Session
2: Section 2
The
Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament
The
New Testament is full of references and allusions to
the Old Testament. We cannot hope to understand the
New Testament without knowing about its Old Testament
foundation. In this section, we will look at this concept.
The
Old Testament background to the life of Christ
 |
Look
at the following sections and see how they are
telling us that the life of Jesus must be understood
with the Old Testament in mind.
Matthew 5 v 17 and 18
John 1 v 45 |
There
are many places where the Old Testament is referred
to in the Gospels.
|
|
Have
a look at these verses:
Matthew 2 v 3 to 6, 3 v 1 to 3
Mark 12 v 1 to 11, 15 v 27 to 28
John 12 v 37 to 41, 19 v 23 to 24, 32 to 37
|
After his
death and resurrection, Jesus made it very clear that
we must read the Old Testament to understand what his
own life’s work was all about.
Notice
the following:
|
Verse
25
|
"O
foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all
that the prophets have spoken!". |
|
Verse
27
|
"And
beginning at Moses and all the prophets,
he expounded to them in all the Scriptures
the things concerning himself". |
|
Verse
32
|
"Did
not our heart burn within us while he talked with
us on the road, and while he opened the Scriptures
to us?". |
|
Verse
44
|
"These
are the words which I spoke to you while I was still
with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
and the Psalms concerning me". |
Verse
44 very clearly tells us to look for allusions to
Christ in the Law of Moses (Genesis
to Deuteronomy), the prophets (Isaiah to Malachi)
and the Psalms. So
when reading all of these books we should look for
"echoes" of the life and work of Jesus. We
saw in Session 1, Section 2 how Isaiah 53 looks forward
to Christ.
|
Verse
45
|
"He
opened their understanding, that they might comprehend
the Scriptures". |
The
Old Testament as used by first-century believers
The
record of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that the first–century
believers used the Old Testament extensively when giving
people their message. Let’s look at just one of the speeches
made in Acts:
Verses
17 to 21 is are quotation from Joel 2 v 28 to 32
Verses
25 to 28 are a quotation from Psalm 16 v 8 to 11
Verse
30 is a reference to Psalm 132 v 11
Verse
31 refers to Psalm 16 v 10
Verses
34 and 35 are a quotation from Psalm 110 v 1.
The
same happens in the speeches recorded in chapters 3,
4, 7 and 13
Summary
- The
Old Testament is the foundation for the New Testament.
- Look
for "echoes" of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
- Look
for allusions to the Old Testament in the New Testament.
Optional
Assignment 2
Look
at the speeches we have already mentioned in Acts chapters
3, 4, 7 and 13. As you read the verses we have noted in
the list below have a look at the corresponding Old Testament
references and see how they are being quoted.
| Reference
in Acts |
Old
Testament Reference |
| 3
v 22 and 23 |
Deuteronomy
18 v 15, 18, 19 |
| 3
v 25 |
Genesis
22 v 18 |
|
|
| 4
v 11 |
Psalm
118 v 22 |
| 4
v 25 and 26 |
Psalm
2 v 1 and 2 |
|
|
| 7
v 3 |
Genesis
12 v 1 |
| 7
v 5 |
Genesis
12 v 7, 13 v 15 |
| 7
v 6 |
Genesis
15 v 13 and 14 |
| 7
v 27 and 28 |
Exodus
2 v 13 and 14 |
| 7
v 32 |
Exodus
3 v 6 |
| 7
v 33 and 34 |
Exodus
3 v 1 to 10 |
| 7
v 37 |
Deuteronomy
18 v 15 |
| 7
v 40 |
Exodus
32 v 1 and 23 |
| 7
v 42 and 43 |
Amos
5 v 25 to 27 |
| 7
v 44 |
Exodus
25 v 40 |
| 7
v 49 and 50 |
Isaiah
66 v 1 and 2 |
|
|
| 13
v 22 |
1
Samuel 13 v 14 |
| 13
v 33 |
Psalm
2 v 7 |
| 13
v 34 |
Isaiah
55 v 3 |
| 13
v 35 |
Psalm
16 v 10 |
| 13
v 41 |
Habakkuk
1 v 5 |
| 13
v 47 |
Isaiah
49 v 6 |
|
