PAUL AND THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES

By Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

April 12, 2011

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 confusion in the church today about them.  Many so called dispensationalists have put up a “no trespassing” sign on them 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 the Prophetic Scriptures meaning Genesis - Acts 9 and James – Revelation.  Again he is saying doctrine for the church is not found in the Old Testament simply because it’s in the Old Testament.

C. I. Scofield 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!

Most grace preachers and so called grace organizations 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 “grace organizations” agree with C.I. Scofield. But does Paul agree with them? Did Paul say that doctrine for the church is found only in his epistles? Did he base doctrine for the church on the Old Testament or not?  How did he interpret the scriptures other than his?

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 he wrote: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

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 so called “grace preachers” and writers and organizations. They contradict the man they claim to follow. He said all scripture is profitable for doctrine but they 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 does Paul quote it over and over again? If the Old Testament is not for doctrine today like many so called grace preachers and organizations say, wouldn’t it be misleading for Paul to quote it so many times in his epistles?

(b) He uses the expression “as it is written” 33 times referring to the Old Testament in his epistles. 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.

(d) Paul preached the Old Testament Scriptures.

In Acts 17 Paul preached in a city called Berea and after they heard him preach 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 ones Paul preached from. What were they? Romans through Philemon? No, those books were not even written. It was the Old Testament scriptures.

In Acts 26 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 when he gathered together the Jews in Rome its 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.

It is a bad mistake 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 contradicting what he said.