How to Apply the Old Testament to Today

You Can Have Three Different Views of the Old Testament:

The Old Testament is NOT God's Word -- This view was held by Marcion, a second century heretic. It is still held by theologically liberal pastors and theologians.
The Old Testament is a totally different covenant. I do not have to follow the commands of this old covenant. It is only useful as history and examples. -- This is the view held by dispensationalism, a view represented by the Scofield Study Bible.
The Old Testament is the same covenant as the New. (The New is just a different administration of the one covenant that God started with Abraham). The Old Testament is still useful to me in its:

examples - 1 Corinthians 10:6-11

patterns - 1 Timothy 5:17-18

commands - Matthew 5:17-19

ability to rebuke, correct, and train us - 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

[There is, of course, another view which says that the Old Testament is still completely binding on New Testament believers. This is held by some Messianic churches and to a lesser extent by Seventh Day Adventists. I believe they are making the same mistake as the Judaizers in the early church (Acts 15; Galatians 2:11-14) and have failed to see the changes that have occurred under the New Covenent - changes in diet, rituals, ceremonies, and festivals as the law was funneled through the Messiah. I have chosen not to focus on this view, because most of the people that communicate with me hold either the first or second view, that is, they see NO application of the Old Testament to Christians today.]

The Reason I Choose the Third View Is:

The unity that I see between the Testaments in the person and work of Christ. Christ is the central focus and unifying principle of the entire Bible (not just the New Testament). -- See what Jesus says about the Old Testament and Himself in Luke 24:27 and John 5:39. The unifying principle of the whole Bible is Jesus Christ in all of the covenants. This begins with Genesis 3:15 and continues through to Revelation 22:20.

Paul's teaching that Gentiles are "grafted in" to the Jewish covenant-- Romans 11:1-32. We are not given a brand new covenant, but are spliced into a Jewish covenant!

Paul's teaching that the "new covenant" is really a outgrowth of the covenant of grace given to Abraham, not a brand new covenant, but a renewal and addition to the covenant with Abraham. -- Galatians 3:6-9,14-18,29.

ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
Genesis 12:1-3
Three parts

LAND WHERE	PALESTINIAN COVENANT 1400 B.C. (DEUT. 29-30)
SEED WHO	DAVIDIC COVENANT 1000 B.C. (2 SAM. 7)
BLESSING WHAT	NEW COVENANT A.D. 30 (JER. 31)

The promise to Abraham of the "land" was worked out in the Palestinian covenant (i.e. the covenant God made with Israel under Moses).

The promise of the "seed" was worked out in the Davidic Covenant.

The promise of the "blessing" to the nations was worked out in the New Covenant (predicted in Jeremiah 31). The New Covenant that we live under (Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8:8) is merely an outworking of the old promise to Abraham.

The clear statements in the New Testament that show the continuing validity of the Old Testament for the New Testament believer:

“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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17).

Recommended reading on the Biblical basis for this view:

The Covenants of Promise by Thomas McComiskey

The Old Testament in the New by S. Lewis Johnson

Christ of the Covenants by Palmer Robertson

How to Use the Old Testament with the New:

The apostle Paul said: "And we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully" (1 Timothy 1:8). How does a Christian use the Old Testament law "lawfully," that is, properly? The Westminster Confession of Faith, I, 6 says:

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the word, which are always to be observed.

If you have an Old Testament command and it is restated in the New Testament, then it is still valid and binding upon us as Christians. -- For example, compare the commandment "honor your father and mother" from Exodus 20:12 with Ephesians 6:1-3. "Honor your father and mother" is in both Testaments, so it is still applicable to Christians.
If you have an Old Testament command and it is changed or set aside in the New Testament, then it is no longer valid and is not binding upon us as Christians. -- For example Mark 7:18-19 which makes the Old Testament food laws obsolete; Acts 15 which lays aside the requirement for circumcision; or Colossians 2:16-17 which sets aside dietary laws, festivals, and rest days.
If you have an Old Testament command and it is not mentioned in the New Testament, then you:

assume a continuing unity between the covenants

identify general Scriptural principles and patterns

use deduction (reason) to arrive at your conclusions

hold your conclusions, but humbly realize that you are dealing with strong probabilities, not absolute certainties.

As an example let's take the question: "What does God think about tattoos on the human body?" Nothing is said in the New Testament about this. So does this mean that we have no guidance from the Lord on this issue?

Although there is no specific New Testament command, let's assume a continuing unity between the old covenant and the new covenant. Let's check the Old Testament. The Old Testament does have a command about tattoos. Leviticus 19:28 says "Do not put tattoo marks on yourselves." (This is still a binding commandment in all three branches of the Jewish religion.)

Does the verse in Leviticus 19:28 line up with any basic principle found in the New Testament? Yes, there is the New Testament concept that our bodies are not our own, but belong to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are told to "honor God with our body" (1 Corinthians 6:20). So we have identified a general Scriptural principle.

Now let's use deduction to arrive at a conclusion. Based upon these facts (the Leviticus command against tattoos and the principle that my body is not my own) I would reason that God would rather I leave my body free from self-inflicted markings. We were made in the image of God. Apparently He thinks no further pictorial adornment is needed.

There are two examples of reasoning such as this in Paul's writings to the Corinthians:

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul discusses the issue of being paid for Christian service. He says to the Corinthians, "... in the Law of Moses it is written, 'You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn,'" (1 Cor 9:9a). Paul asks, "Did God write that because he is concerned about oxen?" "No," he says, "it is not just for oxen, it is for us," (1 Cor 9:9b-10a). In other words, the law refers to an injustice that applies to people, not just to oxen. The principle is that you must not deny benefit to somebody who is involved in labor. From this Paul reasons that a Christian worker has the right to receive compensation for his labor.

Paul seems to follow a pattern very similar to the one suggested above. He uses the Old Testament law as a guide to what is right (1 Timothy 1:8).
Another example is found 1 Corinthians 14. Paul is writing about the problem of women talking too much in church and disturbing the meetings. He says, "Now don't do that. If you want to ask questions do so of your husband at home and be subject to him, as also the Law states,'" (1 Cor 14:34). Paul does not refer to the specific Old Testament passage(s) that he has in mind, but it is obvious that Paul considers the Old Testament to have continuing validity for women in New Testament worship. That is not putting Christians back under Law. It is simply using the Law as an example of the right behavior that God desires. This is the proper use of the law.

Why is This Important?

I believe that the Bible doesn't just tell us how to be saved, but also how to live as saved people.

Paul said to Timothy that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." The "Scripture" that Paul refers to here is mostly the Old Testament (see verse 15), so the promise is that between the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures (i.e. the Bible) a Christian can be completely equipped for every good work. The equipping of a godly man comes from both Testaments, not just one.

If we limit ourselves to the New Testament we run into a problem. There are many areas of life that the New Testament simply doesn't address. The Old Testament addresses these areas, but the New Testament is absolutely silent on certain issues.

Here are some examples of Old Testament teachings and commandments that are important in living. I am totally unaware of anything said about these subjects in the New Testament and yet every Christian needs guidance for practical living on these issues:

caring for the environment (Deuteronomy 20:19-20)
caring for animals (Deuteronomy 22:6-7)
what to do when you find a lost item (Deuteronomy 22:1-3)
what does God think of hygiene and sanitation (Deuteronomy 23:12-13)
may I marry a close relative (Leviticus 18:6-18)
how many children does God want me to have (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 127:3-5)
does man have dominion over the creation or does the creation reign over man (Genesis 1:28-29)
cross dressing (Deuteronomy 22:5)
having sex with animals (Leviticus 18:23)
caring about the safety of others (Deuteronomy 22:8)
abortion (Isaiah 44:24; Psalm 139:13-14).

We need the Old Testament to guide us on these (and other) issues. Without the Old Testament we have huge gaps in our worldview.

As an example of this, I was speaking with a pastor about my concern that God will have to judge our nation because of our unrighteousness. He startled me by saying that he didn't think God would do that. He said that the New Testament says nothing about God judging Gentile nations for their sin. You know what? He is absolutely right! I can find numerous verses in the Old Testament (e.g. Deuteronomy 18:9-12) about God holding the nations accountable for their wickedness, but not one in the New Testament. The practical outworking of this was that this pastor didn't see any need to try to work against the tide of abortion, homosexuality, divorce, or greed in our nation. It wouldn't matter anyway, since God wouldn't judge us nationally.

This is only one example of many in which I've found your view of the Old Testament to be crucial for living. When we cut ourselves off from the Old Testament (i.e. when we don't allow it to speak with authority to us), then we miss out on fundamental teachings from God.

Practical Application

Is the Old Testament idea of a tithing (giving a tenth of your income) still valid? Is it at least a principle that Christians should strive for or is it rejected altogether since it doesn't appear in the New Testament (i.e. after Christ's resurrection)? If you say the tithe has no continuing authority, then what is the practical standard for a New Testament Christian?

Should covenant signs be applied to children of believers (Genesis 17:9-14). In other words, should children be baptized if they are part of a Christian family? Should they be allowed to receive communion just as children in the Old Testament were allowed to eat the Passover?

Should Israel's national laws be a model for other nations to follow in structuring their laws? Read Deuteronomy 4:5-8 and Ezekiel 5:5-6 and think of the implications.

Church leadership questions -- At what age can a person become a church leader? Should we have a rotating system or lifetime service? These questions are not answered in the New Testament, but the Old Testament lays out principles on both these questions.

Does the Sabbath command (Exodus 20:8-11) have continuing validity under the New Covenant? Why or why not?

Related teachings: