According to scripture
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Editor,
Think about this. The “God breathed scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV) record that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was predicted hundreds of years before the actual event. Fulfilled prophecy is evidence of a Divine participation in the course of human history. The Apostle Paul writes this message to the new believers in Corinth:
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV).
Let’s be sure that we don’t miss Paul’s declaration regarding the inspiration of the Old Testament; because, salvation’s redeeming revelation presented throughout the New Testament has its unshakeable foundation in the inspiration of the Old Testament. Note that Paul says, “Christ died” which needs no special revelation from God as proof positive; human history records the truth of the fact, no revelation is necessary; however, we could not possibly know that “Christ died for our sins” without divine revelation. This was not just the opinion or conjecture of the Apostle. The resurrection happened because it was “according to the Scriptures,” many, many prophesies (Psalm 22:16-18 & John 19:33, 20:25; Isaiah 53:5-12 & 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:23, Mark 15:27 at least 300) written hundreds of years prior to fulfillment is proof of divine inspiration. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, prophesied centuries before fulfillment, affirms the truth that only the One who knows the future centuries, is the one who determines the future, God Himself.
What Paul is saying is, first we have the historical fact, “Christ died.” Then we have the revelation of the meaning of his death, “for our sins.” Then the fact and its meaning are authenticated by the fulfillment of prophecy as recorded in the New Testament. Inspiration and Revelation are bound together. The inspiration of the Old authenticates the revelation of the New; and the fulfillment in the New proves the inspiration of the Old.
Harvey A. Town
Polson
