Do we “believe in” the Old Testament? Certainly! As 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “all Scripture is inspired by God!” However, the sum teaching of the Bible shows that Christians are under the authority of the law of Christ rather than the law of Moses (the Old Testament, from Exodus chapter 20 on). Let us examine the biblical teaching on this subject:
First, even in the Old Testament, God promised that He would one day give a new covenant to His people that would be different from the one given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Note Jeremiah 31:31-32:
“ ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares, the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD.” [NASB translation]
The covenant at Mount Sinai is the one that began with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), and included both a set of laws and a set of conditional promises. Thus, God promised to give a new set of laws and promises to His people.
Second, the New Testament teaches that this new covenant was given through Christ. Notice what Hebrews 8:6-7 says about Christ bringing a new covenant:
“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.” [NASB]
The following verses, 8-12, then quote from the Jeremiah 31 passage above, making it clear that the promised new covenant was the one Christ brought—replacing the imperfect old covenant. Other examples of passages that teach this principle include Galatians 3:19 and Galatians 4:21-31..
Third, the New Testament teaches that this new covenant took effect at the death of Christ. See the teaching of Hebrews 9:16-17 :
“For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.” [NASB]
Therefore, the covenant Christ brought was similar to a will, in that it took effect at His death. Romans 7:1-4 also teaches this same principle, stating that Christ’s death freed men from their dependence on the law of Moses.
Finally, let us be clear in saying that the Old Testament still has great value to it! Galatians 3:22-25 teaches that the law of Moses had great value to those who had not yet received the law of Christ. The old covenant is said to have been like a tutor leading men to Christ by teaching, for example, that all men are sinners. Although it was not meant to be permanent, it had great temporary teaching value. Further, the Bible teaches that the Old Testament still has good teaching value today, even though we are not under the authority of its laws or promises. In 1 Corinthians 10:11, for instance, Paul writes that the Old Testament stories serve as good examples and instruction for Christians. This is true in that while we are not under its laws, the Old Testament provides general spiritual lessons about subjects such as the nature of God, obedience of man, and rewards or punishment for our actions. Therefore, the Old Testament law of Moses is no longer the authoritative law for mankind, but still contains valuable teaching information.
CONCLUSION: Men are under the authority of the law of Christ as revealed in the New Testament. The law of Moses was in effect from the time of Mount Sinai until the death of Christ. It contained temporary laws and promises which have now been superseded by Christ’s “better covenant with better promises” (Heb. 8:6). We can still learn much from its teachings, but the Old Testament is not the law by which men today will be judged. Therefore, we must particularly look to the New Testament to understand God’s will and commands for our lives today!
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