Topics Research¶
Question¶
How were God's people saved before the time of Jesus — were they saved by a different means, or by the same means as after Jesus?
Topics¶
SALVATION¶
Nave's full entry — key sections:
Illustrated by types: - Bronze serpent (NUM 21:4-9 with JHN 3:14-15) — an OT type pointing to Christ - A horn (PSA 18:2; LUK 1:69); A shield (2SA 22:36); A helmet (ISA 59:17; EPH 6:17) - Clothing (2CH 6:41; PSA 132:16; ISA 61:10); Wells (ISA 12:3)
Unclassified Scriptures (spanning both testaments): GEN 12:1,3; EXO 15:2; DEU 30:19,20; 32:15; 2SA 14:14; 1KI 8:41-43; 1CH 16:35; 2CH 6:41; PSA 3:8; 36:8,9; 37:39; 46:4; 63:5,6; 65:4; 68:18-20; 86:13; 90:14; 91:16; 95:1; 98:2,3; 106:8; 107:9; 121:1-8; 132:16; PRO 1:20,21; 8:1-5; 9:1-6; ISA 1:18; 2:5; 25:6,7; 29:18,19,24; 32:1-4; 35:8; 44:3; 45:17; 46:12,13; 49:10,11; 50:10; 51:4,5; 52:10,15; 55:1-3,6,7; 56:1,6-8; 57:18,19; 61:1-3; 63:9; JER 3:23; 21:8; EZK 18:32; JOL 2:32; AMO 5:4; ZEC 14:8; MAL 4:2; MAT 1:21; 3:9; 11:28-30; 18:14; 21:31; 22:9,10,14; 23:37; 24:14; 28:19; MRK 2:17; 16:15,16; LUK 2:10,31,32; 3:6; 5:31,32; 7:47; 13:29,30; 14:16-24; 15:2,4-32; 19:10; 24:47; JHN 1:7; 3:14-17; 4:14,22; 5:40; 6:35,37; 7:37,38; 10:16; 11:51,52; 12:32; 15:4,5; ACT 2:39; 4:12; 5:20; 11:17,18; 13:26,38,39,47; 15:7-9,11; 16:17,30,31; 20:21; 28:28; ROM 1:5,14,16,17; 2:26; 3:21-26,28-30; 4:1-25; 5:1,2,15-21; 7:24,25; 9:30-33; 10:4,8-13; 11:1-36; 15:9,16; 1CO 1:18; 6:11; 2CO 5:17,20; 6:1,17; 7:10; GAL 1:4; 2:16; 3:1-28; EPH 1:9,10,13; 2:1,3-5,8,9,14,15,17; 3:6,9; 5:14; PHP 2:12; 3:7-11; COL 1:5,6,20-23,26,27; 3:11; 1TH 5:8-10; 2TH 2:13,14; 1TI 1:13,15,16; 2:3-6; 4:10; 2TI 1:9,10; 2:10; 3:15; TIT 2:11; 3:3-7; HEB 1:14; 2:3,10; 4:1-10; 5:9; 7:25; JAS 1:21; 1PE 1:5,9,10; 2PE 3:9,15; 1JN 2:25; 4:9,10; 5:11; Jude 1:3; REV 3:17,18,20; 5:9; 7:9,10; 14:6; 21:6; 22:17
Conditions of salvation: MAT 3:2; 18:3; 19:16-21; 24:13; MRK 1:4; LUK 3:8; 14:25-33; 18:18-26; JHN 3:3-12,14-18; 5:24; 6:28,29,47; 9:35; 11:25,26; 12:36; 20:31; ACT 2:38; 3:19,23
Plan of Salvation: MRK 4:11; JHN 6:37,44,45,65; 17:4; 18:11; 19:28-30; ACT 3:18; 17:3; ROM 1:16,17; 10:3-9; 16:25,26; 1CO 1:21-25; 2:7-9; 2CO 5:18,19; GAL 4:4,5; EPH 1:3-23; 2:4-10; 3:1-11; 6:19; COL 1:19-23,26,27; 2TH 2:13,14; 1TI 3:16; 2TI 1:9,10; HEB 2:9,10,14-18; 6:17-20; REV 5:2-5; 10:7
JUSTIFICATION¶
Nave's full entry:
General scriptures: GEN 15:6; PSA 32:2; 71:16; 89:16; ISA 42:21; 45:24,25; 46:12,13; 50:8; 51:5,6; 53:11; 54:17; 56:1; 61:10; JER 23:6; HAB 2:4; ZEC 3:4; JHN 5:24; ACT 13:39; ROM 1:16,17; 2:13; 3:21,22,24-26,28,30; 4:3-25; 5:1,9,11-21; 6:22; 7:1-25; 8:1,30,31,33,34; 9:30-32; 10:1-21; 1CO 1:30; 6:11; 2CO 5:19,21; GAL 2:14-21; 3:6,8,9,11,21,22,24; 4:21-31; 5:4-6; EPH 6:14; PHP 3:8,9; COL 2:13,14; TIT 3:7; HEB 11:4,7; JAS 2:20-23,26
Key observation: The Nave's JUSTIFICATION entry begins with OT texts (GEN 15:6, PSA 32:2, ISA 53:11, HAB 2:4) — demonstrating that justification is not exclusively a NT concept. The OT itself contains justification texts, which Paul develops in Romans and Galatians.
FAITH¶
Nave's full entry — key sections:
General scriptures: 2SA 22:31; PSA 2:12; 5:11; 7:1; 9:9,10; 18:30; 32:10; 33:18,19; 34:1-8,22; 36:7; 40:4; 64:10; 78:5-7; 84:5,12; 112:5,7,8; 118:8,9; 125:1; 147:11; PRO 3:5; 14:26; 22:19; 28:25; 29:25; 30:5; ISA 10:20; 14:32; 26:3; 30:15; 57:13; JER 17:7,8; 39:18; NAM 1:7; [plus extensive NT references in all epistles]
In Christ (Faith IN CHRIST specifically): ISA 28:16; JHN 1:12; 3:14-16,18,36; 5:24; ROM 3:22-28; 9:33; 10:4,9; GAL 2:16; 3:1-29; EPH 1:12-14; PHP 3:9; HEB 4:16; 6:19; 10:22; 12:2; 1PE 1:8; 2:6,7
Note: Abraham is listed under "Instances of Faith IN CHRIST" in JHN 8:56
Pivotal OT Instances of Faith (Hebrews 11): - HEB 11:4 — Abel: by faith, a more excellent sacrifice - HEB 11:5 — Enoch: translated without death (faith-walk) - HEB 11:7 — Noah: by faith prepared an ark - HEB 11:8-19 — Abraham: called out by faith, offered Isaac by faith - HEB 11:21 — Jacob: by faith blessed Joseph's sons - HEB 11:22 — Joseph: by faith gave commandment concerning his bones - HEB 11:23-29 — Moses: by faith refused Egypt's treasures, chose reproach of Christ - HEB 11:30 — Jericho walls fell by faith - HEB 11:31 — Rahab: by faith received the spies - HEB 11:32-34 — Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, prophets
ATONEMENT¶
Nave's full entry — key sections:
Made by Animal Sacrifices: EXO 29:36; 30:12-16; LEV 1:4; 4:20,22-35; 5:6-10; 6:7; 9:7; 10:17; 12:6-8; 14:12-32; 16:6,10,11,15-19,24-34; 17:11; 19:22; NUM 15:22-28; 28:22,30; 29:5,10,11; HEB 9:22
Day of Atonement: EXO 30:10; LEV 16:2-34; 23:27-32; NUM 29:7-11; ACT 27:9; HEB 5:3; 9:7,19,22
Made by Jesus — Divinely Ordained: LUK 2:30,31; GAL 4:4,5; EPH 1:3-12,17-22; 2:4-10; COL 1:19,20; 1PE 1:20; REV 13:8
Made by Jesus — Typified by OT: GEN 4:4 (with HEB 11:4) — Abel's sacrifice GEN 22:2 (with HEB 11:17,19) — Abraham/Isaac EXO 12:5,11,14 (with 1CO 5:7) — Passover lamb EXO 24:8 (with HEB 9:20) — blood of the covenant LEV 16:30,34 (with HEB 9:7,12,28) — Day of Atonement LEV 17:11 (with HEB 9:22) — blood makes atonement
Unclassified NT references: PSA 40:6,7; ISA 53:4-12; DAN 9:24-27; ZEC 13:1; MAT 26:28; LUK 22:20; 24:46,47; JHN 1:29,36; 6:51; 11:49-51; ACT 17:2,3; 20:28; ROM 3:24-26; 4:25; 5:1,2,6-11,15-21; 1CO 1:17,18,23,24; 15:3; 2CO 5:18,19; GAL 1:3,4; 4:4,5; EPH 1:7; 2:13-18; 5:2,25; COL 1:14,19-22; 1TH 5:9,10; 1TI 2:5,6; TIT 2:14; HEB 1:3; 2:9,17; 9:12-15,25,26; 10:1-20; 12:24; 13:12,20,21; 1PE 1:18-20; 2:24; 3:18; 1JN 1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10; 5:6; REV 1:5; 5:9; 7:14; 12:11
RIGHTEOUSNESS¶
Nave's full entry:
By faith (key section): GEN 15:6; ROM 4:3,5,9,11,13,20,22,24
Fruits of righteousness: DEU 6:25; JOS 22:31; PSA 1:3; 15:1-5; 24:3-5; [extensive NT references]
GRACE OF GOD¶
Nave's full entry:
General scriptures: GEN 15:6; 20:6; DEU 7:6-9; 9:4-6; JOB 10:12; 22:2,3; PSA 94:17-19; 138:3; 143:11; DAN 9:18; 10:18,19; JHN 6:44,45; 17:11,12,15; ACT 4:29,30; 26:22; ROM 3:22-24; 4:4,5,16; 5:2,6-8,15-21; 9:10-16; 11:5,6; 1CO 1:4-8; 10:13; 15:10; 2CO 1:12; GAL 1:15,16; EPH 1:5-9,11,12; 2:8,9; 3:16; 4:7; 6:10; PHP 1:19; 2:13; 1TH 1:1; 5:28; 1TI 1:14; 2TI 1:1,9; TIT 3:7; 1PE 1:5; 4:10; 5:10; 2PE 1:2; Jude 1:21,24,25; REV 3:10
Key observation: GEN 15:6 appears in Nave's GRACE OF GOD entry — Abraham's justification is explicitly categorized as an instance of divine grace, not human merit.
WORKS — INSUFFICIENCY FOR SALVATION¶
Nave's full entry:
PSA 49:7,8; 127:1,2; ECC 1:14; ISA 43:26; 57:12; 64:6; EZK 7:19; 33:12-19; DAN 9:18; MAT 5:20; LUK 17:7-10; 18:9-14; ACT 13:39; ROM 3:20-31; 4:1-22; 8:3; 9:16,31,32; 11:6; 1CO 13:1-3; GAL 2:16,19,21; 3:1-29; 4:9-11; 5:2,4,6,18; 6:15; EPH 2:8,9; PHP 3:3-9; COL 2:20-23; 2TI 1:9; TIT 3:4,5; HEB 4:3-10; 6:1,2; 9:1-14; JAS 2:10,11
Key observation: The OT texts in this entry (ISA 43:26; 57:12; 64:6; EZK 7:19; DAN 9:18) demonstrate that the insufficiency of human works for salvation was taught IN the OT itself, not only in the NT. The OT prophets and psalmists already knew that human righteousness was insufficient.
REDEMPTION¶
Nave's entry — Of Our Souls:
PSA 111:9; 130:7; MAT 20:28; MRK 10:45; LUK 2:38; ACT 20:28; ROM 3:24-26; 1CO 1:30; 6:20; 7:23; GAL 1:4; 2:20; 4:4,5; EPH 1:7; 5:2; COL 1:14,20-22; 1TI 2:6; TIT 2:14; HEB 9:12,15; 1PE 1:18,19; REV 5:9,10
COVENANT¶
Nave's entry — Of God With Men:
- With Abraham: GEN 12:1-3; 15; 17:1-22; EXO 6:4-8; PSA 105:8-11; ROM 9:7-13; GAL 3 (all key passages)
- With Noah: GEN 8:16; 9:8-17
- With Isaac: GEN 17:19
- With Jacob: GEN 28:13-15
- With Israel at Horeb: DEU 5:2,3
- With David: 2SA 7:12-16; 1CH 17:11-14; PSA 89:20-37; JER 33:21
- The second (new) covenant: JER 31:31-34; HEB 8:4-13; 12:18-24; 13:20
ELECTION OF GRACE¶
Nave's entry:
Of Grace: JHN 15:16; 17:6; EPH 1:4; 2:10; 2TH 2:13 Of Christ as Messiah: ISA 42:1; 1PE 2:6 Of Israel: DEU 7:6; ISA 45:4
Related Topics Discovered¶
FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD¶
1PE 1:20; REV 13:8; ACT 2:23 — Christ was foreordained/foreknown before creation, establishing the eternal basis of salvation
PLAN OF SALVATION¶
From PROMPT.md scope: "which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2TI 1:9) — the plan predates creation
BLOOD¶
The Nave's BLOOD topic includes the entire sacrificial system. Key principle: HEB 9:22 — "without shedding of blood is no remission" — applies across both testaments.
PROPITIATION¶
ROM 3:25 uses hilasterion (G2435) — the same Greek word the LXX uses for the OT mercy seat (kapporeth, H3727). Christ IS the mercy seat toward which all OT atonement pointed.