Top 3: Why ‘Old Testament vs. New Testament’ isn’t the best approach?

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."

Then he [Moses] took the Book of the Covenant and read it so that all the people heard. And they confirmed that all that it said they would do and obey. So Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold, the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

After Moses received the Old Covenant (‘Law of Moses’ or ‘Old Law’) from God on Mt Sinai (beginning chapter 20 with the Ten Commandments), it is ceremoniously entered into between God and the people. It’s this every scene that referenced and quoted (vs 8) in Hebrews 9:18-22, 10:11-14, and connecting to having “hearts sprinkled clean” later in 10:22.

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

Therefore, He (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant (or will, testament), in order for those that are called to inherit the promise of eternal life because a death occurred redeeming them from sins committed under the old covenant. For where a will is involved, the one making it must die for it to take effect. It is not in force when the maker of it is alive.

Hebrews is a letter encouraging Jewish Christians to “hold fast” because their faith in Christ is “better” than the Mosaic law they were under in numerous ways. At this point, the writer is contrasting the tabernacle, priesthood, and sacrifices in place under the Mosaic Law and replaced with Christ and the new covenant.

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

“I the Lord do not change,” therefore the children of Jacob are not consumed.

Malachi’s prophecy to those that returned from Babylonian/Persian captivity around 450 BC. God, through Malachi, responds to the post-captive priests with a series of “But you say” statements, to which God responds in condemnation summed up in 2:8-9, “But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Don’t think that I (Jesus) came to cancel the Law (Mosaic) or the Prophets because I’ve come to fulfill them. What I’m saying is true. Until heaven and earth pass away, no part of the Law will pass away until all is accomplished.

After beginning His ‘Sermon on the Mount’ by describing the characteristics of a [new] kingdom citizen (vss 2-14), Jesus clarifies that His coming fulfills the Old Law, replacing it with something “better” (from the Hebrews writer). He continues to give specific examples of how their behavior would need to exceed that of the religious leaders of their day (vs 20 “scribes and Pharisees”).

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

You, however, should continue in what you learned and confidently believed, having been instructed from childhood with the Scriptures, which give you the wisdom leading toward salvation through belief in Jesus Christ.

Paul is writing to the younger Timothy and giving general advice about his work in preaching the Gospel. Paul has repeated contrasted those that are teaching false doctrine and their motives for doing so against how Timothy should conduct himself, which leads to this opening transition of “But as for you…”.

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

The brothers sent Paul and Silas by night to Berea, where they entered the Jewish synagogue. The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica: they received the word eagerly and examined the Scriptures daily to determine whether what they heard was true.

Paul is on his second missionary journey with Silas. They had to flee Thessalonica for fear of being killed by those jealous (vs 5) of them preaching the gospel. These same Jews actually followed them there to disrupt their cause (vs 13).

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

As a result, understand that all those of faith [in Jesus] are sons of Abraham. And the Jewish holy scriptures, foreseeing that the Gentiles would be justified by this same faith, preached the gospel to Abraham when it said, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ And so, the blessing to Abraham, the man of faith, extends to all those of faith.

Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia (a region). Chapter 3 specifically argues the Christian’s justification through the [New] law of Christ, not the [Old] law of Moses, while at the same time, drawing strong parallels between the two.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Is the [Old] Law contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! If a law had been given that could lead to life, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But Scripture shut up everyone in sin, in order that those who now believe can receive the promise given by faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia (a region). Chapter 3 specifically argues the Christian’s justification by faith in Christ, not the [Old] law of Moses, while at the same time, drawing strong parallels between the two.

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

These things happened to be an example for us [Christians] so that we might not desire [to do] evil as they did.

Paul, in a letter to the young church in Corinth addressing divisions and several serious matters including sin and arrogance, reminds them about those that came before, that “God was not pleased” (vs 5) with them. Paul’s reference here is going back specifically to the children of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, when Moses led them in a “pillar of cloud” by day and fire by night and through the Red Sea (Exodus 13-14) and their subsequent idolatry (vs 7), sexual immorality (vs 8), putting “Christ to the test” (vs 9), and grumbling (vs 10).

For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

[Scoffers in the last days] will intentionally overlook the fact that the heavens existed long ago, and that the earth that was formed out of and through water by God’s word perished by these same things. It will be by the same word, this time with fire, that the heavens and earth will be consumed on the day of judgment along with the destruction of the ungodly.

As in his first letter, Peter warns of false teachers in his second letter. In this context not only does he remind them their presence is evidence that they are in the “last days”, but he encourages them of what comes next — the “day of the Lord” (vs 10).

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, because the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments against adultery, murder, stealing, coveting, and every other commandment are summed up in this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love fulfills the law.

Paul is offering encouragement to the Christians in Rome. He has given some specific, practical instructions for daily life in the previous chapter (including to love one another – 12:10). In this chapter Paul turns to how a Christian should submit to and live under “governing authorities” (vs 1) before coming back to the subject of loving each other. Paul cites a portion of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20:13-17 and relates them to Leviticus 19:18 just as the lawyer did in Luke 10:27 which Jesus approved.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, but they also testify about Me – the One you refuse to come to in order to obtain it.

Jesus is in Jerusalem and healing on the Sabbath day and stating that He was the son of God. “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (vs 18)Jesus has just said that the dead “will hear the voice of the Son of God” and live (vs 25) and that “the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me” (vs 37).

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Let each one of us seek to please his neighbor to encourage him. After all, Christ did not seek to please Himself just as the Psalmist wrote of Him that the insults from those insulting You (God) fell on him. Anything written beforehand is for our instruction, so we have our hope through endurance and encouragement in the Scriptures.

Paul has made the case that the gospel is for all – Jew and Gentile – and that all are in Christ through the “obedience of faith,” a phrase that bookends his letter (1:5, 16:26). Their faithful obedience here relates to those who are weaker in the faith and the responsibility one has toward them, not doing “anything that causes your brother to stumble” (14:21).

Paul is quoting Psalm 69:9 to make his point. In that original context, David is writing about insults aimed at God that have fallen on him.

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

I (Paul) admit that my worship of God the Father is in accordance to Christ (e.g. "the Way"). This includes believing all that is written in the Law and Prophets. My hope is in God, and these men accept this hope: I am assured that there will be a resurrection for all, both just and unjust.

Upon returning to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey, Paul has been arrested by the Romans based on charges levied by the Jews of the city (21:27-36 and 23:12-15). He will ultimately end up in Rome to plead his case before the Emperor (chapters 27-28). Leading up to that he would give a defense before Felix, the governor of Judea (chapters 23-24), Festus who replaced him (chapter 25), and King Agrippa (chapter 26).