This lesson begins with a specific awareness. The Bible of the early church was scripture we know as the Old Testament. What we know as the New Testament was written as separate letters in the last half of the first century. The twenty-seven writings in the New Testament became a volume over three hundred years after Jesus' death and resurrection. The process for recognition and acceptance of those twenty-seven writings as scripture was time- consuming.
The first time the same twenty-seven books of the New Testament that we study were presented as scripture was 367 A.D. Some of these writings were understood to be scripture from the late first century or the early second century [such as the gospels and Paul's letters].
The point: today's Christian needs to understand Old Testament scripture was the Bible of first century Christians. The volume of scriptures we know as the New Testament was in the process of being written, collected, and accepted as scripture. When a writing in the New Testament refers to "scripture," it is referring to the Old Testament scripture.
Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:15-17, talked to Timothy about the "sacred writings." He said Timothy should understand those writings were God-given, profitable, and would equip God's person to do every good work. Paul spoke of the Old Testament.
In Paul's letter to Christians in Rome, he said things written in earlier times were written to instruct first century Christians. Read Romans 15:4. Three things in combination produced Christian hope: (1) the early writings; (2) Christian perseverance; and (3) scripture's encouragement. Old Testament scripture should be a source of Christian hope.
Paul's letter to Christians in Corinth is known to us as 1 Corinthians. He stated [chapter ten] two specific Christian purposes of Old Testament scripture were (1) examples and (2) instruction. He said the event of Israel's deliverance at the Red Sea paralleled Christian baptism. Each marked the point of transition: (1) for Israelites--from slavery to freedom; (2) for them--from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ (10:1-4). Israel's wilderness experiences happened as "examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they craved them" (10:5,6). Paul wrote in 10:11, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction." The previous verses refer to Israel's golden calf (Exodus 32, note verse 6); the religious prostitution of Israel's men with the daughters of Moab (Numbers 25); God sending poisonous snakes because Israel "tried God" (Numbers 21); and Israel's grumbling against God (Numbers 16:41, 46-50).
This background should allow our minds and spiritual focus to be open to a truth Paul emphasized to Christians in Rome and Christians in the province of Galatia.
To be Christian men and women of godly character and integrity, we must love our neighbors as ourselves. Such love always was necessary. God's person in every age loved his or her neighbor as self. Israelites of godly character and integrity loved their neighbors as themselves. Jesus' disciples of godly character and integrity loved their neighbors as themselves. Christians of godly character and integrity love their neighbors as themselves. Remember, a person's need makes him or her our neighbor. In Jesus' definition of neighbor, neighbors are made by need, not by address.
Read Romans 13:8-10. [Remember in the series CLIMBING ON THE ALTAR, Lesson Seven, we focused on the unpayable debt of love in these same verses. In context, we noted the role the patronage system served in their society. Paul said the Christian in Rome was not to place himself (or herself) under a human obligation that compromised one's commitment to God.]
Read Galatians 5:13-15.
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 9