Frameworks for Understanding the Scriptures
There are three common ways of relating together the Old and New Testaments:
1. Continuity —things are essentially the same, but with different names
- For example, O.T. priests wore special clothes, so should N.T. “priests”
- e.g. Reformed Covenant Theology: The N.C. is an administration of the Old (infant baptism)
2. Discontinuity —The Old Testament does not have a lot of relevance
- e.g. Dispensationalism: History is divided into seven dispensations. The O.C. is now abrogated (or suspended) (beleivers’ baptism)
3. Promise→Fulfillment —The Old Testament is a signpost to the New
- e.g. New-Covenant Theology: The relationship between the O.C. and the N.C. is not flat, but typological. (beleivers’ baptism) The movement is
- promise → fulfullment
- shadow → reality
- type → antitype
- flesh → spirit
- external written code → Jesus Christ (indwelling)
- “Tim Hortons coming soon”
- e.g. The Sabbath
Jesus: clearly believed in Promise→Fulfillment
- Luke 24:27 “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures.”