What is the Old Testament?

What is the “Old Testament”

A Terminology Exposé

As mentioned in What is the “New Testament”?, Tertullian was the first to apply the terms “New Testament” to the Newer Messianic Scriptures and “Old Testament” to the Hebrew Scriptures. Prior to his new teachings, these terms simply did not imply that there was a deep chasm of separation among the various books, nor were the “Newer Books” thought to have anti Semitic overtones.

A “testament” or “covenant” is a contract. The term old testament is used only in 2 Corinthians 3:14. In reality, it only applies to the terms of the contract that Moses received on Mountain Sinai, or at most, this unique reference might apply to the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible, “when Moses is read”. I usually put the words “old testament”, or as it is in some versions such as the American Standard, “old covenant” in quotes because the term is usually treated as tho it applied to everything contained from Genesis to Malachi, and is used with varying magnitudes of contempt! The hundreds of “old testament” quotations within the “new testament” should be a very strong statement of continuity rather than that of discontinuance! The New Scriptures are the icing on the cake, but you still need the underlying cake.

Doctrinally speaking, I have no use for Tertullian’s “right to interpret Scripture”. For example, he was also the first to coin “Trinitas” or “Trinity”. Yet Trinity is never mentioned in the Bible, nor are the accompanying terms homousis and ousis. Those terms were adopted from the Stoics. Trinities have been found in Pagan writings ever since the tower of Babylon. He also taught that the Bible should only be read “at church”, because he assumed that only the Catholic Church has the right to interpret Scripture and establish doctrine.

Tertullian eventually left the orthodoxy and became a Montanist, a very strict sect that emphasized ecstatic prophetic gifts. He wrote some of his most zealous anti heretical (anti sectarian) works after he became a Montanist—a sect that itself was later condemned by the Catholics as heresy.

Here is the verse that provided Tertullian the imaginary reason for the great divisive chasm now imagined in the minds of most people; separating the old “obsolete” scriptures from the “new” and “relevant” ones.

2 Corinthians 3:14-15 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. 15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. WEB

This was not an attempt to coin a new phrase for the Hebrew Scriptures!

In a paragraph, here is the account of when the terms of the “old covenant” were accepted:

Exodus 19:1-8 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. 3 Moses went up to God, and [Yehovah’] called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice, and keep My Covenant, then you shall be My own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. 7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which [Yehovah] commanded him. 8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that [Yehovah] has spoken we will do”. WEB

I envision a very similar situation when Yehovah renews His vows with Israel in a “New (Marriage) Covenant”!

Here is the Biblical phrase for the “Mosaic” covenant:

Hebrews 8:7 For if that First Covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. WEB

Hebrews 9:1 Now indeed even the First Covenant had ordinances of divine service, and an earthly sanctuary. WEB

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason He is the mediator of a New Covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. WEB

Hebrews 9:18 Therefore even the First Covenant has not been dedicated without blood. WEB

Augustine, condemning Faustus the Manichaean, for trashing the Hebrew Scriptures—“the law of God”, said:

“What else do those preachers of another gospel than that which we have received try to do, but to corrupt us from the purity which we preserve for Christ, when they stigmatize the law of God as old, and praise their own falsehoods as new, as if all that is new must be good, and all that is old bad? The Apostle John, however, praises the old commandment [Hebrew Scriptures], and the Apostle Paul bids us avoid novelties in doctrine. As an unworthy son and servant of the Catholic Church, the true bride of the true Christ....”

Again, this is not a blanket phrase covering the scriptures written prior to Jesus (actually Yeshua, off site). There are no second class scriptures that need to be given a separate classification of any kind. People have no clue that the “first covenant” had to do with Ancient Israel coming out of Egyptian slavery to be married to their Creator (New Covenant Chapter—Jeremiah 31:32) and that the renewed covenant, spelled out in great detail in Jeremiah 31, will be accomplished only when the modern nations of Israel come out of 21st century slavery in the North Country! As it says in the New Covenant chapter:

Jeremiah 23:7-8 Therefore, behold, the days come, says [Yehovah], that they shall no more say, “As [Yehovah] lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”; 8 but, “As [Yehovah] lives, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the North Country, and from all the countries where I had driven them. They shall dwell in their own land”.

Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the North Country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together: a great company shall they return here.

See other “North Country” prophetic references in Jeremiah 6 (esp v.22); Ch 10 (esp. v.22); Ch 46 (esp. v.10); Zechariah 6 (esp. vs.6 & 8).

You may want to check out another Compact Exposé: What is the New Testament?

Lon W. Martin

7/17/05