Many movements over the years have tried to claim the modern church does not need to focus on the Old Testament. I believe the tagline was that Christians need to unhitch the New Testament from the Old Testament. These movements though have, and still fail, to cite any biblical foundation for this concept. Thankfully there are still many Christians who understand the significance the Old Testament holds. Sadly though most do not spend enough if any time in the first 39 books of their Bible. Failing to see that the modern Christian church was built upon the Old Testament and that it still needs it just as much today.
The first church was not built using the New Testament scriptures because it had yet to be written. Instead, they taught the message of Jesus using the only scriptures they had. Which of course are those from the Old Testament. Jesus, the Apostles, and other faithful people of the first church were able to show Jews and gentiles alike that Jesus was the messiah, sins could be forgiven, and even that the gentiles were being called by God all from the Books of Moses and the prophets. Which we are able to see all throughout the New Testament.
Luke 24:27 (ESV)
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Acts 8:35 (ESV)
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
Acts 17:2–4 (ESV)
2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
The writer of Hebrews consistently points its readers to Old Testament accounts. Using them to teach its readers how to live based on the lives of those who came long before them. In fact, the whole eleventh chapter of the book is dedicated to doing just that. The writer even points to the fact that they could not tell of the great faith of all those chronicled in the Old Testament in his short letter. As if he is pointing the reader to go and read them for themselves.
Hebrews 11:32 (ESV)
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—
It is within the first section of our Bibles that we learn so many important lessons. Like how humanity came to be on earth. How sin first entered the world. Or the very path that leads to the savior of the world being born in a manger. Not to mention the countless lessons about how we are to live a righteous life that comes from the Old Testament.
As Paul points out we are told that the scriptures are meant to be our example. In that very same verse, he even points out that they were recorded for those of us living in the last days. Showing the need we still have for the well-aged scriptures contained in our Bibles.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (ESV)
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
What we have to understand as the modern church is that the Old Testament still holds significance today. It is a part of God’s word and He made sure that it made it to us for a reason. We all agree that every New Testament scripture is God-breathed, useful for teaching, able to correct us, and equips us for every good work. But those very same statements are true of the Old Testament as well.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The very messages of hope, joy, peace, forgiveness, sin, and Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins that we often teach from the New Testament can all be taught directly from the Old Testament. We have simply been blessed by God to have even more of the story recorded in what we know as the New Testament. It gives us even more understanding of God and His plan for people but without the Old Testament, it has no foundation.
Just as we need the New Testament today as Christians we also need the Old. If it was good enough for those who helped build the first church it still good enough for those of us in the modern church. There will never be a time where the church does not still need to study and use the Old Testament. As Jesus said clearly He did not come to erase the law but to fulfill it. All we see will eventually pass away but the word will live forever.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Matthew 24:35 (ESV)
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Don’t neglect the Old Testament as you spend time in the word. It is packed with valuable information meant to have an impact on the life of every believer. The Christian Faith is found all the way through the Bible from start to finish. Yes, we live in a different covenant than they did and the church even looks much different today. But it all brought us to where we are and the modern church still needs the Old Testament.
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