Join Our Groups
This
part deals with:
OLD TESTAMENT
You will read the Notes in form of PDF
Click the topics below to view the Notes:
Introduction to Divinity Subject
6. SOME BOOKS NAMED AFTER PROPHETS
IMPORTANCE OF READING THE OLD TESTAMENT
1. The
Bible is incomplete without the Old Testament.
Both
the Old and New Testaments make up the Word of God. The New Testament was never
given to replace the Old Testament but rather to complete its story. Genesis
3:14-19 records how a curse came upon humanity because of sin. Revelation 22:3
completes the story by recording how God, through the redemptive work of Jesus,
has removed the curse. The theme of God’s redemptive work would be incomplete
without both Testaments revealing the beginning and end of the curse.
2. The
Old Testament is the Inspired Word of God
First
and foremost, it is important to understand that the entirety of the Bible is
God’s Word— both the Old and New Testaments alike. A foundational truth for
Christians is that the Bible exists to instruct and direct us. For this reason,
it is vital that we do not simply handpick the passages, sections or books of
the Bible that seem to resonate or encourage us the most, while neglecting or
ignoring what remains. Doing this would cause us to miss crucial portions of
Scripture that God intended to challenge and mould us throughout our lives.
3. The
OT substantially influences our understanding of key biblical teachings.
By the
end of the Law (Genesis–Deuteronomy), the Bible has already described or
alluded to all five of the major covenants that guide Scripture’s plot
structure (Adamic-Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and new). The rest of the
OT then builds on this portrait in detail. Accordingly, the OT narrative builds
anticipation for a better king, a blessed people, and a broader land. The OT
creates the problem and includes promises that the NT answers and fulfils. We
need the OT to understand fully God’s work in history.
4. New
Testament Incomplete without the Old
Reading the New Testament without knowing the Old is like walking into a movie at the climax and expecting to understand it. Let’s say the movie was long and had a great plot. It was filled with ups and downs, the characters were really great and the conclusion was brilliant. It was the best movie you’ve ever seen. You were really excited to see that the ending leaves room for a sequel and you can’t wait for the next one to come out. What would you think of your friend who only saw the last twenty minutes of the movie, agreed that it was great and wanted to see the next one, but refused to watch the film from the beginning, because he knows how it ends up? Wouldn’t you think he was fooling himself that he really understands the movie?
EmoticonEmoticon