The Old Testament Is Good: The New Testament Is Better
The Old Testament is good, but the New Testament is better because of the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ and His resurrection.
Ignatius of Antioch emphasizes the superiority of Jesus Christ as the High Priest who holds the secrets of God and the Way to the Father. He highlights the unity of God through Jesus Christ, the prophets, apostles, and believers, stressing the importance of love among believers. The Gospel surpasses the former dispensation with the appearance, passion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, fulfilling the prophecies of the prophets and extending the message to all nations through baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Text
The priests indeed, and the ministers of the word, are good; but the High Priest is better, to whom the holy of holies has been committed, and who alone has been entrusted with the secrets of God. The ministering powers of God are good. The Comforter is holy, and the Word is holy, the Son of the Father, by whom He made all things, and exercises a providence over them all. This is the Way which leads to the Father, the Rock, the Defence the Key, the Shepherd, the Sacrifice, the Door of knowledge, through which have entered Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and all the company of the prophets, and these pillars of the world, the apostles, and the spouse of Christ, on whose account He poured out His own blood, as her marriage portion, that He might redeem her.
All these things tend towards the unity of the one and only true God.
But the Gospel possesses something transcendent [above the former dispensation], viz. the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, His passion, and the resurrection itself. For those things which the prophets announced, saying, "Until He come for whom it is reserved, and He shall be the expectation of the Gentiles," have been fulfilled in the Gospel, [our Lord saying, ] "Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." All then are good together, the law, the prophets, the apostles, the whole company [of others] that have believed through them: only if we love one another.
Sermon Outline
- The Old Testament Is Good
- The New Testament Is Better
- Unity of the One True God
- The priests and ministers of the word are good
- The High Priest is better
- The Gospel possesses something transcendent
- The appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ
- The law, prophets, and apostles are good together
Key Quotes
“The Gospel possesses something transcendent, viz. the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, His passion, and the resurrection itself.” — Ignatius of Antioch
“All these things tend towards the unity of the one and only true God.” — Ignatius of Antioch
“If we love one another, the law, prophets, and apostles are good together.” — Ignatius of Antioch
Application Points
- We should strive to love one another to make the law, prophets, and apostles good together.
- The Gospel possesses something transcendent that is worth embracing.
- The unity of the one and only true God is the ultimate goal of all things.