Gal 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.I believe that the word "scripture" is always a reference to Christ. "Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) That could explain how the scripture preached to Abraham before the Old Testament was written.
John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.Indeed, Scripture cannot be broken.
First, I think “scripture” is a man-made word and, therefore, flawed. I find it means different things to different people. I am guilty of my own form of pedantry when I get into this sort of thing, but I do it to get in and then pull out of it back to the real world.
Thing is, it has troubled me that Jesus talks about taking up your own cross - BEFORE the word had any meaning in Christendom. I still need to study that one.
But I am wholly with you that the entire bible reveals the character of God. Frankly, how he treats his enemies in the OT is part of what brought me to CI vs ECT.
Regarding John 19;36, this reminds me a bit of the “money is the root of all evil” vs “LOVE OF money is the root of all evil” thing.
That is, it says “these things” were “done” that the “scripture” was about to be fulfilled. The word “scripture” in that context is not talking about John 19:36. The word is referring to the OT text being quoted.
Same with Gal 3:8.
I’m not arguing that the NT is not scripture. Rather, I find myself bristling somewhat at the use of the word for the NT because it kind of takes the “humanness” away from the NT.
The OT is about God’s relationship with a nation.
The NT is about God’s relationship with the individual.