Old Testament vs. New Testament - what are the differences?


While the Bible is a unified book, there are differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In many ways, they are complementary. The Old Testament is foundation; the New Testament builds on that foundation with further revelation from God. The Old Testament establishes principles that are seen to be illustrative of New Testament truths. The Old Testament contains many prophecies that are fulfilled in the New. The Old Testament provides the history of a people; the New Testament focus is on a Person. The Old Testament shows the wrath of God against sin (with glimpses of His grace); the New Testament shows the grace of God toward sinners (with glimpses of His wrath).
The Old Testament predicts a Messiah (see Isaiah 53), and the New Testament reveals who the Messiah is (John 4:25–26). The Old Testament records the giving of God’s Law, and the New Testament shows how Jesus the Messiah fulfilled that Law (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 10:9). In the Old Testament, God’s dealings are mainly with His chosen people, the Jews; in the New Testament, God’s dealings are mainly with His church (Matthew 16:18). Physical blessings promised under the Old Covenant (Deuteronomy 29:9) give way to spiritual blessings under the New Covenant (Ephesians 1:3).
The Old Testament prophecies related to the coming of Christ, although incredibly detailed, contain a certain amount of ambiguity that is cleared up in the New Testament. For example, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the death of the Messiah (Isaiah 53) and the establishing of the Messiah’s kingdom (Isaiah 26) with no clues concerning the chronology of the two events—no hints that the suffering and the kingdom-building might be separated by millennia. In the New Testament, it becomes clear that the Messiah would have two advents: in the first He suffered and died (and rose again), and in the second He will establish His kingdom.
Because God’s revelation in Scripture is progressive, the New Testament brings into sharper focus principles that were introduced in the Old Testament. The book of Hebrews describes how Jesus is the true High Priest and how His one sacrifice replaces all previous sacrifices, which were mere foreshadowing. The Passover lamb of the Old Testament (Ezra 6:20) becomes the Lamb of God in the New Testament (John 1:29). The Old Testament gives the Law. The New Testament clarifies that the Law was meant to show men their need of salvation and was never intended to be the means of salvation (Romans 3:19).
The Old Testament saw paradise lost for Adam; the New Testament shows how paradise is regained through the second Adam (Christ). The Old Testament declares that man was separated from God through sin (Genesis 3), and the New Testament declares that man can be restored in his relationship to God (Romans 3—6). The Old Testament predicted the Messiah’s life. The Gospels record Jesus’ life, and the Epistles interpret His life and how we are to respond to all He has done.
In summary, the Old Testament lays the foundation for the coming of the Messiah who would sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). The New Testament records the ministry of Jesus Christ and then looks back on what He did and how we are to respond. Both testaments reveal the same holy, merciful, and righteous God who condemns sin but desires to save sinners through an atoning sacrifice. In both testaments, God reveals Himself to us and shows us how we are to come to Him through faith (Genesis 15:6; Ephesians 2:8).

References:
D. A. Carson and Gregory Beale, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament.

MacArthur, F. John. The MacArthur Bible Commentary Thomas Nelson: Publisher, 2005.

 John Philips, Exploring the Scriptures: An Overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Story of Arthur Carsons: Mission to the Chin

Image
The Rev. Arthur Carson, the first American Baptist missionary to the Chins, was born on August 6, 1860 in Columbus USA. He was ordained as a full-fledged minister or August 29, 1885. After this, the American Baptist Mission Union designated him to be a missionary to the Chins in April 16, 1886. He sailed from USA to Burma on the 14 th day of October and arrived in Yangon on the 13 th day of December. Five-days after his arrival, he married Laura Hardin at the Sgaw Karen Church in Bassein. Laura was born on September 28, 1868 and on July 9, 1883 she was given the responsibility to work in a foreign land by Women’s Foreign Mission Society of West Chicago. She sailed on September 29, 1883. She arrived in Yangon on November 28, 1883. She worked for a while as a teacher at Kotharbyo High School in Bassein. Having been given the responsibility to work as missionaries to the Southern Chins (Ashochins) by the Rev. Arthur Carson and Mrs. Carson took residence at Thayetmyo in 1888, an
Read more

Lai Mino Thanchonak Caah A Herhmi Thil Pathum

Biahmaithi Kan ram theipar pangpar dawh a chuah tertu cu Lai mino nangmah le keimah hi a si.  “Righteousness exalts a nation, miphun a lianngan tertu cu dinnak a si” tikah kan Bible ca nih a kan cawnpiak. Nihin vawlei cung thil kan zoh tikah vawlei fimnak (technology) hi a tthancho cuahmah; vawlei cung minung tthanchonak kan zoh tikah keimah ka hmuh ning ahcun thatnak lei in thancho loin chiatnak leiin kan tthancho deuh rua tiah ka hmuh. Kanmah Chin, Lai Mino nun ka zoh tikah (righteousness), dinnak nun hi zei ah kan rel lo tuk. Laimi nih kan uar ngaimi cu Lih bia chim hi si. Cucaah Laimi lih bia chimtu ah kan cang. Mino, upa nunnak ah dinfelnak lungthin nih a kan zam tak cang rua ti hi ka ruah ngai. (righteousness), dinnak nun hi Mino, Upa caah a herh tuk mi thil pakhat a si. 1. Dinnak kan herh: Dinnak hi mi zeipoah caah a tha i, mi zeipoah nih dinnak hi kan tuah cio lo. “Dinfelnak cu kan khuaruah mi, lungthin in a tho i nunzia ah a langmi a si”. Nun zia cu tuah sernak ah h
Read more

Paul Tuanbia Tawi 20

1 th  Paul cu Judah miphun hleihnih lak ah miphun sang Benjamin hrinsor a si. 2 th  Paul cu Tarsus khua ah a chuak. 3 th  Paul cu Kum 12 a si ah Jerusalem khua ah cawnpiaktu min thang a simi Gamaliah sin ah fimnak a cawngmi a si. 4 th  Paul cu khrihfa a rak hermtu hna pakhat a rak si. “Lam 7:60” 5 th  Paul cu Damaskas haukaa ah Bawipa nih aa lung a rak thlenmi a si. 6 th  Paul cu Damaskas khua ah Ananias nih Tipilnak a rak pek. “Lam 9:18” 7 th  Paul cu Arab ramcar (thase ramcar) chungah Pathian he kum 3 chung Hawikomhnak an ngei. 8 th  Paul cu Saphaw thlam thiat rian a tuanmi a si. 9 th  Paul hmasatbik Thawngtha chimnak cu Damaskas khua ah a si. 10 th  Paul hmanungbik (A donghnak bik) Thawngtha chimnak cu Rome khua ah a si. 11 th  Paul hmasatbik thong tlaknak cu Jerusalem khua ah a si. 12 th  Paul hmanungbik (A donghnak bik) thong tlaknak cu Rome khua ah a si. 13 th  Paul hmasatbik thual tlawnnak cu Seleubia khua ah a si i, Antioh khua khrih-fabuu nih Bamaba
Read more