Understanding the relationship between Old Testament and New Testament scripture is fundamental to the proper interpretation of scripture. Before I delve into this topic, I first need to talk about one particularly important aspect of Bible interpretation. The Holy Spirit is the author of all scripture (2 Pet 1:21, 2 Tim 3:16). He is our teacher and the one that Christ sent to us to "guide us into all truth." There is no better source for understanding scripture then the Holy Spirit. It is not possible to understand what the Holy Spirit has written with language mechanics, logic, and human reasoning alone. One of the most frustrating aspects of modern Bible study tools is that they are not based on spiritual insight. The basis for most of them is scholarship, the mechanics of human reasoning and logic. That is not to say there is no value in these mechanisms. Understanding the full meaning of a Greek word is valuable. Understanding the cultural context is equally important. Yet we cannot forget that the true meaning of scripture is found in the intentions and wisdom of its author. It is to Him that we must appeal whenever we seek to understand Scripture.
Many of the falsehoods that have crept into the church have resulted from the misapplication of OT text to NT life. Paul's letter to the Galatians has a great illustration – the Judaizers were attempting to bring OT circumcision into the context of the NT church. Paul soundly thrashes this effort as false, as an improper application of OT text to the NT church! What we need is this kind of balance between OT text and NT life. As believers we need a consistent framework for judging and applying OT scripture to Christian living under the new covenant. Having such a framework has two benefits. It helps us discern false teachings. And second, it helps us refute the "proof-texting" scriptures used to support those teachings.
The primary difference between New Testament Christianity and Old Testament Judaism is this: Christianity is not based on adherence to a set of rules and regulations (the Law). It is based on an attitude of the heart (love). “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 22:36-40 NASB). Love is an attitude of the heart (the heart is the center of spiritual life) and it has always been God's intention that love be what drives our lives. This concept is crucial to our understanding of how the OT Law and the Prophets relates to NT life.
Whenever we bring things forward from the Old Testament (the Old Covenant), we need to put them into the context of the new covenant. Daniel Kirk states it this way, "Nothing comes to Christians from the OT except insofar as it is mediated through Christ." In other words, "We have to wrestle with the implications of the Christ event [i.e., his life, death and resurrection] and our identity as the Christ-and-Spirit community before we know the relevance of the OT text for us." An excellent example of this is Christ's teachings in Matthew 5 (the Sermon on the Mount). Jesus for all practical purposes rewrites the OT law into the context of NT life saying,
You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Jesus has taken murder out of the context of fleshly adherence to the letter of the Law. Instead, he puts it into the context of heart driven obedience to the Spirit of God. Jesus continues with the act of adultery.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (verses 21-28)
In the OT adultery is a physical act but brought forward into the context of NT life Jesus makes it is a matter of the heart. The principle is this: in the kingdom of God no external act or profession has a place apart from the intent of the heart.
Jesus defined the scope of this principle when he said, "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” But he goes further and includes the Pharisaical traditions. Those deductions, extensions, and exceptions the Pharisee had added to the Law.
Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath … let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil."
According to the Pharisee "bearing false witness" was a divine prohibition against swearing a lie. In other words, if someone had not been "sworn in", they could tell as many lies as they wanted without incurring guilt under the Law! Jesus strips away this law circumventing nonsense and makes it clear that truth is a matter of the heart. Jesus does what we must do whenever, anything in the Law or the Prophets is applied to NT life. It must be interpreted in the context of the heart.
Furthermore, we must do this in a consistent manner. We cannot skip over this principle for some scriptures and apply it to others. If we expect to get a balanced understanding of Scripture, we must be consistent in our interpretation. We must ask the Holy Spirit for insight and understanding. And we must apply the principle of 'heart' when we apply anything from the Law and the Prophets to NT life.
Jesus only covered a few of the commandments in the Sermon on the Mount. Nonetheless, it is possible to put many of his teachings into the “but I say" format. For example, Jesus' teaching on clean and unclean food in Matt 15. Let's paraphrase it into the "but I say" form.
You have heard that the ancients were told which creatures were clean and which were unclean and not to be eaten, but I say, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
It is not physical; it is not what "goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated." It is what comes out of a person's mouth that makes them unclean because these things come from the heart. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile a man;" These are some amazing statements! Here Jesus plainly states that the acts of murder, adultery, fornication, theft, lying, and slander are attitudes of the heart!
The Sabbath
What about the Sabbath?
You have heard the ancients were told, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work" but I say…
Go ahead, finish the sentence. What would Jesus have said? How would Jesus place the OT laws and traditions about the Sabbath in the context of the heart? It is obvious that the Pharisees had concluded that man was made for the Sabbath. That is, the Sabbath and the keeping of the Sabbath was more important than people. Look at this passage from Luke 13:
And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so, come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
The officials cared more about tradition then they did about people! And Jesus calls them on it.
You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Jesus was pointing to the heart of Shabbat, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” This was entirely lost on the synagogue officials. So, what is the heart message? What is the 'but I say…?' Here is my rendition.
You have heard the ancients were told, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work" but I say “Do not esteem one day above another, labor instead to enter my rest; for he that has entered into my rest has ceased from his own works as God did from His."
To the Pharisees the Sabbath was physical - no physical work was to be done. Anything that had an inkling of work was forbidden. That is not the heart message of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a picture of the rest we have in Christ. "Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls." (Matt 11:28)
The Tithe
What would Jesus have said about tithing?
You have heard the ancients were told, "You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, … tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, but I say…”
How do you think Jesus would have finished this statement? The first example of the giving of a tenth is when Abraham returned from defeating the kings that took his nephew Lot captive (Genesis 14). He gives Melchizedek, the King of Salem, a tenth of the spoils. After the Exodus Moses canonized the tithe in the Law (Leviticus 27:30-33, Deuteronomy 14:22-27). There are those that assert that tithing is a requirement that transcends the law. Their reasoning is that since it originated before the law it has universal application. The two "proof-text" examples are the Abraham-Melchizedek exchange and Jacob’s vow to God; "...of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." (Genesis 28:22).
There are some interest things to point out about these two events. First, nothing in the text indicates this tithe was commanded by God. It appears to be voluntary. (Side Note: I also read somewhere that giving a tithe to the king was a common practice in that culture and time). Second, this is the only recorded tithe that Abraham ever gave. Jacob’s vow was also voluntary, and he did not pay it! (Or he delayed paying it for some 20 odd years!) If these two examples are the basis for obligating NT believers to tithe, we are resting on some pretty shaky ground. The “before the law” rationale also has a major consistency problem. Circumcision also took place before the law. Yet Paul says of circumcision, “I testify again to every man who receives circumcision... You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” (Gal 4:3-50) This one of many places Paul makes the point that Christians are not under the requirements of Torah (Gal 5:18, Rom 6:14,7:4,7:5 and 1Tim 1:9). Given these considerations, this is how I would finish this statement:
You have heard the ancients were told, "You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, … tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock,” but I say, “First give yourselves to the Lord, then generously give to everyone that asks of you and you will store up treasures in heaven."
Conclusion
Whenever the OT law is brought forward into NT life is MUST be put into the context of the heart. This is what Paul means when he writes, "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." It is impossible to apply the OT law outside of the context of the Spirit and the heart of the believer. “But I say…” is one way to do this, I hope you find it a useful tool in your Bible reading, meditation, and study.