General
Why Starting in the Old Testament Helps Us Understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Testament
By starting in Genesis, with the Fall of mankind, the importance of Jesus Christ becomes apparent.
If a person starts only in the New Testament, there might be a tendency to think that Jesus is simply a philosophical alternative to whatever else is out there. Instead of “fill in the blank”, I now believe in Jesus.
But it is more than that.
Mankind at creation had fellowship with God.
Mankind lost that fellowship in the Fall.
Mankind was without hope. The broken state of mankind was carried on generation after generation. Mankind was cut off from fellowship with God. The promise of a Redeemer were given through a covenant with Abraham, carried down through Israel; ultimately Jesus Christ came through that lineage for all mankind. The summary of a person’s “before salvation through Jesus Christ” state is this; all individuals born on this planet are born in this state.
Ephesisans 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
The summary of a person’s state after being born again and reconciled to God through Christ Jesus is this.
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
This is why Jesus is not simply another name, another philospher, another religious figure, another teacher, another prophet. Jesus did operate as a prophet, as a teacher; he is considered a religious figure.
But beyond all that, the main thing that Jesus did is to live a sinless life as the Son of God, and then die, so the sinless Lamb of God’s Blood could be shed to satisfy the just demands of Heaven. There was and is no other way to reconciliation to God except through the Blood and Cross of Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Jesus Christ is not just a thought, a different religious leader’s name. Jesus Christ provided the legal remedy for the Fall, but it is up to each individual to receive it.
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Repost: CfaN Gospel Crusade | Ngwa – Aba, Nigeria
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Remove not the landmarks which the fathers have set
Questions exist around the arts in the preaching of the gospel. This question has arisen before in history.
Stained glass windows were “the bible of the poor” who could not read. The symbols and colors spoke a message for the illiterate. The message of the gospel was conveyed through art.
Similarly, halos conveyed a meaning of holiness or someone sent from God. Again, images and colors mattered in the oil paintings.
So while we of the twenty-first century looking backward might think these things quaint or unnecessary, they did convey the gospel message to people who were not able to read the Bible for themselves. This was a time of no TVs, no videos, no movies, no cell phones, no texts, no instant messaging, no technology. All they had to work with to convey messages were stained glass windows, paintings, statues, songs and large Bibles recopied by hand by monks in monasteries that only a few could read. They had to convey the message of the gospel in the mediums of the day.
Proverbs 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
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A Question Might Arise ….
The question might arise if God’s purposes have changed between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul, whose many letters to the churches are contained in the New Testament, talks about children; there can’t be children without a father and mother. In Paul’s day things like in vitro fertilization did not exist.
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
So when it comes to the transgender, homosexual, and LBGTQ+ issue, Paul had this to say:
Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
In another place Paul says to go back to the Old Testament to learn life lessons. At that time, the New Testament had not yet been written. We now have both the New Testament and Old Testament.
I Corinthians 10:10 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
As a good Pharisee-in-training before he was converted, Paul would have read the first five books of the Bible which included the account of Noah and the Flood. At that time, there was genetic manipulation between mankind and fallen angels which is why God had to wipe out the bad genetic seed in order to preserve a pure genetic line through which could come Jesus the Christ. The whole Old Testament follows the story of Abraham and his descendants, the children of Israel, through whom Christ came. Those genealogies are listed in the Matthew and Luke (starting in verse 23, which extends back to Adam). And even though Joseph was the adoptive father, as Jesus came through the virgin birth, in order to be free from the sin nature passed on since Adam, so that Jesus could become the Saviour through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, the genealogy is listed to show that Jesus fulfilled prophecy of being of the house and lineage of David.
Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
The point is, the message of the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament. Both point to Jesus who is called the Word made flesh.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
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