Bible group member declares Old Testament is not important
My wife and I lead a very small Bible study in our home every Wednesday evening. We have now met six times and it has gone fairly well, until this past Wednesday.
One of the members declared that pastors he talked to and other people in the faith said that for new believers (he is a new believer) should skip the Old Testament and go straight to the NT. He followed up with saying that he agrees with this and that the OT is just full of who begat who and some "side stories". His wife, who is not saved yet attends because of her husband, agreed.
Well, I heard this and became dismayed at this. What pastor would tell someone that the OT is not important? Is this some new brand of Christianity that only involves half of the Bible?
I am praying right now for God to step in and change this person's heart.
The Old Testament is rich and full and far from being boring.
Has anyone faced this before in your group or with a friend or family member who rejects the OT because it is "too boring" or "not relevant"?
Yes, I've heard that before. I think that, although a new Christian should come to know Christ first by reading the NT, he/she should never be dissuaded from reading the OT by making statements that the OT is no longer valid. The OT is as valid today as it was when it was written. One can not fully understand the NT without studying the OT.
__________________ If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don't accept, because you will lose one friend; on the other hand, if two strangers come with the same request, accept because you will gain one friend. Augustine
The OT is important. For a new christian I would start reading the gospels and the NT first. I strongly disagree to just diss the OT and never read it- this sounds like the cherry picking christian type. God didn''t keep it in the bible for nothing.
__________________ Sola Scriptura is Eternal Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, 2 Peter 1:20. "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams (October 11, 1798). Roe vs. Wade - 45 million **Proverbs 6:16-17 - states that there are seven things that are an abomination to the Lord; one of them is the shedding of innocentblood. The B.O. Must Go! Huckabee in 2012
In addition, if a nonbeliever asks questions about the OT and you can't answer it-this isn't a great start in those who are seeking and wanting to convert. Or an athiest asking to try to make christianity look bad-like why did God kill these people, etc. We are to study and show ourselves approved-2 Tim 2:15.
__________________ Sola Scriptura is Eternal Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, 2 Peter 1:20. "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams (October 11, 1798). Roe vs. Wade - 45 million **Proverbs 6:16-17 - states that there are seven things that are an abomination to the Lord; one of them is the shedding of innocentblood. The B.O. Must Go! Huckabee in 2012
Yes, I've heard that before. I think that, although a new Christian should come to know Christ first by reading the NT, he/she should never be dissuaded from reading the OT by making statements that the OT is no longer valid. The OT is as valid today as it was when it was written. One can not fully understand the NT without studying the OT.
Absolutely. The New Testament writers often quoted from the Old Testament. I believe almost every book of the Old Testament (with maybe one exception) was quoted from in the New Testament. Jesus quoted OT scriptures often when preaching. He would not have done that if the OT was not relevant.
The Old Testament is still very important but I think it is best for new Christians to focus on the New Testament because it is easier to understand and is all about Christ. Of course, the Old Testament is also about Christ. It foretells Christ's coming. But the New Testament is easier to understand than the Old Testament. So therefore, I'd recommend that a new Christian read the New Testament first before they go to the Old Testament. Of course, some Old Testament reading isn't bad for a new Christian but it is still better to focus on the Gospel before going to the Old Testament prophecies and such. However, I would recommend that new Christians read the story of creation in Genesis.
Is this some new brand of Christianity that only involves half of the Bible?
No it is not new. In fact it is very old and merely another deception to lead people away from the truth, the whole truth, Gods truth.
You might want to point out to these people that there was no new testament when Jesus was preaching/teaching and that all of His material came from the old testament, which He called the scriptures. It may help to note that when Jesus quoted scripture He did not give book and verse rather He merely stated "the scriptures say". Despite how you attack the issue some people are so wrapped up in their concept that the truth becomes a problem for them and they won't listen to you no matter what you say. Pray for them that the Lord will lead them into His truth and not into anything that may come from any person.
Sealacamp
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Christ is the center of everything~the Gospels are the core of Christianity, so the journey needs to begin there. The OT will always be there for reference and history, but after all, it is called the "New" Testament for a reason. I would recommend OT studies particularly for Jewish converts, but for new and not-so-new the focus has to be in the NT.
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There's also the fact that He spent some time as a youth studying the OT, which at the time was the only "T" around. according to some verses anyway. He didn't come out of Mary knowing word for word, everything in the Testament. Granted He could have, but then there wouldn't be verses about him freaking Mary and Joseph out when they couldn't find him while he was studying.
Originally Posted by sealacamp
No it is not new. In fact it is very old and merely another deception to lead people away from the truth, the whole truth, Gods truth.
You might want to point out to these people that there was no new testament when Jesus was preaching/teaching and that all of His material came from the old testament, which He called the scriptures. It may help to note that when Jesus quoted scripture He did not give book and verse rather He merely stated "the scriptures say". Despite how you attack the issue some people are so wrapped up in their concept that the truth becomes a problem for them and they won't listen to you no matter what you say. Pray for them that the Lord will lead them into His truth and not into anything that may come from any person.
I'd tell him that he's missing out. The Old Testament tells us so much about God, and the New Testament builds on the Old rather than replacing it. Romans 15:4 and 2 Timothy 3:16 explicitly tell us the value of the Old Testament.
__________________ Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
- Proverbs 30:5-6
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