The New Testament Scriptures are the primary witness of Spirit-enlightened men to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the implications of that story for humankind. These Christian writings also are a reflection upon the meaning of the older, Hebrew Scriptures in the light of Jesus Christ. All the Old Testament Scriptures -- the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, as the Jews divided their Bible -- foreshadow and prefigure the Messiah and the great rescue he would accomplish (Luke 24:27, 44-48). Reading the Old Testament points us to Christ, beginning with Creation (Gen. 1; 2 … [Read more...]
HOW JESUS ‘FULFILLED’
Responding to a recent piece about the Hebrew and Greek words which the King James Version translated as "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14 and in Matthew 1:23 respectively, a gracEmail subscriber asks for more discussion about Matthew's use of the words "fulfilled" in connection with Old Testament language and events. * * * We saw earlier that when Matthew tells the story of Jesus' supernatural birth, he quotes the Greek word for "virgin" (parthenos) from Isaiah 7:14 of his Greek Old Testament, although the original Hebrew word (almah) simply meant a "young woman" (Matt. 1:18-23). Matthew then … [Read more...]
THE YOUNG GIRL OF ISAIAH 7
A gracEmail subscriber writes: “I am in conversation with a Reformed Jew about objections to recognizing Jesus as Messiah. Can you help me understand why Christians interpret Isaiah 7:14 as referring to a “virgin” but Jews do not. I have also heard that the Hebrew Bible has a definite article before the word in question. Is that true?” * * * As Isaiah 7 opens, the kings of Israel and Syria have joined forces to invade Jerusalem. God sends Isaiah and his son Shear-Jashub to tell King Ahaz of Judah to trust God. God even invites Ahaz to request a divine sign for his assurance. Ahaz refuses, so … [Read more...]
OLD TESTAMENT LITERALISM
A gracEmail subscriber asks how someone can support a literal contruction of scripture but not wish to execute rebellious children as the Old Testament prescribes. Did God decide that the Old Testament was too harsh and replace it with a milder set of rules? Why is the Old Testament still in our Christian Bible? * * * The real issue here is not one of literalism but of audience and purpose. The Hebrew Bible, which Christians call the "Old Testament," is the record of God's dealings with his covenant people the Jews, plus the Jewish oral traditions of God's earlier involvement with pre-Jewish … [Read more...]
WHY THE OLD TESTAMENT?
A gracEmail reader asks, "What is the Old Testament and why is it in our Bibles?" * * * When Jesus was born and before there were any Christians, God had worked already for 2,000 years through his chosen people the Jews. The Old Testament Scriptures were the collection of books which the Jews regarded as sacred. These holy writings told of the origins of the universe, of humankind, of sin and judgment and redemption. The 39 books from Genesis through Malachi reported, recorded, and reflected on God's dealings with people from Adam until about 400 years before Christ. The Old Testament … [Read more...]
FOCUS ON JESUS
A gracEmail subscriber comments: "You seem to say everything differently from the way I have usually heard it in my church. I think it is because you focus on Jesus. Is that the key?" * * * Indeed it is the key! The Apostle Paul once lamented that although unbelieving Israel regularly read the Bible, Jesus remained hidden from their view. As a result, the people missed the freedom and spiritual transformation they might have had (2 Cor. 3:15-18). The same malady often afflicts readers of the new covenant Scriptures as well -- and with the same sad consequences. How many congregations … [Read more...]
DISCERNING HEALTHY TEACHING
A gracEmail subscriber asks, "How can we know which interpretations of Scripture are correct, seeing the many doctrinal differences among professing Christians? How can we be sure which teaching we ought to receive?" * * * Earlier we pointed to Jesus' statement that "every good tree bears good fruit, but the rotten tree bears bad fruit," noting that good teaching results in good character (Matt. 7:17). "It's not the only way to assess doctrine," we said, but it is one important measure. But before we look at the lives of other people, we must first inspect our own hearts. Jesus said: "If … [Read more...]
TO MY SEEKER FRIEND: 4 – Jesus’ Call
A respected friend who does not yet know Christ or the Bible recently asked me what he was missing. These four gracEmails repeat what I shared with him in response. * * * Jesus invites every person to come to him, to believe on him, and to enjoy eternal life. "Eternal" life basically means life in fellowship with the Living God. It begins even now, when we believe on Jesus. But it goes beyond our present death, into the Age to Come for all eternity. It is "eternal" in a qualitative sense and also in a quantitative sense. The bottom line, however, is life in conscious fellowship with the … [Read more...]
TO MY SEEKER FRIEND: 3 – God’s Saving Deeds
A respected friend who does not yet know Christ or the Bible recently asked me what he was missing. These four gracEmails repeat what I shared with him in response. * * * Unknown to the Jews or the Romans, or even to the Apostles, all this was being used by God to redeem the world and to forgive and to transform us sinners. Jesus had lived as a representative of all who will finally be saved -- his faithfulness and obedience counted for us. He also died as a representative of all who finally will be saved. God put our rebellion, our transgressions, trespasses, sins (different ways of saying … [Read more...]
TO MY SEEKER FRIEND: 2 – Jesus Christ the Key
A respected friend who does not yet know Christ or the Bible recently asked me what he was missing. These four gracEmails repeat what I shared with him in response. * * * God decisively accomplished this redemptive work about 2,000 years ago, through the representative, substitutionary life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the physical son of a Jewish girl named Mary, who conceived him without human father by the power of God himself. In some mysterious sense, God was "in" Jesus in a unique way which has never been true of anyone else. Jesus is called … [Read more...]