Biblical Landmarks

No, this is not a math lesson!

In my essay “Unequal Testaments” I explored the question of how and where does the New Testament get its authority. Here’s something else to add to those comments.

Consider the teaching of the Old Testament itself in one of its key passages, Deut. 4:2. “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Thus spoke Moses.

It is an interesting fact, according to McDonald, that “All Scriptures after the Torah received their authority from the Torah and were always viewed in relation to it” (Lee McDonald, The Biblical Canon, p. 176). Now the Torah was the Law of God as found in the first five books of the Bible. And here we see a consistent pattern of scholarship:

* The Torah is the original standard
* Everything following was judged in relationship to it
* Jesus said he did not come to abolish the law
* And if people understood the law and the prophets, they would understand Jesus.
* Jesus agreed with the Torah
* The Apostle Paul followed Jesus and he never disagreed with the Torah
* The other apostolic writers also followed Jesus, and they never abandoned the Torah either.
* No one EVER added anything to — or subtracted anything from — the Torah.
* And the writer of Revelation, for good measure, added the reminder about adding or subtracting from the Word of God (Rev. 22:18ff)

Do you see now why it is not possible for interpretations that dismiss the Old Testament law or any part of it? Do you see now the consistency there is between the two testaments? They are not unequal. If anything, the Old Testament is superior to the New, for it provides the defining and governing principles for everything that follows.

Since Christians are having trouble understanding the two testaments and their unity, I wonder if there is some correlation between this and the fact that our nations around the world are moving further and further away from the Word of God. Whatever happened to Christendom?

Something to think about.