Musing – Are the OT and the NT in Opposition to One Another?

Hebraic Musing – Are the OT and the NT in Opposition to One Another?

Many read “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 NIV  and they assume there is clear opposition between the two halves of our Bible.  Even the popular explanation – “the New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed” still makes the OT & NT sound like two different messages.

Once again we have Greek-think** vs. Hebrew-think*** misunderstandings.  Us Westerners think of opposites, whereas Eastern Hebrew-think is “Something vs. Nothing”.   So in studying Hebrew-based Scripture, we should not be using Greek-think to assume the opposite of “law” is “grace”; instead, we should realize that the opposite of “law” is “lawlessness.”  And the opposite of “grace” is lack of “grace” –  Grace that we law-breaking sinners so desperately need!  

The problem begins with the traditional translation of the Torah as “Law” instead of “Teaching.”  The terms “grace” and “truth” are more easily understood. 

Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg* prefers to explain it this way – “we should read John 1:17 as follows: “The Torah came through Moses, and חֶסֶד (chesed) ‘unfailing love’ and אֱמֶת (emet) ‘truthfulness’ came through Jesus Christ [or Yeshua the Messiah]”.  The grace and truth of God can be clearly seen in the Torah of Moses, while the Jewish Christ displays grace and truth to their utmost degree.”  And I might add that Jesus did not avoid reminding us of the OT teachings; in fact He reminded us quite frequently that the commandments should be operating deep down in our hearts.

The Torah begins with creation of mankind and then God turns His attention to developing a people group He could call his own.  Right from the beginning God’s plan was for both Jew and Gentile to be His children.

Points to ponder

As parents, do we find ourselves teaching “Law” while constantly granting “Grace”!

Would either the OT or the NT be meaningful by itself without the other?

OT or NT – Which do we prefer to read?  Which do we really need to read?

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“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.”  Psalm 25:4

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          September 17, 2019

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*  Note – Inspired by & excerpted from “Jewish Insights Into Scripture” by Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, p.53

** Greek-think which was adopted by our Western culture thinks in terms of contrasts – Yes or No; Good or Evil; Holy or Satanic; Religious or Secular; either Law or Grace; Light or Dark; Blessed or Cursed; Either/Or…   
*** Hebrew-think does not deal with contrasts, but rather with “Is or Is not”; Holy or Unholy; Have or have not; Light or no light; Hot or not hot; Blessed or not blessed; Good or not good;…