I object to those to publish proofs and illustrate passages of their Christianity with OT passages. Christ was pointed to in the OT, but one cannot generate a complete picture of Jesus from the OT, as many do on FR.
Paul seemed to have done quite a good job establishing the basis of his doctrines from the OT. Obviously there are some exceptions such as conduct of the Eucharist and at Love Feasts. You also can't help but notice that Stephen's sermon was drawn entirely from the OT.
Galatians 1:14-16 "And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles...
Paul sat at the feet of the great rabbis learning as much of the OT as possible.
Acts 17:11-12 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Even the Bereans were praised because they confirmed what they were to know of Jesus Christ from the testimony of the OT.
So the OT told us all that we need to know of Jesus Christ, and Paul's letters are pretty much formed on that basis. The point being, is that our LORD could be known from OT Revelation, surely David and the Prophets could see our LORD in what was revealed to them, sufficiently to have faith that saved them.
What the NT offers us is the fulfillment portions of the OT teachings. In the testimony of the Gospels we see that our LORD was indeed the one spoken of by the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets. Lest you think I trivialize the NT let me be clear here.
I view the NT to be a Holy Spirit inspired commentary on the OT Scriptures. When we read Romans, we are reading the OT, but we now see that the mystery revealed is that the Gospel was given to men of all nations and that the Gentiles are granted in to the promises made to Abraham. When Paul expresses his joy, he articulates the doctrines in light of the mystery revealed.
The key to understanding the Scriptures is by the Revelation of the Paraclete (1 Cor 2:14). The Jews had the OT and didn't see the Messiah. Up until Pentecost, the eleven remaining disciples of Christ who were personally taught by our LORD for three years still didn't understand and even at the Day of His Ascension to His throne in Heaven, they were still looking for an OT styled physical earthly reign. It wasn't until the Gift of the Spirit in the upper room at Pentecost did they then understand and from there were they able to preach the Gospel boldly.
Paul with his superior knowledge of the OT didn't see Christ and was murdering Christians. The difference was not in anything new being written, for the Gospels weren't written until decades after our LORD's death and resurrection. Clearly the Pauline epistles weren't written until after Paul's ministry began so there was no new testament until the canon was being compiled and distributed. What was the difference? The source texts were the Old Testament, and the interpretation and illumination was conducted by the Paraclete, slammed down by God on the road to Damascus - that is why in Acts 13, the Jews and Gentiles heard the same message, but as we read in v45 "the Jews were filled with envy; contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken of by Paul" while among the Gentiles "when they heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the LORD (the OT). And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
The Gentiles heard the OT made alive by the Paraclete as appointed by God, and they believed.
So based on the 1 Corinthians 2:14 Principle, it is not the Sola Scriptura in our salvation, it is the Scriptures + the Holy Spirit.
Same story, now served with a dash of the Spirit.
Scripture was enough for people to recognize Jesus for who He was. Jesus used Scripture alone for that purpose and all He had was the OT to top it off.
Here is where we seriously part ways in terms of our beliefs. We believe in Christ as written in the Gospels. We believe that Paul was a bishop of the Church and responsible for evangelizing and instructing his flock, not creating new theologies from the OT. We believe that Christ is the main, the focus and the whole point of Christianity.
You also can't help but notice that Stephen's sermon was drawn entirely from the OT.
Correct. He was arguing for his life with the Jewish high court. There were no NT Scriptures at all at this point and the Jews would not have listened anyway.
Even the Bereans were praised because they confirmed what they were to know of Jesus Christ from the testimony of the OT.
Context, context. The Bereans were practicing Jews who read the OT. They were searching to see how this new preaching fit the Tanakh's writings. They did not learn Christianity from the Tanakh - they had to learn it from the Christian evangelizers such as Paul. You cannot arrive at Christian beliefs with the Creeds and the Trinity strictly from the OT alone. You need the Gospels, the rest of the NT, and the interpretation of the Church.
I view the NT to be a Holy Spirit inspired commentary on the OT Scriptures. When we read Romans, we are reading the OT, but we now see that the mystery revealed is that the Gospel was given to men of all nations and that the Gentiles are granted in to the promises made to Abraham. When Paul expresses his joy, he articulates the doctrines in light of the mystery revealed.
That is not Christianity; that is a version of Paulianity.
The key to understanding the Scriptures is by the Revelation of the Paraclete (1 Cor 2:14). The Jews had the OT and didn't see the Messiah. Up until Pentecost, the eleven remaining disciples of Christ who were personally taught by our LORD for three years still didn't understand and even at the Day of His Ascension to His throne in Heaven, they were still looking for an OT styled physical earthly reign. It wasn't until the Gift of the Spirit in the upper room at Pentecost did they then understand and from there were they able to preach the Gospel boldly.
I'm a bit puzzled here as to the extent of Christ in your theology. Is He a name or concept only?
The Gentiles heard the OT made alive by the Paraclete as appointed by God, and they believed. So based on the 1 Corinthians 2:14 Principle, it is not the Sola Scriptura in our salvation, it is the Scriptures + the Holy Spirit. Same story, now served with a dash of the Spirit.
Interesting concept - if I understand you correctly, your beliefs run to the man Paul, buoyed by the Holy Spirit. Where is Jesus in all this?