Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 02:2 (Summer 1959)
Article: Christ’s Usage Of The Old Testament
Author: Morris Bender

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CenQ 2:2 (Summer 1959) p. 33

Christ’s Usage Of The Old Testament

Morris Bender

from a paper submitted at Central C. B. Seminary

In considerations concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures, the testimony of Christ and His view of the inspiration of Scripture should not be forgotten. Scripture claims inspiration of itself and because of this should be accepted as the Word of God, but the usage of Christ will add to our belief in the supreme trustworthiness of the Scripture.

Because the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and because He is the Son of God, as he claimed to be, then He must be the highest authority on any subject of which He might choose to speak. As the Son of God He was not limited to human reason and so did not have the possibility of mistake and error. His statements are final and carry the utmost authority. He said that nothing in the past or in the future shall alter His teachings. So when we consider the testimony of Christ, we are consulting the final and absolute witness. In Mark 13:31 He declared “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” He claimed that the words that He uttered were not His own but the words of the Father which had sent Him.

Divine And Authoritative

Mark 7:8-13is atypical instance containing a direct statement of Jesus as to the authority of the Scriptures. He was condemning the Pharisees for leaving the commandment of God and following the traditions of men. He said, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition,” Then He quoted Scripture from the words of Moses as they are found in Leviticus 20 and 21. He then said that by their conduct they make void the Word of God. Notice that when Jesus quoted these words as they came from the pen of Moses, He also stated that they are the words of God, and that they must be obeyed. In this passage He has quoted three books of the Pentateuch.

CenQ 2:2 (Summer 1959) p. 34

Many times Jesus used the Old Testament in His ministry as a basis for His arguments. In the twelfth chapter of Matthew are His teachings concerning the Sabbath Day. He was challenged by the Pharisees who said He had violated the law of the Sabbath. As a basis for His argument he referred to the well-known episode of David in the twenty-first chapter, of I Samuel. Upon the historicity of the event there mentioned, He based His authority concerning the superiority of man over the day of rest.

In the nineteenth chapter of Matthew are teachings of Jesus concerning the sanctity of marriage. In answering the...

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