2 Peter 1:19-21 (ESV)
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, [20] knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. [21] For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
We have here the attitude or the apostles toward scripture, and ours should be no less. Of course Peter here has in mind the prophecies of the Old Testament, which are probably more ignored today than they should be. You really can’t understand the new Testament without understanding the Old Testament, the two should be constantly informing us about each other. The Old Testament still has much to teach the Christian in light of Christ’s resurrection. In fact it would have nothing for us without Christ’s resurrection. It should not be marginalized as law that is no longer authoritative for us. The disciples regarded it as quite authoritative, and it guided the early church while the New Testament, the book, not the sacrament, was being formulated.
But that this is technically speaking of the Old Testament and not the New, does not mean that we should not also take what it says to heart regarding the New Testament. Peter, Paul, John these men the writers of the New Testament, they were prophets, they had a commission from Christ, we marginalize what they say to our own peril.
And this is what has been happening in so many churches for so long. We are all tempted to ignore scripture at certain places. God’s word is counter cultural, that is politically incorrect. You cannot reconcile it with middle class mores, or a hippie ethos. It doesn’t fit. It says what it says. We listen to it. FI we willfully ignore it, discount it then we drift. This is just as true of the law as it is of the gospel. We cannot ignore the law that it contains without also losing the gospel. The gospel is not an excuse to ignore the law. It is all the more reason to pay attention to it.
7 comments:
We certainly ought not ignore it (law, or gospel)...but we certainly do from time to time because of our 'problem' (sin).
But, He is faithful with steadfast love.
But...we still should not ignore it!!
Dumb question: Are there OT prophecies that are still yet to be fulfilled, or do we stop with the ones pointing to Christ, or filter the rest through the lens of Him? I see how the OT prophecies that pointed to Christ are still relevent, but what else's left?
Jonathan
Let me take a crack at your question.
The full realization of the Old Testament takes place in the resurrection. Jesus has brought that escatological (end time) event into the present in His own person. He is the resurrection. So, in that sense, every prophecy has come to an end already in Him.
On the other hand, Jesus' resurrection is but the first fruits of the harvest to come. So, we can still expect the full flowering of the resurrection in the future. What happened to Him will break out into the whole world swallowing up sin and death forever. In that sense, you can say that there is "more to come."
But all takes place "in Christ." Nothing yet to come has not already been fulfilled principly in Him.
I recently read Epicenter 2.0 by Joel Rosenberg. The basis of the book is that some chapters in Isaiah are being fulfilled right now with the modern day nation of Israel. I'm sure he's not the only one making money off the OT/Israel connection.
(His book did have a great chapter in on Muslims that are converting to Christianity though. )
Jonathan,
Pastor Skillman and I would be in agreement on the answer to your question.
Mollo,
It is crazy how many people make money off of that whole game. Everytime a Palestinian throws a rock and hits a Jew in the head, some guy starts predicting the end of the world. It is ridiculous.
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