If God Changes – Make the Change! Get with the Program
This is a portion of a comment on EBF's YouTube page (the whole comment was too long):
"From what I see in the citing provided, your ministry disregards the First Testimony of Yeshua (Old Testament) . Is this y'all's foundation? If there is now regard for the 1st why is there a point for the 2nd Testimony? The 1st Testimony is the 2nd Testimony concealed and the 2nd is the 1st revealed.
“If there's to be a change in doctrine, there should be two witnesses. We have our 1st witness in the "Old Testament". Our 2nd witness is the "New Testament". If the 2nd does not agree with the 1st then it is false doctrine."
EBF response:
This will be the last reply in text. If you wish to discuss further, then you can call in to our New Open Forum program at 1:30 pm ET today.
Your response shows that you do not understand the proper way of studying the Bible. The O.T. is not superior to the N.T. but all Scripture (O.T. and N.T.) is equally authoritative.
You have the right idea about the need for agreement (harmony) within the Bible as part of proving truth. However, it is not that the O.T. is 1 witness and the N.T. and 2nd. But each verse within the Bible is part of the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) that must agree together.
If we followed the hermeneutic you're putting forth, we'd still be offering sacrifices and having to go to Jerusalem 3 times a year to attend the major feasts. But Christ fulfilled those O.T. commands for offering sacrifices and observing feasts as He also fulfilled the ceremonial law concerning the 7th day Sabbath. His death on the cross demonstrated the finishing of the work of atonement (payment for sin) performed at the foundation of the world. And since the work was finished – as He lay in the tomb that last Saturday/7th day Sabbath God ended those Sabbaths. And as He rose from the dead on Sunday/1st day, God began a new series of Sabbaths for the N.T. era.
Same thing with the end of the sacrificial system of worship. All sacrifices ended as the Lamb of God was hanged on the cross. Prior to Christ's sacrifice on the cross, the offering up of sacrifices was commanded by God and a faithful man would do so as the law directed him. But after Jesus went to the cross –a man who offered sacrifice was doing something unBiblical. Something God no longer was commanding. Something that no longer pleased God in any way. It became sin. Likewise with those who insist we must continue to worship on the 7th day. Who is man to dictate to God that He must continue doing a thing when He has determined to make a change in that very thing?
Peter was a faithful Jew. Who had never eaten anything unclean. So when God lowered sheets from heaven down to him and commanded, rise Peter slay and eat, Peter responded, Not so Lord, for I have never eaten anything common or unclean.
He refused God. Did his refusal please God? After all, the Jews were given the law in Deuteronomy and Leviticus (whole chapters) pointing out the necessity of not eating certain animals. No Peter's refusal was not pleasing to God. The Lord responded:
Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
God cleansed the animals. God made a change in program. And when God makes a change in program, His servants are to follow the change immediately. They are not to argue or dispute or say, "Hey God, you know we've not eaten these animals for thousands of years; or, we've offered sacrifices for thousands of years, or, we've kept the 7th day holy for thousands of years.
Same response to it all: what God has cleansed, call not thou common. Make the change! Get with the program. Because anyone holding onto what once was a faithful action – after God has changed His program – is in rebellion against God. And the thing they insist upon doing is nothing but dirty rotten sin.