Things Written Before

From The Christian Reader:

Things Written Before


“Search the Scriptures; for…they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)





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The Old and New Testaments contain the same doctrines and the same gospel; thus the Old and the New Testaments are one in essence, differing only in circumstances and the manner of administration. The church of the Old Testament anticipated the coming of Christ and therefore had a ministry of types and shadows. The New Testament church reflects upon Christ who has come and therefore has a ministry without shadows. The Old Testament is one in essence with the New Testament and therefore is as much a rule for us as is the New Testament….which is the reason why the apostle, while preaching in the New Testament dispensation, said “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come” (Acts 26:22).



Secondly, there is but one church from the beginning of the world until the end of time. The books of the Old Testament were given to the church as her regulative principle, and such is therefore true for the New Testament church as well. Even the ceremonies, which were instituted to be practiced only for a period of time, are applicable to us in the New Testament—not to be practiced as such, but for the purpose of discerning in them the truth and wisdom of God, and also for the attainment of a better knowledge of Christ from the details of those ceremonies.



Thirdly, the church of the New Testament is built upon the foundation of the prophets as well as of the apostles. “Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20). Thus the writings of the prophets are as regulative for us as the writings of the apostles…



Fourthly, Christ and the apostles substantiated their doctrine by means of the Old Testament. They direct us to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, demonstrating the profitability of the Old Testament for us, who are in the New Testament dispensation. “Search the Scriptures; for…they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39); “For whatsoever things were written aforetime [that is, the books of the Old Testament] were written for our learning” (Rom. 15:4); “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29); “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed” (2 Pet. 1:19); “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). All this demonstrates with exceptional clarity that the Scriptures of the Old Testament are as regulative for us as those of the New Testament.



by Wilhelmus a Brakel, from The Christian’s Reasonable Service