On My Mind: Why The Old Testament Is Important

"Do not be conformed to this world, this age, 

fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs,

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that

you may prove for yourselves what is the good and

acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing

which is good and acceptable and perfect,

in His sight for you."

Romans 12:2

I was quite surprised by the remarks made by popular Georgia

evangelist, Andy Stanley, who claimed that Christians today should

"unhitch themselves" from the Old Testament in regards to their faith.
His sentiments are nothing new.

Stanley is the senior pastor of the North Point Community Church

in Alpharetta, Georgia.  He is also the son of Dr. Charles Stanley,

the founder and senior pastor of In Touch Ministries in Atlanta.

In comments made during a sermon to his congregation last April,

 Andy Stanley said that while he believes the Old Testament is "divinely inspired"

it should not be "the go-to-source regarding any behavior in the church".

While Stanley used passages from the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts,

which describe how the early church decided that Gentiles, or non-Jewish believers,

did not need to observe Jewish law to become Christians, in his letter

 to Romans, the apostle Paul explains the purpose of the Law, which

was to recognize the nature of sin, or rebelliousness against God.

Paul also reveals that those "under the Law" can never be

justified by following it.

"For no person will be justified, made righteous, acquitted, and 

judged acceptable in His sight by observing the works prescribed by

the Law.  For the real function of the Law is to make men recognize

and be conscious of sin, not mere perception, but an acquaintance

with sin which works towards repentance, faith, and holy character."

Romans 3:20

Paul goes on to say that "now the righteousness of God (in the Person

of Jesus Christ) has been revealed independently and altogether apart

from the Law, although it is attested by the Law and the Prophets.

Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with

personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ the Messiah.

And it is mean't for all who believe, For there is no distinction."

Romans 3:21-22

Andy Stanley claims that many Christians are turning away from

the faith because of certain passages in the Old Testament.  He argues

that the early church moved beyond the Old Testament for the sake

of the newly converted Gentile or non-Jewish believers.

While both Peter and Paul argued with their fellow believers in

Jerusalem, some of whom belonged to the sect of Pharisees which

still adhered to the Law of Moses regarding circumcision, when 

the Lord gave the Great Commission to His followers, saying,

"Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

His listeners were all Jews like Himself.   Their only witness

of Christ apart from personally knowing Him, was to be

found in the Old Testament because the New Testament

was, at that time, yet to be written.  These missionaries of the early 

  church were not only schooled in the Law, but used the revelations of

the Old Testament prophets, like Isaiah, to witness to their

fellow Jews that Jesus Christ is their long-promised Messiah.

Stanley claims that Jesus is the New Covenant and this fact

does not need to be propped up by Jewish scriptures.  He also asserts

that, "The Bible did not create Christianity."   However, in the

Book of Acts Chapter 11, when Barnabas went looking for

and found Saul in Tarsus (the apostle Paul) and brought him back to

 Antioch for a whole year the early church assembled together, and 

instructed a large number of people, and it was in Antioch

"that the disciples (most of whom were Jews) were first called Christians."

(Acts 11:26)

Saul, who became the apostle, Paul, was later separated from

the rest of the brethren and sent to preach the Word of God concerning

the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God,
not only to the Gentiles, but also within the synagogues

  of the Jews.  Paul and Barnabas later continued

 on to the island of Cyprus and later on to Antioch in

Pisidia.  "And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue

there and sat down. After reading the Law and the Prophets,

the leaders of the worship sent to them saying, Brethren,

if you have a word of exhortation or consolation or

encouragement for the people, say it."

(Acts 13:14-15)

So Paul rose and spoke to the assembly, saying,

"Men of Israel and you who reverence and fear God, listen!"

The apostle then went on to declare that the God of Israel,

had selected their forefathers and made their people great and

important in the land of Egypt and later brought them up from

slavery and across the wilderness to their own homeland in Canaan.

God gave them judges and the prophet, Samuel.

He gave them kings, first Saul, then David, the son of Jesse,

whose descendants brought to Israel a Savior in the Person

of Jesus, according to His promise.

Christ came but those who dwelt in Jerusalem did not

know or recognize Him, nor did they understand the utterances

of the (Old Testament) prophets concerning Him, in which

they would sentence and condemn Him to death.

But God raised Him from the dead, thus fulfilling what was

written in the second Psalm, "You are My Son; today I

have begotten You, caused You to arise, to be born;

formally shown You to be the Messiah by the resurrection."

(Psalm 2:7)

Stanley asserts, "Your whole house of Old Testament cards

can come tumbling down" and yet, in his oratory at Antioch the apostle

Paul built a solid foundation of faith by using the relevance of the Old Testament.

 And, whereas Paul, like all of us, was not an eye witness to Christ's resurrection,

we who believe rely on our faith in the Holy Scriptures, which
is, more simply put, taking God at His Word.  All of it.

Furthermore, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
While he does not elaborate on these certain "behaviors in the church"
it seems that Andy Stanley is insinuating that our relationship with God is
more important than recognizing and renouncing sin in our lives. 
 And yet, it is sin which hinders our fellowship with Him.

For example, in the Old Testament, adultery and homosexuality
are condemned under the Law.  Those accused of these offenses
were often put to death.  While no longer considered capital
offenses today, both homosexuality and adultery are still
considered grievous lifestyle choices in the sight of God.

Even believers who do not struggle with these issues are
sinners who fall short of the glory of God.  This said, while there
is abundant mercy and forgiveness and healing found in Jesus Christ,
and we are washed clean from the stain of sin through His
precious shed blood, there has to be an awareness, not to
mention a willingness, on the part of every true believer, to
turn away from sin, or what Paul called, "..the renewal of your mind."

Part of this renewed way of thinking comes through the careful 
and diligent study of and meditation on God's very own testimony,
  as He speaks to us in both the Old and the New Testaments 
of the Holy Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul
Gustave Dore