OT vs NT?

[GodSeeker]

First off it is intresting that the Hebrew Bible [OT] is being used by a Christian and not the NT.


This was said in a different thread here and confused me. Are we as Christians not supposed to study the Old Testament? Isn't it ALL part the Bible and therefore ALL is God's Word and all serves some importance? What is wrong with studying the Old Testament and learning from the wisdom therein?

[Sold Out]

This was said in a different thread here and confused me. Are we as Christians not supposed to study the Old Testament? Isn't it ALL part the Bible and therefore ALL is God's Word and all serves some importance? What is wrong with studying the Old Testament and learning from the wisdom therein?


You should absolutely study the Old Testament. The entire bible is about Christ! Look for Christ in the Old Testament, and the bible will come alive for you.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" II Tim 3:16

When Paul wrote this, the New Testament wasn't even compiled into the bible yet!

[markdrums]

You should absolutely study the Old Testament. The entire bible is about Christ! Look for Christ in the Old Testament, and the bible will come alive for you.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" II Tim 3:16

When Paul wrote this, the New Testament wasn't even compiled into the bible yet!
Definitely! Sold Out is absolutely right!
It's SOOOOO important to be familiar with the Old Testament, in order to understand the New Testament.
That's something that was brought to light for me just in the past couple years. The New Testament often refers back to the OT. And to understand all the metaphors , & get the true context of NT passages, the key is IN THE OT.

:)

[GodSeeker]

See, I always thought so too.

http://bibleforums.org/forum/showthread.php?t=137941

Yet in this thread, the 5th post basically says that the OP was wrong for making reference to the OT and says that since they claim to be Christian they should use the NT instead. I just don't understand why referencing the OT would be a bad thing.

[ServantofTruth]

The minute i saw this topic, i already knew what it was refering to. Just double checked and i was right.

I'm sure you appreciate that we are all at different levels of growth, and within that growth different people grow faster in different areas. Sometimes i see a post by someone else and it really makes me think of how foolish i have been elsewhere on a different topic.

The easy answer is yes we need to study the whole bible and as 929 chapters are in the Old Testament and only 260 in the New Testament - it probably means we'll spend more time in the Old Testament than New.

If you are using a bible with margin cross references or footnotes though, as you read one book, you may be turning to many others in each chapter. But this comes with time, so don't feel rushed into it.

As for the particular post mentioned here i read it, and i admit, moved on. You can't point out every little error - either on the boards or by private message - or perhaps I would spend the following day correcting all my posts!

We need to concentrate on encouraging good posts and trying to meet small errors or anger, with a little love and understanding - because tomorrow i might be the person having a bad day who needs it in return.

Good topic. Well spotted. Please if you see anything of mine that falls into the same catergery please tell me. Being New in Christ and burning to learn, can be a blessing to many. SofTy.

[Tanya~]

Hi GodSeeker!

It's really great that you posted this question here and it has been answered well. Whenever something doesn't sit quite right with you, you do well to investigate it further. That is very likely the Holy Spirit giving you that small warning that something is off. :) It's a blessing to know you're listening to God!

[dispen4ever]

Well ....... I was typing and it disappeared! The short response is that while the OT is full of treasures it is not there for salvation by grace through faith. I've read it several times (enough to skip over the begats, incidentally) :-) but I prefer to study the NT. Great topic. I may open a new thread concerning OT / NT.

[Tanya~]

All the believers of the OT were saved by the same means as any NT believer, and that is by grace through faith. :) The NT fulfills the OT and in the NT we have the complete revelation, but nobody ever got saved by any means other than through faith in Christ. Even Job believed in Jesus and the resurrection though he didn't have the full revelation.

Job 19:23-27
23 "Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
NKJV

The apostles didn't have the NT but were able to preach the gospel from the OT Scriptures, and that's what they did. When we neglect the OT we really do miss out on a lot of what God wants us to know about Himself.

[markedward]

This was said in a different thread here and confused me. Are we as Christians not supposed to study the Old Testament? Isn't it ALL part the Bible and therefore ALL is God's Word and all serves some importance? What is wrong with studying the Old Testament and learning from the wisdom therein?How can we understand the New without the Old?

Jesus' continually taught about the Old Testament, so if He saw it as relevant, then it is relevant.

[Literalist-Luke]

The New Testament is the fulfillment/completion of the Old Testament. Either one without the other is like watching only part of a movie or TV show - you're missin' out.

[crossnote]

Someone has said it well.

The First Testament (New) is hidden in the Second (Old).
The Second Testament is revealed in the First.

[Elouise]

Hallo GodSeeker.

In my post I simply meant it was intresting to note that a Christian had focussed exclusively on the OT rather than pulling on the NT as well to argue with. The NT and OT compliment each other.

Referancing the OT in context is a good thing.
Taking single verses out of context and then twisting them is unwise.

The old testament [hebrew bible] is foretelling of a comming messiah and described people living under the law of God whereas the NT tells the good news of Christ and forgiveness that allows us to live under Grace. The NT constantly refers back to the OT.
Many bibles have cross refances in so that if a referance to a piece of scripture in the OT is used by Christ the apostles or others in the NT you can find it and read it in context in the OT.

[dispen4ever]

Thank you, Elouise! You make my point better than I. I must be careful not to lay burdens on myself from passages I read in the OT. Everything I need to know about salvation by grace thru faith and walking in His Footsteps is contained in Paul's letters. That's where the authentically born-again Believer's spirit knows that s/he knows that s/he knows.