In this article, I’m going to kick a bunch of sacred cows. Something that most Christians don’t even think about, and that is, where does the New Testament start? Most Christians think the New Testament starts in Matthew 1:1 and the Old Testament ends at Malachi 4:6. I would like to show you scriptural proof that the entirety of the gospels are indeed part of the old Testament. Let’s look at the Bible and see what it has to say.

Jesus is a Jew, born in Bethlehem in Israel. Lived for 33 years under the law of Moses, and He kept the law perfectly. No-one had ever done that. When He died on the cross, He said “it is finished”. I believe that means everything the Father sent Him to do, He accomplished. Which would bring in the New Covenant which was spoken of by the prophets. Now when did Jesus die on the cross? Was it at the beginning of the Gospels or at the end of them. Of course, we know it was at the end of all 4 of the gospels when He died. Until his death, the Old Testament was in force. Which would mean the New Testament actually starts in the book of acts.

Keeping the context of every verse in the Bible is of upmost importance, and this is where I think a lot of Christians have a misinterpretation of what Jesus said in the Gospels. The things Jesus said was to a Jewish audience. It was not too Christians, and when Christians try to put these things in the Christian context, they don’t fit. This is not the case with everything that Jesus said. But here is an example of where it does fit and only makes sense in a Jewish context. 

Take Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21. This is what is known as the Olivet discourse where Jesus was talking about the end times. Jesus is telling them about the seventieth week of Daniel, which is the tribulation period (Daniel 9:24-27). Most Christians want to look at this and say that the rapture is in these verses. (I’ve wrote about this in other articles) Jesus is talking to the Jewish disciples about Jewish theology and Jewish eschatology, the church is not even mentioned in these verses or eluded to.

So where does the New testament start? The New Testament or New Covenant, actually started on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1 everything before this in the Holy Bible I believe is the Old Testament. Most Christians believe the New Testament starts at the beginning of the book of Matthew chapter 1 because that’s the division that all Bibles have. Most Bibles will have a page before Matthew that says “The New Testament”. With that in mind, I can see how Christians have been confused about some of the things written in the Gospels. But if you take into account the context of the Gospels that Jesus had not died or been resurrected yet, how can you have a New Testament? The New Testament or New Covenant did not start until the book of acts chapter 2, this helps us to understand the gospels are Old Testament.

Acts 2:1-4 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)

1. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

John the Baptist was an Old Testament prophet, and he started his ministry about three years before Jesus was crucified. John the Baptist also shows us that the Gospels are Old Testament because he is an Old Testament prophet. There are other references that we could cite, but these are enough for us to look at the Gospels in their proper context. Jesus is a Jew and He came to the Jewish people as the Jewish Messiah. 

We should be looking at the Gospels in this way and not trying to put the Church where it doesn’t belong. This does not mean that we ignore what’s contained in the Gospels, we embrace them in there context, just like we do with the rest of the Old Testament. The New Testament writers found the mystery of the Church in the Old Testament because the Holy Spirit showed it to them. But it was veiled in a mystery until Jesus rose from the dead. 

It is imperative for us to rightly divide the word of truth. Since we know the Gospels are Old Testament we should be looking at them through the lens of the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, not trying to make the Gospels all about the church. God is not finished with the Jewish people His covenant with them is still in effect.

I do understand this will be hard to take in, but I ask you to pray about it and seek the Lord about it and see what He tells you. I actually do think that keeping the context of the Gospels will help you understand some of the confusion that churches have had. God bless you as you seek Him and Him alone.