This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, we ask the question: Should Christians Follow Old Testament Law?

Is the Old Testament even relevant or valuable for the New Testament Christian? Is the Law of Moses binding on believers of Christ? Doesn’t the book of Hebrews teach us that the Old Covenant/Mosaic Covenant is obsolete?

This season on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot have three special guests joining them: Pastor Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible Church in Orange County, CA; Dr. Tom Schreiner, the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at SBTS in Louisville, KY; and Dr. Bruce Ware, the T. Rupert and Lucille Coleman Professor of Christian Theology at SBTS in Louisville, KY.

Throughout the history of Christianity there have always been those who have argued that “we are not under law, but under grace”, taking the Apostle Paul’s words to extremes by rejecting the moral law found in the Old Testament, particularly in the Ten Commandments. Those who reject and deny that these are applicable to believers in Christ are often called “antinomians” – meaning no law or against law. Something new we are hearing today (yet, not entirely new, since it has similarities) is Christians being called to consider “unhitching” themselves from the Old Testament and any obligations we might think we have to it. Is this biblical? Should Christian’s abandon the Old Testament and neglect it as unimportant? Did Jesus do this? What about the Apostles after Jesus’s ascension? How about the Apostle Paul who wrote so much of the New Testament?

This week our panel tackles these questions and more that Christians have regarding the relevance and value of the Old Testament, and the Old or Mosaic Covenant for our lives today. They confirm that New Testament believers are not under the old covenant, but under the new covenant that was inaugurated in Jesus’s death and resurrection (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:26-27; Rom. 6:14-15; 7:4-6; Heb. 8:1-10, 13). But, in saying that the believer is not under the old covenant and that it is “obsolete”(Heb. 8:13), does not make the Old Testament scriptures themselves obsolete. This is just not what we find in the New Testament; it is saturated with Old Testament scriptures used by the inspired writers of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul himself, as he is writing letters that become part of the cannon of New Testament scripture, writes this in 2 Timothy 3: 16 & 17, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

The Old Testament anticipates and predicts the new, and the New Testament is predicated on and explains the old; the New Testament then becomes our hermeneutical guide in how we are to understand and appropriate Old Testament texts. So, as we interpret the Old Testament in light of the New, we do find fulfillment (Matt. 5:17-20) and abolishment (Heb. 8:13), suggesting continuity and discontinuity. Yet, the God who gave us the words of the Old Testament is the same God who gave us the words of the New Testament and He does not change (Mal. 3:6, James 1:17); both the Old and the New Testament scriptures are the inspired, inerrant infallible, authoritative Words of God. A careful reading of the entire cannon will show us that there are many commandments from the Old Testament including ones from the Old/Mosaic Covenant that are repeated and even expanded on in the New Testament. We are commanded to be Holy in both the Old and the New Testaments because that is the very character of God and this is further expressed and represented in the many commands and laws we find throughout the entire Bible. Therefore, it doesn’t follow that there aren’t moral norms to be found for the people of God for all of life at all times in the entirety of His special revelation.

Our panel walks us through some of these difficult texts and helps us think about the principles that come out of them and helps us comprehend how the Old Testament has unending relevance and value for the believer who is in Christ. We cannot just “unhitch” ourselves from either testament of the Bible, doing so destroys the whole counsel of God that He intends for His people to know and live by (Deut. 4:2, Deut. 12:32, Prov. 30:5-6, Rom.15:4, 1Cor 10:6, 2 Timothy 3:16 &17, Rev. 22:18-19).

If you are interested in learning more about the importance of the Old Testament, the Law given through Moses, and how these apply to us as New Testament believers in Christ, you can listen to the following sermons by Pastor Richard Caldwell:

Obsolete?

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=2716852342

The Love of God & The Law

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12214183362

Why the Law?

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=32104183346

The Gospel and Law of God 

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=11180423149

Under Law or Under Grace

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=3205212428

The post Should Christians Follow Old Testament Law? appeared first on Straight Truth Podcast.

Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot have three special guests joining them: Pastor Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible Church in Orange County, CA; Dr. Tom Schreiner, the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at SBTS in Louisville, KY; and Dr. Bruce Ware, the T. Rupert and Lucille Coleman Professor of Christian Theology at SBTS in Louisville, KY.

This week the topic of discussion centers around concerns these men see with the theological education and training of students coming out of institutional seminaries. The discussion is not concentrated so much on where the students receive their seminary degree from, but actually on the lack of practical application and preparedness they have for being in and serving in a local body of Christ after graduation. The discussion focuses primarily on those graduating with a Master of Divinity seeking to be pastors, but will be helpful for all who desire to work and serve in the name of Christ; particularly in the body of Christ, and for how they can be effective in ministry.

Our panel discusses what they see as limits that the institutional seminary can and cannot do for its students. What is often seen with graduates is their love for theology, history, and more, but also many having never served by teaching a Sunday school class or worked in a church nursery. So additionally, our panel considers ways they see for students of MDiv to gain learning and skills that they wouldn’t have otherwise upon graduation. One main thought each member of the panel stresses, is the importance of serving and continuing to serve in areas of ministry within the body of Christ, even while the student is attending seminary. 

This brings us to what our panel sees as probably the most helpful recommendation; a need for partnering between the seminary and local churches for student interning and possibly even for required internships for students. A local body of Christ is the place where the student has the opportunity to be mentored and practice ministry under wise pastors and elders with experience. It’s the place where the student can be known, the place where wise godly men and women can help shape their character, and where they can be examined and evaluated for their giftedness and abilities. It’s the place where their theology can be flushed out in practical areas of ministry by immersing themselves, and gain valuable experience in “cutting their teeth” in real-life church work.

If you are considering a vocation in church ministry, already pursuing a seminary degree for a Master of Divinity, or a church layman who wants to understand church ministry and service in the local body better, consider listening to these sermons by Pastor Richard Caldwell:

A Believers Relationship to The Church

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1221112053169

Christs Gifts to the Church – Part 1

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=61602191739

Ministry in the Body of Christ

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=32302234334

The post Students: Prioritize the Local Church |The Benefits Practical Ministry Experience appeared first on Straight Truth Podcast.

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, we are talking to Dr. Richard Caldwell, Dr. Tom Schreiner, Dr Bruce Ware & Dr Mike Fabarez about Ministry, Education, and Pastoral Calling.

In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot have three special guests joining them: Pastor Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible Church in Orange County, CA; Dr. Tom Schreiner, the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at SBTS in Louisville, KY; and Dr. Bruce Ware, the T. Rupert and Lucille Coleman Professor of Christian Theology at SBTS in Louisville, KY.

We have the privilege of hearing the testimonies of these men as they discuss how the Lord led each of them to Himself. They share their experiences of being called into their vocations and the different areas of ministry that they have served in. They also discuss and emphasize the importance of the local church in their lives and their involvement in it. They help us understand that all of us — even the most educated theologians — need that fellowship with a local body of believers to truly flourish in the knowledge and ministry of the Word of God.

If you are interested in learning more about Ministry, Education, and Pastoral Calling, you can listen to these sermons by Pastor Richard Caldwell:

Consider Your Calling

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=118091129189

The Ministry of Pastors

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=82602224222

Qualities of A Good Servant – Part 1

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=3201121324

The post Ministry Education and Pastoral Calling | Richard Caldwell, Tom Schreiner, Bruce Ware & Mike Fabarez appeared first on Straight Truth Podcast.

How to know the will of the Lord — this topic is addressed by Dr. Richard Caldwell on this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast.

El vídeo ha sido subtitulado en español.

If you are interested in learning more about God’s will, you can listen to these sermons by Pastor Richard Caldwell:

As The Lord Wills

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5300418250

If The Lord Wills

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=116131917392

Living For The Will of God

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=71316115184

The post How to Know the Will of the Lord appeared first on Straight Truth Podcast.

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, the best Christian podcast on the web, we are talking about how to measure a church’s Success.

Is a church’s success to be measured by the number of people that attend on a given weekend? How about the amount of money or beautiful buildings it has? Is there a proper metric or standard that should be used for the success of a church?

In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot consider the things we tend to look at when contemplating a church’s success. Oftentimes the metrics we use for the success of a church are the ones that are visible (i.e., the largeness of the buildings, the fullness of the parking lot, the number of people that fill the seats, or the amount of money given). Dr. Caldwell tells us that there are some churches that see success as the ability to attract crowds through numerous forms of ministries. They go about appealing to lost people, seeking to draw them in by felt needs and various forms of entertainment. But all these ways are a misunderstanding of what the church is, and should not be the measure or standard of a successful church.

Dr. Caldwell tells us we must be clear about what the church is; the church needs to know the truth about itself. The church is not just a group of attenders, nor is the church a gathering of the local community; the church is to be a group of regenerate people — people who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have experienced the new birth. These are saved people who are commanded to gather together, and they do so in covenant membership to carry out the Great Commission.

The church’s assembling on Sundays is for edification and discipleship – the “equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). They are then to be sent out for the purpose of evangelism.  Dr. Caldwell says this is not to say that evangelism does not happen in a church service as the Gospel is preached, because it does: people are often saved in this context. But even this is not a measure of a church’s success, because it is Jesus who builds His church, not man.

Dr. Caldwell goes on to remind us of the seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation. He tells us that there is nothing there that determines their health, success, disobedience, or failures based on their numbers, or size. Each church’s standing or measurement is always related to its spiritual condition. So, the bottom line is a church’s health and success is measured by its faithfulness.

It is not man’s responsibility to build and grow the church, but it is our responsibility to be faithful to preach and teach the Word of God, in season and out of season, and to live our lives in conformity to His Word. Being faithful to our Chief Shepherd, the Head of the Church, honoring God through Christ, and glorifying God in all our ways — this is the standard of measure for the success of a church. This is the measuring that matters.

If you are interested in learning more about what the church is and what it is called to be, you can listen to these sermons by Pastor Richard Caldwell:

The Church Builder

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10205112019

The Lord’s Church – Part 1

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1270502642

A Powerful Church

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5703233348

The Faith Necessary for Faithfulness

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=117122110270

Faithfulness, Love & Peace

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1123081313512

The post How to Measure a Church’s Success appeared first on Straight Truth Podcast.