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Paul and the Old Testament

1. CONNECT

   10min
   In our prior session we saw that Jesus affirmed the Old Testament’s relevance for all believers. In this session, we’ll see that the apostle Paul loved the Old Testament and wanted all Christians to understand and apply it to their lives. At the same time, he strongly opposed those in Israel who treated the Old Testament like a legalistic path to salvation by human works. Grasping this distinction is critical to discovering how relevant the Old Testament is for our lives and how important it is for us to study it today.

2. Reflection

   Have you ever heard another Christian say something like, “Paul taught that we aren’t under the law but under grace, so we don’t have to obey a bunch of rules anymore”? Maybe you’ve thought something like this yourself. Many well-meaning Christians believe that the Old Testament teaches a religion of salvation by works with burdensome rules, but that, according to the apostle Paul, those rules are now lifted in Christ. As a result, they think they should ignore the Old Testament and simply study the New Testament.

3. Guiding Question

   If the apostle Paul taught that we are free in Christ, why do you think he appealed to the Old Testament so often in his teaching?

4. WATCH

   15min

5. DISCUSS

   15min
   1. Read Galatians 3:11 (where Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4) and Romans 4:1-12. How did Paul appeal to the Old Testament to prove that justification in the eyes of God is not by works of the law but by faith in Christ?
   2. Look at Romans 7:12. How does Paul describe the Old Testament law of God? What does this tell us about Paul’s view of the Old Testament?

6. APPLY

   15min
   1. If the law itself is “holy,” “righteous” and “good,” why do we still need a Savior?
   2. How do Paul’s positive statements about the Old Testament in Romans 15:4 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 demonstrate some of the benefits of studying the Old Testament?

7. CHALLENGE

   Take some time to write down misconceptions about the relevance of the Old Testament that you have encountered. How should you respond to these misconceptions? Finish with a time of prayer.