I would agree that a case could be made for Paul being the founder of Christianity. Jesus initially came in order to lead Israel into the Messianic kingdom. The time was not yet here for God to open the invitation to the non-jews. The saints of past ages were not all saved by believing the same things, for God did not reveal the same things to them all. The Jews had to first attempt--and fail--to keep all of the laws perfectly. When God says, "Offer an animal in sacrifice and I will accept you," what will our faith do? Faith will offer an animal in sacrifice, of course. Abel did this and was accepted, not because the blood of beasts can take away sins, but because he approached God in
God's way. This is "the obedience of faith."
"But the Pharisees and lawyers REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD AGAINST THEMSELVES, BEING NOT BAPTIZED OF HIM" (Luke 7:30).
Stam writes:
The supposition that the most important division of the Bible is that between the Old and New Testaments has often been expressed in the statement: "The Old Testament is for the Jews; the New Testament is for us."
This is quite incorrect, however. First of all, the titles Old Testament and New Testament are not accurate designations of the two sections of the Bible which they are supposed to represent.
The covenant of the law (later called the old covenant, or testament) was not made until 2500 years of human history had elapsed. "The law was given by Moses" (John 1:17), about 1500 B.C., as recorded in Exodus 19 and 20. We are told concerning this period of time "from Adam to Moses" that "there [was] no law" (Rom. 5:13,14), i.e., the law had not yet been given.
This means that there is actually not one word of the Old Testament in Genesis. Indeed, Israel did not even emerge as a nation until her deliverance from Egypt described in Exodus. If, therefore, the Old Testament is for the Jews and the New Testament for us, for whom is the book of Genesis?
As to the new covenant; this was not made until the death of Christ.
He is the Mediator of the new testament [covenant] that by means of death . . . they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).
It was in the shadow of the cross, as our Lord communed with His disciples, that He said:
"This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:20).
This means that the greater part of the four gospel records actually covers old testament rather than new testament history and that our Lord and His disciples all lived under the old covenant at that time.1
It should be noted too that both the actual old and new testaments, though they affect us, were made with the nation Israel, and that the new covenant simply promises that Israel will one day render spontaneously the obedience required of her under the old covenant. (Deut. 5:1-3, Jer. 31:31).
The most important division in the Bible, then, is not that between the so-called Old and New Testaments.
The most important division in the Bible is that between prophecy and the great mystery proclaimed by the Apostle Paul.
There are many ways of interpreting the Bible, and I prefer dispensationalism.
™ Version 4.2
