Mount of Transfiguration

I agree with you conclusion but I view the interpretation of Luke 16 some what differently than you.

The purpose of the law and prophets was not to provide another gospel, or another way of salvation. Please look at Acts 10:43; 26:22-23; Heb. 4:2.

The purpose of the law and the prophets was to reveal the nature of sin (purpose of the law) in order to lead Old Testament saints to faith in the coming Christ for salvation and the purpose of the prophets was to prepare the people to receive their Messiah in the FUTURE.

However, John the Baptist was the last of the prophets, because His message was no more the prophetic FUTURE tense as were all past prophets but rather the dramatic PRESENT tense that Christ has arrived. Hence, John the Baptist fulfilled all the prophetic prediction of past prophets.

Furthermore, the kingdom of God has always been present on earth consisting of those true believers in the message of the prophets (Acts 10:43). However, the kingdom of God had come in the prophetic sense in the presence of the King for which the prophets anticipated and predicted. The kingdom had come and is "at hand" in the Person of the King. Mark says it this way:

Mk 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The gospel of the coming Christ had been preached from the foundation of the world in the garden of Eden (Jn. 1:29) but this was the "beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ" in the sense of actual fulfillment of all anticipated predictions.

God never gave the law as a way of salvation or a means of justification but rather to instruct in the knowledge of sin. The ceremonial offerings provided pictorial preachments of the true gospel so those whom were convicted of sin by the law could believe in the Christ revealed in the types and instruction of the prophets (Acts 10:43; Heb. 10:1-4).

The Law dispensation under Israel's theocratic government which consisted in types and laws anticipating the coming Christ was replaced by a New Covenant administration that was better which no longer anticipated the cross but celebrated it fulfillment and looked forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

God is the same author of the Law and of grace. They are not in competition with each other if understood correctly as God is not the author of Confusion and contradiction. In principle they have worked harmonously together since the garden of Eden. The law defines sin and convicts the sinner and lead him to Christ by faith alone to find forgiveness of sins. However, the Mosaic administration of the Law under a theocratic government has been abolished and God has established a "better" administration (Heb. 8-9).

 

Sorry about the big words and I hope the scriptures provided demonstrate it is more than theory. If not, I can provide the necessary scriptures to support the points where I did not supply the scriptures.