regeneration

The Study Of The Old Testament Anticipation

There has been a lot of discussion in recent years as to how the Old Testament saints were saved. Let us consider a couple of suggestions.

SALVATION BY TRUST IN GOD

Some would suggest that this is two separate methods of salvation, both based on the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord. I however would suggest that this is one method of salvation based on a clear and proper understanding of the revelation the person has been given.

This line of thought suggests that the Old Testament saints were saved by obeying that revelation which they had at the time that they lived. This seems to be a very good approach. It does no harm to the doctrine of Christ, nor the doctrine of salvation.

The New Testament saints then were/are saved by acceptance of the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.

Both of these segments of the elect are saved by the blood and only the blood of Jesus Christ, however one group were looking to God for His provision of all that was needed for their complete salvation, while the other group look back to the cross of Christ where God provided all that was needed for their complete salvation.

Objections to this run along the line that NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN BY WHICH WE MAY BE SAVED - without Christ on both ends, you leave Christ out and have two methods of salvation. I think this is a straw man and most thinking folks will reject it quickly. There are not two methods of salvation in this line of thought, only one - obedience to all that God has revealed to you - accepting Him by faith.

SALVATION BY LOOKING FORWARD TO/BACK TO JESUS CHRIST

The other line of thought concerning Old Testament salvation is similar to the former, with a slight distinction. Those holding to this belief simply state that the Old Testament saints were looking forward to Christ and the New Testament saints look back to Christ.

The problem with this doctrine is that they fail to show anywhere in the Old or New Testament where the Old Testament saints knew of the God-man Jesus. They can quote all sorts of passages but none of them name Jesus as the coming savior, none of them name Jesus as the suffering servant and none of them show that the Old Testament saint knew anything about Jesus and the cross.

We need to look at some of the passages that are presented for this doctrine.

1 Pet 1:23: Context - Peter was writing to New Testament readers - not an Old Testament believer - no mention I see of any thing talking about this born again being an Old Testament occurrence. Nothing indicating that the Old Testament people were confronted with believing or not believing in Jesus.

I Jn 5:1: Ditto above.

Galatians 3:8 "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."

There are a number of things to observe. This speaks of justification, not regeneration, it speaks of blessing all nations, it speaks of justifing the heathen through faith, but it does not speak of regeneration, nor does it speak to the point of what was preached to Abraham. To use this verse to reject my view is to say that the gospel Abraham received was the same as we share with the lost today - there is no indication of this! Abraham followed God - he did not accept Christ.

One other item before we move on, this does not speak to the many Old Testament folks before Abraham - you would want to show that they also were confronted with Jesus.

1 Peter 1:11 "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

To use this to show that the Old Testament saints knew of Jesus, first you need to show that they understood this to be Jesus, you need to show that they understood the suffering one prophesied about was Jesus and you need to show that they understood in light of verse ten when it says "inquired and searched diligently" everything you say they understood - that they had to believe in Jesus.

We need to consider Christ and Nicodemus for a moment concerning Christ's words to him that he must be born again. Was John chronological? Did Christ's meeting with Nicodemus occur early in His ministry?

I feel that this was probably early in the Lord's ministry. Scroggie holds John to be chronological, though I don't feel he proved his point. I don't know that it matters whether it is or isn't - I would guess it to be. Does this relate to regeneration? Only that Christ was speaking of some specifics of salvation that had evidently been spoken of by Christ before. There is nothing in the text however to state when regeneration was possible at that point in time. Knowing from our vantage point, that Nicodemus was technically an Old Testament economy person, he would have to be regenerated to enter the kingdom - hummm - kingdom, not heaven. If he had at that point in time believed and accepted Christ would he have been regenerated on the spot - no indication of it - would Christ be telling lies out of school, no - at most this is a prophecy of the coming work on the cross when regeneration would be made a reality. He told Nicodemus he had to be reborn to enter the kingdom and that is the case - that rebirth based on the belief that is through the context up to and including the discussion.

A quick look at the context:

Chapter one presents Christ as God coming; John the Baptist was not the Christ; Pharisees were looking for the Christ (Messiah - king - not suffering servant - not Jesus vs. 49); Christ to be made manifest to Israel (vs 31); disciples were chosen.

Chapter two: Marriage at Cana; first miracle of John's Gospel; Christ cleared the temple; prophecies his death, burial and resurrection.

Chapter three: Nicodemus a Pharisee seeking a king - realizes this is a man from God (vs 3); Requirement of rebirth stated; 3-8 Christ answers Nicodemus's question about how can man be born a second time - Nicodemus didn't understand rebirth! - this is an Old Testament scholar and he did not understand it (So was it an Old Testament principle?). Eleven indicates Nicodemus had heard some preaching on this before from Christ and Christ is surprised he hasn't gotten the point. Rest of chapter to vs 21 speaks of belief and becoming child of God - does not speak to Nicodemus understanding regeneration, nor does it speak to the when of regeneration.

Christ's comments on rebirth are quite appropriate to all people Old Testament or New Testament - it is just that I don't think the Old Testament folks knew about it, nor even if they knew, understood it, if Nicodemus, a leader of the people, didn't.

It is of interest to me to relate what Christ said after His comment to Nicodemus - in the same breath, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it willeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but canst not tell from where it cometh, and where it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (vs 7-8) Relate that to the giving of the Holy Spirit "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." Acts 2.2 Was Christ giving indication the Spirit had not been around, was he indicating regeneration had never occured - maybe not, but it is of interest to consider.

Other references have been set forth to show that the Old Testament foks knew of Jesus: Gen 3.15; Isa 7.14. Many other prophetic passages could be mentioned, but none of them name Jesus, nor do they show that the readers knew what was coming in the future - the cross.

I would suggest Heb. 11:13-16 for your consideration. It pictures the men/women of faith looking forward to something, but it is clear it was not the cross. They knew there was something better coming, they knew their God was going to see to it, but I don't think they were looking for the cross - more likely an eternity with Him however He would work it out.

In all of Scripture I see no indication that the Old Testament people knew of Jesus, of the God-man, of the cross, of regeneration or many other things that we in the age of grace have been privileged to know.

They looked forward to blessing, to Messiah (king), to something better, to something heavenly - whatever God had in store for them, but I see no indication that they knew more.