The necessity of The Old Testament

Credence by Jesus and the Apostles

Jesus

Too long, please open your Bible Luke 24: 13-27

Jesus could have given them a unique experience to reveal Himself but He instead decided to it through the scriptures. Our faith has to be anchored on the scriptures. If scripture is insufficient, nothing will suffice.

Too long, please open your Bible Luke 4: 16-20

Jesus not only said that the scriptures testify of Him, He also directly tied accepting the words of the prophets to accepting Him

Too long, please open your Bible John 5: 39-46

He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ Luke 16:31

When Jesus was tempted, He responded to the devil with “it is written”.

Jesus also showed that there’s a right way to handle the scriptures, particularly in the second temptation where the devil also quotes from Psalm 91.

Too long, please open your Bible Matthew 4: 1-10

Paul

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

For Apostle Paul, the testimony of Jesus’ death & resurrection ultimately has credibility because of the alignment of those events to the scriptures.

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Apostle Paul believes that the content of scripture is sufficient for faith in Jesus and for spiritual growth.

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other. 1 Corinthians 4:6

Peter

Too long, please open your Bible 2 Peter 1: 16-21

Apostle Peter speaks of the experience on the mount of transfiguration as defense that they were not propagating “cunningly devised fables”. He however ensures to anchor the faith of his audience in the prophetic word; the scriptures.

Scripture as words from God’s mouth

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that he who created them in the beginning made them male and female, and he also said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? Matthew 19: 4-5

Too long, please open your Bible Acts 3: 17-21

It is quite significant that Adam’s words as recorded in Genesis and the words of the prophets are attributed to God.