When Jesus walked the earth, the New Testament had not yet been written. So whenever He referred to “the Scriptures,” He was speaking of the Old Testament. What He believed and taught about the Old Testament reveals a great deal about its authority — and even points forward to the New Testament.

1. Jesus Affirmed the Divine Authority of the Old Testament

Jesus often used the phrase “It is written” — more than 90 times! This meant, “God said it, it stands, and it’s final.” For example, when resisting Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10), Jesus quoted Scripture as the ultimate authority. For Him, the Old Testament wasn’t just a religious book — it was God’s Word.

2. Jesus Affirmed the Old Testament Is Imperishable

In Matthew 5:17–18, Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. He insisted that not even “a jot or a tittle” — the smallest Hebrew marks — would disappear from the law until everything was accomplished. For Jesus, Scripture was eternal and indestructible.

3. Jesus Affirmed the Old Testament Is Inspired

Though Jesus didn’t use the word “inspiration” directly, He clearly affirmed it. He said David spoke “by the Spirit” (Matt. 22:43). This echoes 2 Samuel 23:2: “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me.” Jesus believed that Scripture was written by people under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

4. Jesus Affirmed the Bible Is Unbreakable

In John 10:35, Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken.” He called it the “Word of God” and the “Law,” affirming its divine origin and absolute reliability. To Jesus, Scripture was not just correct — it was unbreakably true.

5. Jesus Affirmed the Old Testament as God’s Word

Jesus repeatedly called Scripture the “Word of God” and referred to its commandments as coming from God Himself (Matt. 15:3, 6). He even criticized religious leaders for replacing Scripture with human tradition — showing that He viewed Scripture as the highest authority.

6. Jesus Affirmed the Supremacy of the Old Testament

When tradition clashed with Scripture, Jesus always sided with Scripture. He rebuked the Pharisees for nullifying God’s Word with man-made rules (Matt. 15:6). Jesus made it clear: God’s Word outranks all human ideas.

7. Jesus Affirmed the Inerrancy of the Old Testament

In Matthew 22:29, Jesus told the Sadducees, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” He believed the Scriptures to be without error. In John 17:17, He said to the Father, “Your Word is truth.”

8. Jesus Affirmed the Historical Reliability of the Old Testament

Jesus treated even the most debated stories of the Old Testament as historical fact — Adam and Eve (Matt. 19:4–5), Jonah and the great fish (Matt. 12:40), and Noah’s flood (Matt. 24:37–38). He also affirmed the real existence of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Daniel, and others.

9. Jesus Affirmed the Scientific Accuracy of the Old Testament

Jesus based His teaching on marriage (Matt. 19:4–5) on the literal creation of male and female by God. He also taught that if people couldn’t trust Him when He spoke of earthly (scientific) things, they wouldn’t believe Him on heavenly things (John 3:12). To Jesus, the Bible’s statements about the world were just as true as its teachings about God.

What Jesus Promised About the New Testament

Even though Jesus primarily spoke about the Old Testament, He promised divine guidance for what would become the New Testament.

1. Jesus Promised the Holy Spirit Would Guide the Apostles

Jesus assured His disciples that after His ascension, the Holy Spirit would come and guide them into “all truth” (John 14:26; 16:13). The Spirit would remind them of everything Jesus taught and lead them as they wrote and taught the church.

2. The Apostles Claimed This Divine Authority

The apostles didn’t just receive Jesus’ promise — they claimed it. John said he wrote so that readers would believe Jesus is the Christ (John 20:31), and that his message came from what he had seen and heard from Jesus (1 John 1:1). He even said those who reject apostolic teaching don’t know God (1 John 4:6).

Peter went further, calling Paul’s letters “Scripture” (2 Peter 3:15–16), placing them alongside the Old Testament in authority.

3. The New Testament Is the Record of Apostolic Teaching

According to Paul, the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20). The New Testament writings, penned by apostles or their close associates, are the only surviving record of their inspired teaching.

4. The New Testament Is the “All Truth” Jesus Promised

Since Jesus promised His disciples would be guided into all truth — and since the New Testament is their written testimony — we can conclude that the New Testament is the fulfillment of that promise. Like the Old Testament, the New Testament is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God.

Conclusion

Jesus didn’t just believe the Bible was God’s Word — He staked His ministry on it. He affirmed its authority, accuracy, inspiration, and supremacy. And He promised the same for the New Testament through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we believe Jesus is the Son of God, we must take His view of Scripture seriously. Both the Old and New Testaments are God’s Word.