Are Christians allowed to use OT for for the Christian doctrines?

For example, many people bring up David as a role model for Christians. These people say, "Look at David, we need to be as close to David as possible, and we need to follow all of the laws that David followed." Since David was so close to God, we need to follow everything that he followed.

While other Christians say that we do not need to follow David, because the things that David said and did were of the Old Testament. These people say, " The teaching of David do not apply to the Christians." These people bring up that David had more than one wife, and that current Christians need to have only one wife.


Which group of people do I need to listen to?

[swordsman]

No,No,NO

The Old Testament is for our understanding on how God has worked in the past.
There is no application for the New Testament Christian doctrinally in the O.T.

I am not saying that a Christian has no need to read or study the O.T. but doctrinally there is nothing for us today.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God of the Old Testament is still the God of the New Testament, and that never changed. However, we now have the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from sin. We're not under the law, because Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. However, Jesus himself said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." We don't keep them because it's LAW! We keep them because we love Jesus Christ.

And the argument about David's wives is a moot point. It's in the Word because it happened, not because God condoned multiple wives. It's a record of things God approved, as well as disapproved. As the Lord said,

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

That verse goes back behind David, to when God gave us the only gift that came out of Eden, and still continues to this day: marriage.

Old Testament is based on following the law, and faith in God.
New Testament is based on the shed blood of Christ, and Him ressurected in glory, and now sitting as our intercessor at the right hand of God. I believe it was Paul that says there was nothing wrong with the law. The law is perfect. The problem is with man. We don't have what it takes to keep the law.

Psalm 19:7-8
7The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Praise Him for His grace and mercy, to deliver us from the bondage of sin, as well as the bondage of the law!

[chette777]

Only if the Old Testament agrees with Apostle Paul's teaching on a given subject

All the old testament agrees with Paul's teaching. Dude what are you thinking.

You know, Jesus is the same, God does not change.

When one disregards parts of the Bible they are diminshing from it, the same as those who add and subtract from it.

Man lives by every word of God.

[Josh]

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:".

Originally Posted by Scott Simons

All the old testament agrees with Paul's teaching. Dude what are you thinking.

Numbers 19:11

"He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days."

Leviticus 11:4
"Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you."

So, we should also follow this.

Originally Posted by strife412

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God of the Old Testament is still the God of the New Testament, and that never changed. However, we now have the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from sin. We're not under the law, because Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. However, Jesus himself said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." We don't keep them because it's LAW! We keep them because we love Jesus Christ.

And the argument about David's wives is a moot point. It's in the Word because it happened, not because God condoned multiple wives. It's a record of things God approved, as well as disapproved. As the Lord said,

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

That verse goes back behind David, to when God gave us the only gift that came out of Eden, and still continues to this day: marriage.

Old Testament is based on following the law, and faith in God.
New Testament is based on the shed blood of Christ, and Him ressurected in glory, and now sitting as our intercessor at the right hand of God. I believe it was Paul that says there was nothing wrong with the law. The law is perfect. The problem is with man. We don't have what it takes to keep the law.

Psalm 19:7-8
7The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Praise Him for His grace and mercy, to deliver us from the bondage of sin, as well as the bondage of the law!

It's actually Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever; but that's not important

What I wanted to say, is that There is the old Testament and there is the New testament. Testament means agreement. Even thought God is the same, he made different agreements with the people. In the OT, people lived by the Old agreement laws. In the NT, people live by the new agreement.

For example, David had multiple wives, and God aproved it by the OT. Not only did God aprove David's multiple wives, but God also gave David a high rank. David would sit at the right hand of Jesus in Heaven.

In the NT, I understand that people can have only one wife and as I understand, by the NT having more than one wife before God is not right.

1 Corinthians 7:2 "...let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."


Even though God is the same, he made different requirements for people in the OT, and different agreement. We should only follow the things of the OT that overlap with the NT

I think that Reply #2, which was posted by Swordsman and Reply #4 by chette777 are the best answers.

[swordsman]

Originally Posted by chette777

Only if the Old Testament agrees with Apostle Paul's teaching on a given subject

AMEN !!