2 of 8

Lesson on the Bible: The New Testament…fulfilling the Old

The Gospels’ preeminence amidst all the scriptures.

How is the New Testament the Fulfillment of the Old

3 of 8

Preeminence-

It is common knowledge that among all the Scriptures, even those of the New Testament, the Gospels have a special preeminence, and rightly so, for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of the incarnate Word, our savior. (Dei Verbum, 18).

What about the rest of the New Testament?

¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.¹²Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.¹³And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.¹⁴If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.

(John 14:10-14)

4 of 8

The rest of the New Testament testifies to the work of the Spirit of truth who is guiding the church to all truth.

⁵But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.⁷But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: ⁹sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; ¹¹condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. ¹²“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. ¹³But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. ¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

(John 16:5-15)

5 of 8

The concept of the Fulfilment of the Scriptures is complex

3 types of fulfillment-

Continuity with Old Testament Revelation
Aspect of Discontinuity- something is different about how Christ fulfills (not what people were expecting)
Transcendence- something even more has been done and is being done by Christ.

Take the example of the Temple

¹⁹Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”²⁰The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. (John 2:19-22)

6 of 8

Context of Acts of the Apostles

Beginning by Preaching and working with the Jews

-Remember there are different types of Jews

Not only is there a distinction of the Samaritans (who are not considered to keep the Jewish law anymore), but there are Jews who are outside of Israel.

Some Jews are called Hellenists Jews (Meaning they speak Greek)
Some Jews belong to the Synagogue of Freedmen (Meaning they were former slaves of their captives living in foreign lands)

And the Apostles are constantly being brought to the Jews with authority in Jerusalem.

Then Going to the Gentiles

The Acts of the Apostles may have also been written as a defense of the Christian faith to the Romans along with its defense of Paul’s legitimacy.

Nero began a horrible persecution of the Church in Rome in 64 AD.

Peter goes to Cornelius in Chapter 10 after a vision

7 of 8

Studying the Text

Ch. 7- Stephen is the First Martyr

He witnesses to the faith by proclaiming Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
Recognizing what God had done through Moses and the Temple, He also criticizes what was lacking in them or how they’ve been treated, now explaining how Christ fulfills them.
Closing their ears, the mob rushes and stones Stephen to death.

Ch. 8- The Church leaves Jerusalem because of persecution.

1Now Saul was consenting to his execution.Persecution of the Church.On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.2Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. 3Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.

4Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.