Monday, March 18, 2024

About the 2 "Testaments"

 "Christ admonished the Jews to “search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39.

Some people, when they discuss the law and the Sabbath, seek to set
up a contrast or even conflict between the 
Old and the New Testament, as though the former were of little or no value and superseded by the latter. This false contrast lies at the root of much of the erroneous reasoning of those who contend that the Sabbath was abolished at the cross.

The “Bible” of the apostles was what we know as the Old Testament. What is now known as the New Testament did not exist during the life of Christ and did not even begin to be written until after His ascension.

During most of the first century of the Christian Era, the term “the
Scriptures
,” often mentioned by the
 New Testament writers, referred to what we call the Old Testament. To sum up, the Old Testament was the Bible of Jesus, His disciples, the Apostles.

Nor did the apostles give any hint that they discounted the Old Testament in favor of the writings they were then producing and would later produce. Paul wrote to Timothy:
From a child thou has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

Could the New Testament accomplish more than this! Both Christ and the apostles repeatedly cited the Old Testament in confirmation of their teachings." 
F.D. Nichols