RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT
There is no hint that the writers of the NT ever regarded themselves as producing a new and independent canon.
Instead, the NT seems to enhance the authority of the Old Testament.
Without the former there would be no need for the latter, thus Bible can be seen as only one book, each testament complementing and explaining the other.
The central message of the Bible is the story of Salvation. This has three strands:
The bringer of Salvation – Jesus Christ
The way of Salvation – God’s grace calling for a response of faith and obedience.
The heirs of Salvation – the covenant people of Israel and the church.
The LXX used the word ekklesia translated as “church” in the NT, to denote Israel as the “assembly” of God, so the continuity between the messages of the two Testaments was clearer.
The link therefore between the Old and New Testaments is God’s Salvation. In the OT after the story of creation in Chs. 1 and 2, Genesis relates the story of the fall with its consequences.
God’s plan of salvation is outlined in Gen. 3: 15 itself “I will put a enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel”
God’s set this into action with the different covenants leading to the coming of Jesus in the New Testament.
The Gospels tells of the completion of God’s plan of salvation in the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Acts and the Letters show us how this salvation is to be accepted, conveyed to the others and lived out by the heirs, the church. Jesus Christ is thus the central character of the Bible.
#1 - CENTRAL THEMES RUNNING AROUND THE BIBLE
Since the Bible is one whole, there are several common themes that runs through it. Moreover, the Bible contains God’s progressive revelation.
Therefore, the themes and the doctrines are developed throughout the Bible based on the revelation of God to the people of Israel at different times in their history.
We must realize that OT, by itself is incomplete and looks forward to the teaching of the NT. On the other hand, the teaching of the NT is dependent on that of the OT and cannot be understood without it.
The few of the common themes in the Bible
#2 - The Understanding of God
The Bible does not set out to prove the existence of God; it just accepts it as a fact. The first verse of Genesis 1:1 portrays the God as the creator and Lord of the whole earth.
This was something the Israelites found hard to grasp as they were influenced by the current thinking that each land and nation had their own gods who held the power in that area.
For ex. Joseph interpretation of the dream show to the pharaoh of Egypt who says: “since God has shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise you are” and many more examples like Moses, Daniel and etc.
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." – C.S. Lewis
#3 - The Doctrine of Humankind
The Bible describes that humankind, both male and female was created in the image of God. The image of God was distorted when the humankind sinned against God.
Bible continually emphasises the equality of all, rich or poor, male or female.
The NT reaffirms this equality with the first witnesses of the birth of Christ being the shepherds and the first witnesses of the resurrection being the women.
#4 - The problem of sin
Sin is an important theme which runs throughout the Bible. The Bible shows the origin of sin in Genesis 3 and the mission of God to deal with it by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Sin is described in different words and terms such as rebellion against God, iniquity, perversion and missing the mark. Similar themes are used in both the testaments but there is a development of thought with the emphasis on both corporate and individual sin.
#5 - The Doctrine of Love
It was the common belief that the God of OT as God of judgment whereas the God of NT as the God of lZ`ove, however God’s love is shown throughout the Bible.
This starts in Genesis 3 where God lovingly cares for the sinful couple by providing them with the clothes of skins and new occupation.
God’s love is therefore seen throughout the Bible, culminating in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
#6- CHRIST IN THE BIBLE
Christ is the central figure of the Bible. Luther claimed that the Bible was like a cradle for the message of Christ.
Christ is seen in the 3 divisions of the Law, the prophets and the writings of the OT Jewish Scriptures. This helps us to understand the Christ of the NT and build up our faith.
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