Testament] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16,1716All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16‑17)).
We can be devoutly thankful for all that can be said in support of the inspiration of Scripture. It is given to us of the Lord to help us in the slowness of our faith. We may travel a good way on the road towards the goal, but it is true nevertheless that the last step in the full recognition of the Holy Scriptures, as the Word of God, is one of FAITH. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:77(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (2 Corinthians 5:7))·
We cannot follow the Modernist professor, who writes:
" It is quite in analogy with other facts to believe that a real vision of God may be compatible with imperfect knowledge of facts and events, and that a true point of view may co-exist with much intellectual error and confusion.... The truth may have taken on the color of the speaker's temperament and individuality, and so more or less distorted in expression, without losing its Divine quality."
We reject with scorn such an attitude to the Word of God. The professor would not write of any uninspired book in such degrading terms. What kind of Book would it be, if what he writes were true? A Book where truth and error are inextricably mixed up. We should never know whether we were building on a sound or a rotten foundation. To suggest coolly that God would be a party to deceit in a Book that is supposed to throw light on the profoundest matters of man's eternal well-being, and allow mankind to be mocked with a farrago of non-sense mingled with what he is condescending enough to describe as truth, is pitiable in the extreme. It does no credit to either heart or head. We brand it with indignation as the despair of common sense, an insult to God, a crime to his fellow men. No, thank God, we rise from our study with the conviction that if God graciously sends a message to man, He will send it unmixed with error, that it will be truth and light for mankind. " ALL Scripture is inspired."