PAUL AND THE OLD TESTAMENT Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama) March 27, 2019 Paul and the Old Testament Scriptures! How did Paul approach the Old Testament scriptures? How did he define them? What place do they have today under grace? What did he actually say about them? There is a lot of error and false information being taught in the church today about the Old Testament Scriptures and the Four Gospels. Many dispensationalists have put up a no trespassing sign on the Old Testament scriptures and the Four Gospels and if you base doctrine on them today they will accuse you of “wrongly dividing the word of truth”. For example: Cornelius Stam says; "While as the Word of God, prophecy is fully important as any other part of the Scripture, it deals directly with Israel and the nations, not with the body of Christ". In other words doctrine for the church is not found in the prophets according to him. Paul Sadler says; "The doctrines of Grace taught by Paul are untraceable in Genesis through Acts 9 and James – Revelation. Again he is saying doctrine for the church is not found in the Old Testament or even James through Revelation. So he is saying the only books in the Bible where you can find the doctrines for the church today are Paul’s epistles. C.I. Scofield a popular dispensationalist writer and publisher of the Scofield Bible says: That in Paul’s writings alone is found the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the church. He did not say that doctrine for the church is found in Paul’s epistles. He said in Paul’s epistles ALONE is found doctrine for the church! Many organizations that call themselves “dispensational” agree with these men. In the GGF doctrinal statement number 8 says: We find in Paul’s writings alone the revelation, position and destiny of the church. The BBS doctrinal statement says: It is in his writings alone that we find the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the church. These two organizations that call themselves “dispensational” agree with C.I. Scofield. But does Paul agree with them? Did Paul say doctrine for the church is found only in his epistles? Did he say we cannot trace or find the doctrines he preached in the Old Testament? Did Paul put up a no trespassing sign on the Old Testament scriptures and the Four Gospels and James through Revelation as these men? Did he base doctrine for the church on the Old Testament or not? How did he interpret the scriptures other than his? 2 Timothy 3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Paul did not say his epistles only are profitable for doctrine today. He said all scripture is profitable for doctrine. Therefore, Paul disagrees with the majority of these “dispensational” preachers and writers and organizations who say they follow Paul. They contradict the man they claim to follow. He said all scripture is profitable for doctrine, but many of them say in Paul’s writings alone is found the doctrine for the church. When Paul said that all scripture is profitable for doctrine he meant what he said and that includes the Old Testament and Paul proves this is so for the following reasons. ****(a) He quotes the Old Testament 150-200 times in his epistles. If doctrine for the church is not found in the Old Testament like these men say, why did Paul quote it over and over again? If the Old Testament is not for doctrine today like many dispensationalist preachers and organizations say, wouldn’t it be misleading for Paul to quote it so many times in his epistles? In the book of Romans alone he quotes the Old Testament 70 times! ****(b) In his epistles he uses the expression “as it is written” 33 times referring to the Old Testament scriptures. Again this shows us that Paul never led anyone to believe that doctrine for the church is found only in his epistles. If that were so he did not practice what he preached. ****(c) There are at least 60 major church doctrines based directly upon the Old Testament scriptures in Paul’s epistles. (Send for list) ****(d) Paul preached from the Old Testament Scriptures. In Acts 17 Luke describes Paul first visit to the city of Thessalonica. He wrote in verses 2-3: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. The scriptures he reasoned from where the Old Testament Scriptures especially those that prophesied of Christ’s death on the cross. In Acts 17:11 Paul preached in a city called Berea and after they heard him it says: That they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. What scriptures did they search? The same ones he preached in Thessalonica. In Acts 26:22 when Paul stood before king Agrippa he said: Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: In Acts 28:23 when Paul gathered together the Jews in Rome it says: And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. You can see from these verses that it is serious mistake and even a lie to say that doctrine for the church is found only in Paul’s epistles. It misleads people and gives them the idea that the Old Testament is off limits to the church and has nothing to say to the church. But Paul said that ALL scripture is profitable for doctrine and anyone who says that doctrine for the church is confined to Paul’s epistles only is deceiving people. Anyone who makes such a statement is not following Paul, they are opposing him. They are not friends of Paul they are enemies of Paul and the church too. ****(e) Some of the most important doctrines of the church are found in the Old Testament Scriptures and the Four Gospels. For example: ----The Gospel---- 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Notice that when Paul preached the gospel he preached it according to the scriptures. What scriptures? The Old Testament scriptures such as Isaiah 53. The gospel is one of the most important doctrines in the church today and it’s found in the scriptures of the prophets. When you preach the gospel you are preaching an Old Testament doctrine. ----Justification by Faith---- Romans 4:1-3 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Justification by faith is one of the great doctrines of the church and it is based upon the justification of Abraham in Genesis 15. In Genesis 15 Abraham was justified by faith without works and Paul quotes these verses to show us we are justified the same way as he was. In other words our justification is based upon how God justified Abraham in Genesis 15 the first book in the Bible. When you preach justification by faith you are preaching an Old Testament doctrine. ----Righteousness by Faith---- Romans 4:6-8 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. One of the great blessings of grace is that God’s righteousness is imputed to the believer when he believes the gospel and it’s based upon what David said in Psalms 32. When you preach the imputed righteousness of God you are preaching an Old Testament doctrine. ----The Promise of the Spirit---- In Ephesians 1:13 Paul wrote: In whom ye also trusted,after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. God promised to give his Holy Spirit to his people and that is why he is called the Holy Spirit of promise. Where was that promise made? In the Old Testament. See Proverbs 1:23, Isaiah 32:15, 44:3, 59:21, Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26, 37:14, Joel 2:28-29. When you say that God imparts his Spirit to all believers you are preaching an Old Testament promise. ----The New Covenant---- In 2 Corinthians 3:6 Paul wrote: Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Paul was a minister of the New Covenant and we partake of its promises today such as the once for all sacrifice of the New Covenant (Hebrews 9-10) and the promise of New Covenant is found in Jeremiah 31:31. When you preach the doctrines and blessings of the New Covenant you are preaching an Old Testament doctrine promised to Israel in the Old Testament. ----The Kingdom of God---- 1 Thessalonians 2:12 says: That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. Throughout Paul’s epistles the kingdom of God is called the inheritance of the church and the kingdom of God is promised throughout the Old Testament. If you claim to have an inheritance in the kingdom of God you are claiming an Old Testament promise. ----The Hope of Resurrection---- In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul wrote about the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the church and he plainly says that when the church is resurrected Old Testament scriptures will be fulfilled according to verses 53-55: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal mustput on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Paul says that when Christ comes again and resurrects the saints then shall be brought to pass two Old Testament prophecies; Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14. Therefore, when you preach the coming of Christ to resurrect the church you are preaching an Old Testament doctrine. ----The Lord’s Supper---- 1 Corinthians 11 Paul defines the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and instructs the church to observe the Lord’s Supper and he bases his instructions on what the Lord said and did in the Four Gospels. Compare 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 with Matthew 26:26-28. When you preach and observe the Lord’s Supper you are preaching and observing a doctrine found in the Four Gospels. ----Ransom for Sin---- In 1 Timothy 2:5-6 Paul wrote: For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. What Paul said about Christ giving himself a ransom for all men on the cross was not a new doctrine found in his epistles only. He based what he said on what the Lord said in the Four Gospels. In Matthew 20:28 Jesus said: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. When you preach that Christ gave himself a ransom for all men on the cross you are preaching exactly what Jesus preached in the Four Gospels. What does Paul say about the other books of the Bible? Did he say that doctrine for the church cannot be found in the Old Testament or the Four Gospels? Did he say doctrine for the church is found in his epistles only like Scofield and the dispensationalists teach today. No. He said all scripture is profitable for doctrine as you have just read.