UNITY OF THE BIBLE

Often we hear comments like, "I just can't read the Old Testament to understand it." Or, "I read the New Testament and don't see any need to really read much of the Old Testament." Granted, there are some difficult passages, especially in the Prophetical writings, to understand and there are some difficult passages in the New Testament to understand as well. Yet we understand that it has been said and shown that "the New Testament is contained in the Old and the Old Testament is revealed in the New." Reading the Bible as a unit is critical for a better and continued understanding of the Bible.

There are some 300 places in the New Testament that refers to an Old Testament passage or passage combination and starts with "It is written" (Matthew 21:13) or "As it is Written" (Mark 1:2) or a similar phrase. There are some 4000 (4 thousand) allusions to a passage, part of a passage, compilation of passages or combination of passages of the Old Testament in the New Testament (borrowed, Lecture by David Turner, Trinity Theological Seminary). There are passages in the Old Testament that predict the coming of Messiah (Read Isaiah 53), where He will be born (Micah 5:2), the fulfillment in the New Testament (John 7:42), how He will come into this world (Isaiah 7:14) and the fulfillment (Matthew 1:22-23).

So as we read the Bible we can be more awakened to understand that when we see something in the New Testament that refers back to the Old, the unity of the Bible becomes more obvious. Also, when we read something in the Old Testament that predicts a future event, often the fulfillment is contained in the New. There are prophecies in both that have not been fulfilled but that is another subject. As the Apostle Paul declares "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). Peter and Paul and the early New Testament Christians read the Old Testament (as it was then) and interpreted it. Thank God for the Old Testament and the New Testament and the Unity of the Bible.

Thanks for stopping by . . .until next time.