Why don't Christians see the obvious inescapable contradiction in having both the Old Testament and the New Testament?
Answering a Social Media Question:
It’s a fair question! At first glance, the Bible can look like a collection of conflicting instructions—dietary laws vs. liberty, animal sacrifices vs. a finished work, or "faith plus works" vs. "grace alone." If you try to mash it all into one flat message, you’re left with a theological headache.
However, the "contradiction" isn't a flaw in the Book; it’s usually a result of how we read it. Using the King James Bible (KJB) as our guide, here is how those pieces actually fit together perfectly through a principle called Right Division.
1. The Key: Rightly Dividing
The Bible itself provides the "instruction manual" for how to read it without getting confused.
2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
To "divide" doesn't mean to discard. It means to recognize that God has dealt with different groups of people (Israel and the Body of Christ) under different "economies" or programs. When you stop trying to apply instructions meant for Israel's prophetic kingdom to the current age of grace, the contradictions vanish.
2. Prophecy vs. Mystery
The "clash" most people see is the difference between the Prophetic Program (found in the Old Testament and the Four Gospels) and the Mystery Program (revealed to the Apostle Paul).
- Prophecy: Concerns the Earth, the nation of Israel, and a literal kingdom. It has been spoken "by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21).
- The Mystery: Concerns the Heavens and the Church. This was a secret "hid in God" until it was revealed to Paul.
3. Why You Need Both
You might wonder: "If we live under the Mystery today, why keep the Old Testament at all?" The answer lies in how God’s full plan is structured.
Romans 16:25-26: "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets... made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."
To have a "stable" faith, Paul explains you need:
"My Gospel" & The Mystery: To know your specific identity and instructions today.
The Prophetic Scriptures: To understand the foundation, the character of God, and the legal necessity of a Redeemer.
4. Perfect Synergy
When you see these as two distinct programs under one overarching plan, they don't fight; they harmonize.
The Prophecy shows God’s righteousness and His dealings with the nations through Israel.
The Mystery shows God’s incredible grace in forming a new agency (the Body of Christ) during a time when Israel is fallen.
Without the Old Testament, the New has no context. Without the Pauline Epistles, the Old Testament has no "finish." When you rightly divide, the Bible becomes a masterpiece of "perfect synergy" rather than a book of errors.
