By the time Jesus and His apostles lived, the Old Testament Scriptures had been completed for hundreds of years. They had been collected, preserved, copied, and circulated. First-century Jews quoted Old Testament Scripture as a standard of authority. In short, people used the Old Testament just like we today use the whole Bible.
What attitude did Jesus and His apostles show toward this use of the Old Testament?
Remember, Jesus and His apostles never hesitated to disagree with the Jews if they were spiritually wrong on any point. Did they object to how the Jews viewed the Old Testament? Did they say that God never intended the Scriptures to be written and circulated as authority and law? Did the say the Scriptures were not intended for future generations, as some today are saying about our use of the Bible?
By understanding how Jesus and faithful first-century men viewed and treated Old Testament Scripture, we can understand how we today should view and treat the completed Scriptures as we have them today.
A. The Attitude of Jesus toward the Old Testament Scriptures
Jesus quoted Scripture as authoritative revelation from God.
Matthew 15:1-6 - Jesus quoted Old Testament Scripture as being what God said (v4), the command of God (v3), the Word of God (v6).
Matthew 22:23-33 - When Sadducees confronted Jesus about the resurrection, He said they were in error because they did not know the Scriptures. Then He cited a Scripture written by Moses to answer them. [Mark 12:24,27]
John 10:35 - "The Scripture cannot be broken."
During Jesus' lifetime, the Old Testament laws were in effect just like the New Testament laws are in effect for us today. He viewed them as the word and command of God. We will see that is the same attitude we should take toward the New Testament.
[Luke 16:29-31; 4:17ff; 24:27,44-46; John 5:39,45-47; 1:45; Matthew 26:54,56; Luke 3:4; 7:27; 18:31; 21:22; 22:37; John 2:22; 7:38; 13:18; 17:12; 19:24,28,36,37; 20:9; Matthew 2:5; 11:10; 26:24,31; Mark 1:2; 9:1-14; Matthew 5:17; John 12:14,16; 15:25]
Jesus obeyed the Old Testament, taught others to obey it, and rebuked those who did not understand or obey it.
Matthew 4:4,7,10 - When Jesus was tempted, He quoted Scripture as the unanswerable standard of right and wrong.
Luke 10:25-28 - When questioned about God's commands, Jesus urged men to go to the Scriptures for the answer.
Even though the Old Testament was written many generations before His day, Jesus never disagreed with the Jews that it was a pattern revealing God's will. He used it as authority and expected others to do the same. Some people today criticize us for using Scripture this way, but it is exactly the way Jesus used it.
[Matthew 21:42-45; 15:7-9; 22:41-45; 24:15; 21:13; 13:13-15; Luke 4:16-21; Mark 7:6; 12:10; John 6:44,45; 8:17ff; Luke 2:23; Matthew 8:1ff]
B. The Attitude of the Apostles and Other Inspired Men toward the Old Testament
They viewed the Old Testament Scriptures as the inspired will of God revealing His very words to man.
2 Peter 1:20,21 - The Scriptures came by the will of God, not the will of man.
1 Corinthians 10:1-11 - The Old Testament contains examples for our learning and admonition.
New Testament writers realized that Old Testament laws are not binding today, but that is because God Himself removed that law and replaced it with the New Testament. But they still recognized that the Old Testament was the very word of God, and that as long as it was in effect, Jews of all generations had to obey it. Even today it reveals useful principles and examples.
[Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Romans 11:2,4; 15:4; 3:9-18; 1 Corinthians 9:9,10; 1 Timothy 5:18; Hebrews 1:5-14; Romans 9:17; 12:19; James 2:8ff; 1 Corinthians 1:19,31; 3:19,20; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 8:15; 9:9; 1 Peter 1:16; Romans 4:3,23,24; James 2:23ff; Romans 15:25,26]
They used the Scriptures to prove Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 17:2,3 - Paul reasoned from the Scriptures to prove Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 2:24-36 - Peter said prophecies from David were fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus.
In making such arguments, these inspired men recognized the Old Testament as authority and proof for their positions. This is exactly what people say we today should not do.
[Romans 1:1-4; 2 Peter 2:6-8; Acts 18:24,28; Galatians 3:10,13,22-25; 4:21-31; 1 Cor. 15:1-4]
They cited other New Testament events as fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.
Acts 2:14ff - The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.
Acts 15:13-21 - Old Testament prophecy provided evidence that Gentiles could be saved according to the gospel.
Both Jesus and His apostles recognized that behind the Old Testament Scriptures stood the authority and infallibility of God Himself. If the Scriptures said it, it must be true because that means God said it. The Scriptures were a pattern for future generations. When you know what the Scriptures say, you know what God Himself says.
This serves as a pattern for us (1 Peter 2:21f; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 4:9; etc.). We should have the same attitude toward the completed Scriptures that they had toward the Old Testament Scriptures.
[Acts 1:16,20; 8:32,35; Romans 10:11,13; Galatians 3:8; Acts 7:42; 13:29,33; Romans 11:2-4; Hebrews 8:8-13; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Romans 1:17; 9:13,33; 11:8,26; 14:11; Hebrews 10:7]
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