Should The New Testament Be Interpreted Through a Prioritized Study of The Old Testament?

 Should The New Testament Be Interpreted Through a Prioritized Study of The Old Testament?


The short answer I am going to give to the query (above), is, "No."  It is good to study the Old Testament; but the Old Testament itself is now to be always interpreted in light of the New Testament.  It is actually perverse, to (now) seek to understand the New Testament through the exclusive "lens" of the Old Testament. . . . To do so, is analogous to trying to see a far away distant object, by looking into the large end of a telescope, (instead of looking through the smaller end).

 

. . . It would be one thing, if we did not have (or possess) the New Testament.  In that case, the study of the Old Testament, to gain insight into what God had promised, etc., would not only be a good idea, it would be the best means of discerning His (the divine) will.  But, once we are given the New Testament, it becomes ridiculous to try to "interpret" it, via a prioritized study of the Old Testament.

 

Think of it this way: is there anyway we could have conceived of the glory of creation, for instance, simply based on the fact that God promised to craft a universe?  The answer, of course, is, "No."  The same is true of the re-creation in Jesus Christ and God's New Covenant churched kingdom.  Is there anyway we could have imagined such glory, even from simply reading, understanding, and (even) believing all the promises God gave in the Old Testament?  The answer, is, "No."

 

Somebody might be asking, "Well, who would be so foolish, as to try to 'interpret' the New Testament through the Old Testament today?"  Good question; and I think the answer is found in those who wish to maintain the Old Covenant practices, which are now clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ Himself, and which are now strictly forbidden (by God) to be practiced in the same (Old) way now--since they are all fulfilled and abrogated in Christ's incarnation, atonement, and glorification.

 

If you are an astute Scripture scholar, you probably have already discerned that this is precisely what the Judaizers of the first century AD, were doing.  They desired to bring back and impose on the early New Covenant-era church abrogated Old Covenant practices.  "Like what, for instance?"  Like worship on the Old Covenant Sabbath Day (Saturday); like restrictions (via kosher laws) on diets; and (even worse), like separation of Jews and Gentiles who were placed into the one church of God--which was established in Jesus Christ's blood atonement and glorious resurrection.

 

Never be deceived: those who seem to (even "innocently") wish to interpret the New Testament in light of the Old, have an agenda.  Otherwise, why would they desire to do such a God-dishonoring thing?  They already have the New Testament--it is the full light of the Old.  Who needs to "go back to a 'drawing board,' " that has already been revealed and fulfilled?  No one except those who refuse to accept the truth of what has been completely revealed to the one holy, catholic, and apostolic, true church and to the whole world--in the Son of God Jesus Christ Himself.  Let us always cling to our Redeemer, and to no one and nothing else.

 

"[Jesus Christ] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," (Heb. 1:3/ESV).

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #107

13 June 2026

 

https://theologicaltreatisesinretirement.blogspot.com

https://henningerdevotions.blogspot.com

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