Human Eyes and the Witness of the Spirit

Glen and Dave have been blogging recently about reclaiming the Old Testament as a truely, madly, deeply and authentically Christian book, (as opposed to a Jewish book that we conveniently map Christian interpretation onto - as if it could make any sense without Christ). I like what they say - a lot. To me, the Old Testament Christians and the New Testament Christians who wrote the Bible consciously and explicitly:

1. Stood on the same foundation - the foundation of Christ
2. Were given the same faith - faith in Christ and 
3. Were of the same family - brothers and sisters through Christ.

When Paul preached, he appealed to the twofold witness of the Spirit to authenticate his gospel declaration that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah:

1. The Old Testament Scriptures (There was no such thing as a "New Testament" at this point.)
2. Mighty Signs and Wonders

The Spirit brings both. If you only have no. 1 you have legalist, impotent religion. If you only have no. 2 you have witchcraft.

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Just as your two eyes are needed for you to make proper sense of the shadow lands of the physical world and move around in it, so also the (at)testing eyes of the Spirit of God (prophetic word and powerful wonders) help a Christian (at)test (to) reality and move around in it.

For my two cents on how the New Testament fits in to the Old, click here.