A SUPPLEMENTARY STUDY
THE CHRISTIAN’S USE
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
H UGO M C C ORD
“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead
us to Christ, so that we may be justified by
faith” (Galatians 3:24).
The importance of a taproot to a tree is the
importance of the Old Testament to Christianity.
Jesus and every New Testament writer made use
of the Old Testament. Let us look at six ways in
which every well-informed Christian should use
the Old Testament today.
I NVESTIGATING O RIGINS
The New Testament points to the Old Testa-
ment for “the beginning of creation” (Mark 10:6).
Likewise, questions regarding man’s origin are
answered in the Old Testament: “Have you not
read that He who created them from the begin-
ning made them male and female” (Matthew
19:4). The New Testament refers to the Old Tes-
tament when it discusses “the first man, Adam”
(1 Corinthians 15:45). When asked as to origins,
a Christian can refer inquirers to the Book of
Genesis, as did Jesus and Paul.
P ROVING J ESUS ’ D EITY
By studying Old Testament prophecies, one
may be sure that Jesus is the Son of God. Many
lines of reasoning converge in the one thought
that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Christ, the
Son of the living God. Among these are His
remarkable teachings (John 7:46), His sinlessness
(John 8:46), His miracles (John 10:25), His influ-
ence (Acts 4:13), and His sacrificial love (John
10:11). However, the proof most often appealed
to by New Testament Christians was the evi-
dence found in the Old Testament.
Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost
pointed to one fact: that Jesus is “both Lord and
Christ” (Acts 2:36b). Peter took most of his proof
for that fact from the Books of Joel and Psalms.
In his sermon on Solomon’s porch, Peter as-
serted that “the things which God announced
beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets,
that His Christ would suffer, He has thus ful-
filled. . . .” (Acts 3:18–21). Since Peter preached
as the Spirit gave him utterance (Acts 2:4), his
use of the Old Testament must have been exactly
what God wanted.
Likewise, Stephen, speaking by the Spirit
(Acts 6:10), referred to Genesis, Exodus, Deut-
eronomy, Joshua, Amos, and Isaiah in preaching
the deity of Christ. Philip used an Old Testament
passage to preach Jesus to the Ethiopian officer
(Acts 8:26–38). To the Gentile Cornelius, Peter
affirmed concerning Jesus, “. . . the prophets
bear witness that through His name everyone
who believes in Him receives forgiveness of
sins” (Acts 10:43).
Paul, in a sermon in Antioch, made direct
references to the Pentateuch, to Joshua, to the
Books of Samuel, to the Book of Psalms, to
Habakkuk, to Isaiah. In addition, he pointed out
that “the utterances of the prophets” were ful-
filled when Jesus was crucified (Acts 13:27).
Apparently, it was the regular practice of
Paul, as well as all other New Testament preach-
ers, to reason from the Old Testament Scriptures
that Christ was predicted to suffer and to rise
again from the dead (see Acts 17:3). This proper
and perhaps most important use of the Old Tes-
tament was employed by Jesus Himself in Luke
24:27.
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 U NDERSTANDING S YMBOLS
In addition to the prophecies about Him,
Jesus is set forth in the Old Testament by means
of types, symbols, or shadows. When a Christian
reads about the scapegoat, the Passover lamb,
the high priest, the temple veil, the manna, or
the brass serpent, he sees Christ portrayed. He
also sees Christ depicted in Adam, Melchizedek,
Moses, David, and Jonah. He recognizes the
story of Noah and the flood as a type of
baptism (1 Peter 3:20, 21). When he reads the
story of Hagar and Sarah, he sees an allegory
of the old and new covenants (Galatians 4:21–
31).
In the Hebrews’ crossing of the Red Sea, he
sees a sinner’s baptism; in the wilderness wan-
dering, he sees the church exemplified; and in
the Promised Land, he sees a foretaste of heaven.
In the tabernacle, he sees a picture of the New
Testament church; and in the priesthood, he
sees a shadow of Christianity. In Old Testament
circumcision, he sees a type of the gospel’s cut-
ting away sins from one’s life.
C OMPARING THE C OVENANTS
Similar principles are taught in the old and
the new covenants. The truth that man does not
live by bread only, but by God’s Word also, is
just as clearly taught by Moses as by Jesus
(Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). That man is
not to tempt God (Matthew 4:7) is no less true
now than when it was first written in the Old
Testament (Deuteronomy 6:16). Man is to wor-
ship only the one true God—that has always
been true and always will be (Deuteronomy
6:13; Matthew 4:10). Under both covenants, ex-
ternal lip service is wrong (Isaiah 29:13; Mark
7:6). Commands were written to be obeyed un-
der each covenant (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; John
15:10). Under each, the message of God has been
imparted by teaching (Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45).
The two greatest commandments of the old
law (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18) remain
the two greatest under Christ (Matthew 22:37–
39).
Some key teachings of new covenant con-
duct are upheld by Old Testament passages. For
example, Paul appealed for the support of gos-
pel preachers by quoting Deuteronomy 25:4
(1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18). He quoted
from the Ten Commandments to show the im-
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portance of righteous living (Romans 13:8–10).
He referred to the Old Testament in appealing
for women’s subjection to male leadership (1 Co-
rinthians 14:34; see Genesis 3:16). James, too,
leaned on the Ten Commandments to teach
against showing partiality (James 2:8–11).
C ONTRASTING THE C OVENANTS
The principles of the kingdom of God are
better seen in contrast against the nullified Old
Testament laws. Jesus quoted from the Old Tes-
tament, adding “but I say” for His followers
(Matthew 5:21, 22). Paul emphasized the con-
trast between the circumcision of the Old
Testament and the heart-circumcision of the
new creature in Christ (Joshua 5:2; Galatians
6:15).
We see the dead animal sacrifices of the Old
against the living human sacrifices of the New
(Leviticus 1:3; Romans 12:1), and physical Jeru-
salem as contrasted with spiritual Zion (1 Kings
9:3; Galatians 4:26). The former law was written
on stones, but the latter is written on hearts
(2 Corinthians 3:3).
L EARNING F ROM E XAMPLES
Old Testament figures provide tremendous
examples of faithfulness to God (Hebrews 12:1).
Likewise, they demonstrate the consequences of
unfaithfulness. Jesus found reasons to refer to
Elijah and a widow, as well as Elisha and
Naaman (Luke 4:25–27). He illustrated His ser-
mons by referring to Noah (Matthew 24:37),
Jonah (Matthew 12:41), Solomon (Matthew 12:42),
and Lot and his wife (Luke 17:29, 32).
Paul believed that Christians can be helped
by examples of disobedience among the Israel-
ites (1 Corinthians 10:1–12). The writer of the
Book of Hebrews viewed the resources of the
Old Testament as so abundant that they could
not all be employed: “For time will fail me if I
tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of
David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews
11:32).
C ONCLUSION
Though there are wrong uses of the Old
Testament, it may be gainfully and properly
employed to the salvation of souls. It shows how
the world and the human race came into exis-
tence, and it demonstrates that Jesus of Nazareth
is the Son of God. We see in the Old Testament phasize the beauty of the law of liberty. Finally,
the shadows of Christianity. While it reinforces it provides clear examples to encourage people
many of the same principles which we are to live today to live in obedience to God. ■
by, it also contains stark contrasts which em- Adapted
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED