Jesus and the Old Testament Scriptures
Matthew 5:17-20
June 23, 2002
(Annotated Outline)
Did Jesus believe in the Old Testament Scriptures? If so, how much of it did he believe?
This question was one that the religious leaders and their followers were asking concerning Jesus Christ. They had listened to His teaching and saw that it differed radically with that of the scribes and Pharisees. The demands Jesus makes upon attitude, thought, and behavior extended far beyond that normally practiced. Did Jesus really believe what the Old Testament taught? The same sort of question is asked today of the whole Scripture. Is the Bible believable? Is it even necessary to believe all of what the Bible teaches? Is the Bible alone God's Word or are there other holy books and writings that show God's will or the way to God?
As I waited on my flight out of D.C. yesterday a lady formerly from Mississippi and now a 30year resident of the D.C. area sat next to me. She asked about Memphis and other things, and I made a mention of our church. This eventually led to a question. Are you a Southern Baptist? Answering affirmatively, she asked if we still restricted women from being pastors. I told her that there were a few women pastors but most had aligned themselves with other Baptist groups due to their view of Scripture. I told her that we believed in the full authority and reliability of Scripture, and that personally, it was out of the teaching of Scripture that I believed that women were excluded from pastoring. As the conversation unfolded, she told me of her church involvement on the education committee and that they had a man and woman as co-pastors. She said that Scripture had to be interpreted with culture in mind. I agreed, explaining that the grammatical, historical approach to interpretation kept this in mind, and that frankly, the New Testament had elevated the view and role of women in the 1st century by quantum leaps. Yet there was no exegetical rationale for women pastors.
Then the reality came out. She began to say that she did not take everything in the Bible literally. I told her that some portions were figurative, or poetic and therefore were not literal, however on literal portions then it must be literally believed. She countered by saying that she believed there was value in other religious writings. I asked, "Then how do you explain Jesus' statement, 'I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by me'?" That is quite literal indeed. She said that there was good and commonality in man, that she interpreted the Bible differently, that there were many paths to God even through other religions. The conversation was interrupted at that juncture but the clear reality was stated - she did not believe Christ alone and His cross as the way to God because she did not believe in the authority and reliability of Scripture. She had a religion of he own creation.
Your view of Scripture affects your interpretation. That was true of the religious leaders, true of Christ and true of each of us. What you "think" of Scripture determines your response to its leading.
I. Thinking about the Scripture
1. Viewpoint of religious leaders
"It's true. It's God speaking."
But did they really believe this? What Jesus shows is that practice flows out of one's view of Scripture like water out of a spring.
(1) They believed it, but only as far as they interpreted it according to their ideas or philosophy. They
could interpret to fit their lifestyle and desires.
(2) They believed it but only if it did not contradict their lives, hem them in, or shut them out from
self-trust.
(3) They believed it but only if it left them alone or agreed with them.
So when Jesus came on the scene explaining the meaning of the Scripture they rejected Him because His revelation contradicted their viewpoint. Because of self-righteousness they did not dare consider that they might be wrong. The moment we think we have the handle on all revelation is when the Word will shatter our myth. It is too large, too infinite as the Word of God to be confined in our imaginations (...it is the "Hammer that shatters the rock" and the "sharp, two-edged sword").
There are ample Pharisees and scribes that refuse to glance vulnerably at the Word. They hold everything tightly to the breast, cling to their ragged ideas, but fail to know liberty and life in Christ. Here is the basic problem: Their view of Scripture is centered on themselves, how good it made them feel (as long as they had it boxed up), how it affirmed their righteousness. But Jesus did not hesitate to burst their bubble. All of life must center on the glory of God, and that glory is shown in His revelation, demands, justice, and thankfully, His grace.
(1) Negative - I did not come to abolish or destroy or to do away with.
His purpose was never to disregard, lay aside, or even to contradict the Old Testament Scriptures (for Law and Prophets was a Hebraic way of expressing the whole). "You search the Scripture because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to me so that you may have life" (John 5:39-40). The whole teaching of the New Testament, the message of the gospel is rooted in Old Testament Scripture. As Kent Hughes points out, if we cast aside the Old Testament in favor of the New Testament then we become a "one-legged Christian" (PTW 95).
(2) Positive - Fill or fulfill
Chrysostom: "his (Christ's sayings were no repeal of the former, but a drawing out and filling up of them" (Stott, BST 71).
Stott gives three helpful categories of the Old Testament:
(a) Doctrinal teaching - All the doctrines find their germinal ideas in the Old Testament. Look at a Systematic Theology and inevitably see how they refer to the Old Testament. While the New Testament gives a fuller picture, the Old Testament lays doctrinal foundation. J. C. Ryle: "The Old Testament is the Gospel in the bud, the New Testament is the Gospel in the full flower. The Old Testament is the Gospel in the blade; the New Testament is the Gospel in the full ear" (Stott 71).
(b) Predictive prophecy - It is found in every Old Testament literary genre. At the Fall, the promise for woman's seed; the prediction to Abraham; the giving of the ceremonial law pictures in prophetic manner the ultimate way to God (e.g. Christ as our Passover Lamb). Then why do we not continue with them? Calvin: "It was only the use of them that was abolished, for their meaning was more fully confirmed" (Stott 71). Other examples include prophecies during the Davidic reign, and throughout the Psalms (2, 10, 110 ...). The prophetic books give great details. Even in the nation of Israel and the civil law there is a picture of God's future rule over the church in perfection through Christ.
(c) Ethical precepts - Jesus fulfilled them in that He obeyed them. He was born under the law (Galatians 4:4). He had no area for which He could be accused regarding the ethical precepts. This ultimately shows us how to follow God's law in an ethical, moral sense. He raised the bar above the legalism of the Pharisees to the delight to do the law of God (Hebrews 10, Psalm 40:7).
(3) Then the affirmative in v. 18 - (iota and kepaia stroke or in Hebrew yodh [66,420 in the Old Testament], tiny hooks or "a little horn," "amen" or "truly" gives solemnity to the words)
So what did Jesus think of Scripture? Consider that several dozen times the Gospels record Christ say, "It is written." The Greek is a perfect passive, "it stands written and is forever written" is the idea. Jesus did not believe in the holy writing of other religions: Qumran, Vedic (Hindu), Book of Mormon, Greek writings and Roman writers were extant and Egyptian.
We are accused of being narrow-minded bigots by such a statement, but we must join Jesus Christ in His "narrow" view of what is the revelation of God. Does this mean we comprehend every detail or that we can answer every question? No, but we hold in our hands the Word of God, that Word that Jesus Himself affirmed.
3. Our viewpoint on Scripture v. 19
What do you do with God's Word? Jesus shows deference to a high view of doing and teaching Scripture, in particular divine commands. He boils down our view to two things: What you do and what you say. That reveals what is in your heart. That reveals whether or not you know anything of righteousness. The Pharisees had the law broken down into 248 positive commands and 365 prohibitions -- and precisely how they could feel good about having succeeded in them without getting too close and inspecting the heart. Ferguson (76) quips, "salvation was certainly for the professionals." We must see that Jesus was not tossing obedience because we are under grace, rather He elevates obedience because we're under grace.
II. Thinking About Righteousness v. 20
This is a troubling passage. Some have felt the hopelessness of their own abilities (the answer has already been given in Beatitudes). Some have used this as a prescription for diligent works for salvation. But they are mistaken about the extent of Pharisaic righteousness (e.g. Philippians 3).
Was Jesus giving a teaser? A joke? Making fun? The kind of righteousness that He calls for exceeds the Pharisees and scribes. He was not doing away with law but bringing both understanding and practice to a new level. The Pharisees failed to have a proper view of law:
(1) Expresses the character of God and His will for man's life.
(2) Teaches us the true character of man.
(3) The law teaches us the character of salvation. (Ferguson, Sermon on the Mount 70).
The Pharisees failed completely in the latter two points. Many have followed the same path as the Pharisees. But Jesus' declaration is that all the effort and precision is not adequate. Jesus places a value on righteousness that affects eternity. His gospel is not an abrogation of righteousness but the only means to righteousness. Three key thoughts emerge:
(1) Pharisaic righteousness will get no one into God's kingdom.
(2) Only the righteousness that comes as a gift of God's grace through Christ can bring a person into God's
kingdom (Romans 1:16-17).
(3) "Jesus not only justifies us by sharing with us his righteousness, he also sanctifies and transforms us by
making us righteous. In other words, our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees. For if we are
not more righteous than they are, we are not righteous at all" (Ferguson 76).
Remember what Jesus is doing. He is setting forth Kingdom life for Kingdom citizens. Only those who have met Christ as described in the Beatitudes will follow Christ as described in the Sermon.
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by South Woods Baptist Church.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy:
Copyright South Woods Baptist Church. Website: www.southwoodsbc.org. Used by permission as granted on web site. Questions, comments, and suggestions about our site can be sent here.
Copyright 2008, South Woods Baptist Church, All Rights Reserved