Article VII
The Old Testament
One saving purpose runs through both Testaments.
The Article
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
THE Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.
In modern English
The Old Testament does not contradict the New Testament. In both, everlasting life is offered to humanity through Christ, the only mediator between God and humanity, who is both God and human. Those who claim that the faithful people of the Old Testament hoped only for temporary, earthly blessings are mistaken. The ceremonial laws and rituals given through Moses do not bind Christians. Nations are not necessarily required to adopt Israel's civil laws. However, no Christian is free from the obligation to obey God's moral commandments.
Scripture readings
- Luke 24:25–27
- Hebrews 11:13–16
- Matthew 5:17–20
Understand the teaching
One unfolding story of salvation
Article VII addresses a temptation that still appears in churches: treating the Old Testament as a different religion with a less gracious God. It affirms the unity of God's saving purpose across both Testaments. Everlasting life is offered through Christ, the one mediator who is both God and man. Israel's faithful ancestors received promises whose full meaning would become clear in him. Christian reading therefore honours the Old Testament as Scripture and asks how its story reaches its fulfilment in Jesus.
The Article also rejects the suggestion that earlier believers hoped only for temporary prosperity. Hebrews 11 describes people living by faith while looking beyond their immediate circumstances towards God's lasting fulfilment. Abraham's hope cannot be reduced to land, possessions or family success during his lifetime. The promises included historical blessings, yet their horizon was larger. This keeps us from caricaturing Israel's faith as merely material or assuming that grace first appeared when the New Testament began.
Seeing Christ without ignoring context
Luke 24:25–27 describes Jesus explaining the Scriptures in relation to his suffering and glory. His teaching establishes a Christ-centred reading of the Old Testament. That reading should respect each passage's original meaning. A psalm first speaks within Israel's worship, a law addresses Israel's covenant life, and a prophecy confronts particular people. We then consider how these words participate in the wider movement of promise, judgement and redemption fulfilled in Christ. Careful attention to history strengthens theological understanding.
Romans 4 traces justification by faith through Abraham and David. Paul presents continuity in God's gracious way of receiving sinners. Genesis 15:6 becomes central because Abraham trusts God's promise and is counted righteous. This does not mean Abraham possessed the same detailed knowledge of Jesus' death and resurrection that Christians now have. Revelation unfolds over time. The unity lies in the faithful God, his saving promise and the response of faith, with Christ accomplishing the salvation to which that promise leads.
Ceremonial, civil and moral commands
The Article distinguishes ceremonial rites, civil laws and moral commandments within the Mosaic law. Ceremonial provisions include sacrifices and ritual arrangements associated with Israel's worship. Hebrews 10:1–14 explains how repeated sacrifices point towards Christ's effective offering. Their fulfilment means Christians do not restore the sacrificial system. Its study remains valuable because it teaches the seriousness of sin, the need for cleansing and the cost of approaching a holy God through the provision he himself gives.
Israel's civil laws governed a particular covenant nation. Article VII says those laws need not be adopted as the legal code of every commonwealth. Christians may learn wisdom from their concern for justice, restitution and vulnerable people without reproducing every penalty or institution. Moral commandments continue to bind Christians. This threefold distinction is a theological way of explaining the law's different functions; individual passages can combine those functions, so careful interpretation is still needed rather than mechanical sorting into three simple boxes.
Obedience in the new covenant
Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:17–20 presents his mission as fulfilment of the Law and Prophets. Fulfilment includes bringing their intended meaning and purpose to completion. He then addresses anger, desire and truthfulness, pressing obedience into the heart. Grace never gives Christians permission to regard dishonesty or hatred as harmless. Romans 13:8–10 explains how love fulfils the law's moral demands. Love takes definite shape in protecting neighbours from adultery, murder, theft and covetousness.
Some applications remain disputed among faithful Christians, particularly the relationship between the Sabbath command and Sunday observance. The Article supplies a principle of continuing moral obedience without resolving every later question about its application. It is wise to distinguish the shared duty of worship and rest from disputed conclusions about precise restrictions. Colossians 2:16–17 also warns against condemnation over food and religious calendars. Interpret these passages together, recognising both Christ's fulfilment and the enduring call to holy living.
Reading difficult laws as a disciple
Imagine a Bible group reading an unfamiliar purity law. Begin by asking what the command taught Israel about holiness, worship and community. Then ask how Jesus' work and the apostolic teaching change its application. Mark 7 and Acts 10, for example, are important when considering food and fellowship. Finally identify any enduring moral or theological principle. This process takes more care than simply copying an ancient regulation, yet it produces a richer understanding of both the passage and the gospel.
For practical discipleship, resist selective use of the Old Testament to support preferences while overlooking its demands for justice, generosity and faithfulness. Read a complete narrative or prophetic section and notice the kind of people God is forming. Consider one command concerning neighbours, money or truthful speech, and trace its treatment into the New Testament. Ask how your life should respond through Christ. The result should be gratitude for God's consistent saving purpose and a more thoughtful willingness to obey the Lord who has brought his promises to fulfilment.
Bring it into everyday life
- Choose an Old Testament passage and ask how its promise or pattern leads towards Christ.