New Testament Salvation

“The Master’s Plan of Salvation according to The New Testament Theology”

Introduction

When the Old Testament Canon was completed, the reputation of God to man did not cease. Although God was silent for four hundred years after the Old Testament was completed, God again revealed Himself to man via The New Testament in the man of Jesus Christ. As the first two verses of the Book of Hebrews records, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also, He made the world.” The following verse continues to describe the expression of God, The Father, or God almighty, in the image of the Son, Jesus Christ, when it states, “And He is the radiance of His Glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the Word of His Power.”

Therefore, the Old and New Testaments should not be considered as two separate opposing books, but one entire revelation enshrining the Savior, Who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

God is revealed in Jesus Christ primarily in the four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Since the Old Testament dealt mostly with Israel, the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to take the Gospel, or “Good News”, to all the world! The Gospels were presented to speak to specific groups; the Romans, the Greeks, the Jews, and those who had already embraced the Christian Faith.

None of any specific groups had reached satisfaction within their hearts by the various philosophies they were practicing at the time, and therefore, the world was ready for its Spiritual King! The Jews especially had been waiting for their long promised deliverer, all
Through the ages, but because of their traditional views of what their Messiah should be like, and act, the majority of them refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, which they had been waiting for, primarily because of the method by which He came into the world.

The message of Matthew presents an all sufficient Savior and a complete plan of saving Truth to the sinning generation of Jews. The message aimed at convincing the Jews that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the King of Israel, who had been described in their Old Testament Scriptures. The book traces the generation of Jesus through the Jewish bloodline, all the way back to Abraham. References to the Jewish prophecies are often used so the Jews would recognize the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus Christ. Matthew takes event and lumps them all together, but not as they happened.

The message of Mark was mostly directed towards converts from among Romans and Greeks. Since the Gentile converts would not be particularly interested in the blood line of Jesus, Mark gives no genealogy of Jesus. He satisfies their interest by stressing the actions of Jesus. He satisfies their interest by stressing the actions of Jesus more than the sayings. He records many miracles, but only touches on the parables. Bible scholars have virtually proven that Mark’s Gospel was the first one written, therefore is felt to be the purest, or most accurate, since both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel is to present Jesus Christ as the “Son of God” to the Gentile converts.

Luke, in writing his version of the Gospel, takes all of the events and happenings pertaining to Jesus, and puts them in order as the chronological order they happened. Although Luke’s message affected both Jew and Gentile, he primarily had the Greek in mind, because he presents Jesus as the image of perfection. As “Son of Man” and “Son of God,” interested in all men, both the cultured and uncultured. The Greeks elevated and perfected humanity by culture, wisdom, and beauty. Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam, but through the blood line of Mary, the human mother of Jesus, and he presented Him as “The Perfect Savior,” who came to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke’s Gospel is the most complete account of the life of Jesus surviving the Apostolic age. It was designed to be a full presentation of the Career of the Savior from His birth, and was part of a larger work, including the Book of Acts which describes the history of the transition from the Old Covenant to the new, or more explicitly, from Judaism to Jesus.

John, in his Gospel, wrote to all Christians everywhere, and expresses the Deity of Jesus Christ. He traces the genealogy of Jesus in the first few verses immediately, all the way back to God! John’s Gospel is the Gospel of Eternity, which is where the “Eternal Word” or ( Logos in Greek). The entire purpose of John’s message is to let the believer know and be sure “that he might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his Name.” ( John 20:31) John records that Jesus existed with The Father before the foundation of the world, and He was the Creation agent!

The Book of Hebrews was written, primarily as a record of the theology involved in the transition from the Old to the New Covenants. To date, it cannot be proven who the author of Hebrews was, but most Bible scholars recognize Pauline traits in the writing. The writings set up the ministry of Christ, as mediator, high priest and revealer of God. The book was primarily written to Christian Jews wavering between Christianity and Judaism.

Paul, in his epistles to the churches, which include Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First Timothy and Titus, explains the theology of Salvation by Grace through the sovereign love of God for His Elect, by His predestinated plan of redemption of the remission of all sin of the Elect by the shedding blood of Jesus Christ, who became sin for all who believe, and became the substitute for each of the Elect, dying in their place, paying the full price for the redemption. Paul was chosen by God to preach the Grace message to the Gentile world, and some of the greatest doctrines of Christian theology are presented in Paul’s letters, as 1, 2 and 3 John are letters to the churches for exhorting and correction. Jude is primarily to warn the church about the tares Jesus spoke about mixed in with wheat in a parable in Matthew which are false prophets.

The Book of Revelation was written to the Churches by John in exile on the Isle of Patmos. John reveals Christ as He was, is, and will be. The message was written in a form to inspire and instruct. It is a book of visions and prophecies which are still continuing to be fulfilled day be day, right before our very eyes.

The primary theme of The New Testament within the great amount of theology presented is best expressed in Jesus “the mediator of the New and Better Covenant.” (Hebrews 8:6; 12:24) Jesus told the disciples in John 10:37 “If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me,; but, if I do them, though you do not believe me, believe the works that you know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” Therefore, the New Testament reveals God in the person of Jesus Christ!

Part 1
“Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ”

Since the Old Testament prophets so often spoke under Divine inspiration about the coming Messiah, it is one of the scriptures, which fulfills the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Therefore, before the actual details of the theology of the New Testament is given, the chronological fulfillment of the various subjects concerning Christ are recorded in scripture, as follows:
1. “Seed of a Woman”—The prophecy is spoken in Genesis 3:14 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The fulfillment is recorded in Galatians 4:4. “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

2. “Seed of Abraham”—Genesis 12:3 records, “And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” The fulfillment is recorded in Matthew 1:1. “The book of generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”

3. “ Seed of Isaac”—We are told in Genesis 17:19, “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant and with his seed after him.” The fulfillment is recorded in Luke 3:34. “Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Terah, which was the son of Nahor.”

4. “Seed of Jacob”—Numbers 24:17 records, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” The fulfillment is recorded in Matthew 1:2, “Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob, and Judas and his brethren.”

5. “From the tribe of Judah”—Genesis 49:10 records, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah; nor a law giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be,” The fulfillment is recorded in Luke 3:33. “Which was the son of Am-min-a-dab, which was the son of Pharz, which was the son of Judah.”

6. “ Heir to the throne of David”—Isaiah prophecies in Isaiah 9:7, “of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.” The fulfillment is recorded in Luke 1:32, 33. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of The Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

7. “Born in Bethlehem”—This fantastic prophecy is recorded in Mic. 5:2. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. Luke records the fulfillment in Luke 1:32.

8. “Time for His birth”—The prophecy was recorded in Daniel 9:25 and fulfilled in Luke 2:12.

9. “To be born of a virgin”—Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im-Man-u-el. “The fulfillment is recorded in Luke 1:26, 27, 30, 31.

10. “Slaughter of the innocents”—This prophecy was recorded in Jeremiah 31:15 and fulfilled in Matthew 2:16-18.

11. “Flight to Egypt”—Hosea prophecies in Hos. 11:1, “When Israel was a child, then I lived him and called my son out of Egypt.” The fulfillment is recorded in Matthew 2:14, 15.

12. “Proceeded by a forerunner”—John was the forerunner of Jesus, and the prophecy is recorded in Matthew 3:1 and fulfilled in Luke 7:24, 27.

13. “Declared the Son of God”—David wrote in the Psalms, Psalms 2:7, “I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have begotten thee.” The fulfillment is recorded in Matthew 3:17, “and Lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

14. “Galilean Ministry”—This prophecy was recorded in Isaiah 9: 1,2 and fulfilled in Matthew 4:13-16.

15.“Jesus to be a prophet” Moses recorded this in Deut. 18: 15 and the fulfillment was recorded by Luke in Acts 3: 20-22.

16.“He came to heal the broken hearted”—The prophecy came in Isaiah 61: 102 and was recorded as being fulfilled in Luke 4:18-19.

17.“He was to be rejected by his own people, the Jews”—Isaiah recorded the prophecy in Isaiah 53:3, and John said in John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and His own received Him not.”

18.“ He was to be a priest—the Order of Melchizdek: This prophecy is recorded in Psalms 110:4 and fulfilled in Hebrews 5:5-6.

19.“Jesus’ triumphant entry”—was recorded in Zech. 9:9 and fulfilled in Mark 11: 7,9,11.

20.“Betrayed by a friend”—This was first recorded in Psalms 41:9, and the fulfillment was recorded in Luke 22:47-48, Judas being that friend who betrayed Him.

21.“Sold for thirty pieces of silver”—It was prophesied by Zechariah 11:12 and fulfilled in Matthew 26:15.

22.“Accused by false witnesses”—David spoke in Psalms 35:11, “Fake witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.” Mark recorded in Mark 14:57 “and there arose certain men who bare false witness against him.”

23.“Silent to accusations”—This was recorded in Isaiah 53:7 and fulfilled in Mark 15: 4-5, when Jesus stood before Pilate.

24.“Spit upon and smitten”—Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophecies in Isaiah 50:6, “I gave my back to the smitters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” The fulfillment happens as recorded in Matthew 26:67; “Then did they spit in my face, and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palms of their hands.”

25.“Hated without reason”—This was recorded by David in Psalms 35: 19 and the fulfillment is recorded in John 15:24, 25.

26.“Vicarious Sacrifice”—Isaiah prophecies this in Isaiah 53:5, and the Apostle Paul records the fulfillment in Romans 5:6,8.

27.“Crucified with malefactors”—Again, this prophecy came by Isaiah in Is. 53:12 and the fulfillment was recorded in Mark 15:27, 28, where we’re told Jesus was crucified between two thieves.

28.“Pierced through in his hands and feet”—This prophecy was first recorded in Zechariah 12:10, and doubting Thomas saw the actual fulfillment, as recorded in John 20:7.

29.“Scorned and Mocked”—David recorded in Psalms 22:7; “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him.: The actual fulfillment is recorded in Luke 23: 35.

30.“Given vinegar and gall”—David, again, recorded in Psalms 69:21; “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.” Matthew records the fulfillment in Mt. 27:34. “They gave Him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall; and when He had tasted thereof, he would not drink.”

31.“Prayer for His enemies”—In Psalms 109:4 is recorded; “Foe my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer,” Luke records the fulfillment in Luke 23:34. “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

32.“Soldiers gambled for his coat”—This prophecy was recorded in Psalms 22:17 and fulfilled in Mt. 27: 35,36.

33.“No Broken Bones”—David recorded in Psalms 34:20; “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” This prophecy was fulfilled and is recorded in John 19:32,33,36 stating how the soldiers broke both of the thief’s legs crucified with Jesus, but, not his!

34.“His side was pierced”—This prophecy is recorded in Zechariah 12:10, and we’re told in John 19:34; “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and fore with came there out blood and water.”

35.“Buried with the rich”—We’re told in Isaiah 53:9; “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” The fulfillment recorded in Mat. 27:56-57 telling how Joseph, one of the disciples of Jesus put Him in his own tomb.
36.“To be resurrected”—David recorded the greatest prophecy which forms the hope of Christianity concerning the resurrection in Psalms 16:10. “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Also, in Psalms 49:15 is recorded “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall rescue me.” The fulfillment of the resurrection of Jesus is recorded in Mark 16:6,7.

37.His ascension to God’s right hand”—This prophecy is again, recorded by David in Psalms 68:18, and is fulfilled in Mark 16:19; 1 Corinthians 15:4, and Ephesians 4:8.

In light of all the recorded prophecies in the Old Testament being fulfilled in Jesus Christ, recorded in the New Testament, 2nd Timothy 3:16 certainly is reliable when it states ?All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God.” We should understand that God directed men and women, c hosen by Himself, to put into writing such messages, laws, doctrines, historical facts, and revelations as He wished men to know. This means that God Himself, or through His Holy Spirit told men He chose, just what to write! The Bible, then IS recorded words from God. God lives is people and through them, speaks and writes! But God speaking not only to, and through holy men of old, spoke in the New Testament to men by the person of Jesus who was “God manifest in the flesh.” (John 1:1-5, 14) In the Gospels, Jesus claimed that what He spoke, He spoke not of Himself, but that He spoke that which His Father Who sent His from Heaven gave Him to speak.

By all the fulfilled prophecies concerning Jesus Christ, we can see that God can write and speak, and therefore can tell others what to write and speak. We must compare the entire Bible for the whole picture of the revelation of God to man. “No prophecy of Scripture is of any PRIVATE interpretation. (2nd Peter 1:20)

Remembering, it is God Who writes the Scriptures: “The Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but by holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2nd Peter 1:21). We will proceed to the revelation of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.

Blessings!
Marked Elect