Why do many Christians not bother reading the OT

[GoingByzantine]

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

People often get surprised when I tell them that Genesis is my favorite book of the Bible, I feel that there are a lot of very deep connections and insights that can be drawn from its passages. I have similar feelings about other books of the OT as well.

I have noticed that many Christians in RL and on this forum have either never read the OT, or they do not care for it. I understand that as a Christian, the NT is more relevant to our plan for salvation and our outlook on the world, but I do not see how a person could completely ignore the OT. How can a person be thoroughly equipped for every good work when they have never read a huge chunk of the Bible? How can people truly understand the significance of Christ when they do not understand what lead to his arrival here on Earth?

 

[LastSeven]

I agree about Genesis. It gives us tremendous insight into, not only God's plan, but God's character.

 

[~Anastasia~]

We understand the OT through the revelation of God we receive in Christ through the Gospels. But the OT is certainly important; I agree with you there!

Funny, our Bible study this year is Genesis. And it's proving too rich to get through in a year. It really is vitally important to understanding all of God's plan and the story of mankind's redemption.

I read the OT, but admittedly, I focus on certain parts. I'm not sure how many times I've read through all of Leviticus, but MUCH less than I've read Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs. I'm especially weak on some of the minor prophets. I don't have large chunks I've never read, but there probably lots I've only read few times, and some I've barely read. I still haven't gotten around to all of the Deuterocannon, and I wouldn't have read it before becoming Orthodox.

In my case it's a matter of focus. I do a lot of reading, but I feel as if I have many years of catching up to do on certain things. And while it's not Scripture, I tend to get more direct help from reading St. Porphyrios than perhaps Nahum right now, and get so much more out of the Gospels than I used to, so it's difficult to leave them right now. But I would seriously like to read through all of Wisdom soon.

I think you would find different people have different reasons, depending on their focus and their background. There were times before that I made myself read the OT, and while at times I might get a lot out of it, other times I didn't. Without an appreciation for how it all ties together, the OT can seem less relevant.

I don't know the answer to your question for others though. I think I'm just rambling.

 

[GoingByzantine]

Nothing wrong with rambling Anastasia. I agree that there are parts of the OT that are difficult to get through! I just find it hard to believe that some Christians have not even read key books like Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah etc...too me that lack of depth can distort the teachings in the NT for some people.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I always seem to think I have to start with Genesis - and I like it anyway. I don't know how many times I've read it through, and often gone in to read parts as well. But I don't always make it all the way through to Malachi.

Maybe I need a reading plan ... I have not used one faithfully in quite some years.

 

[mark46]

Since much of the OT is history, it might help folks to have bibles that were in chronological order.

This perspective is not very relevant when we only focus on Genesis, Exodus, Psalms and Proverbs.

 

[~Anastasia~]

But how could they be? Some books take place concurrently with others?

 

[mark46]

But how could they be? Some books take place concurrently with others?

Indeed.

One does the best one can.

See the attached which is NKJV which I believe is the acceptable English translation for Orthodox.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronological-Study-Bible-Version/dp/0718020685

 

[graceandpeace]

Well, there are some terrible passages in the OT. Considering such passages in light of Christ & his example helps me in dealing with them, but there's no denying the fodder for atheism found within some of the texts.

Most Christians I've known have read most or all of the OT. In the Episcopal Church, we typically read 4 passages of Scripture every Sunday, which typically includes an OT passage.

 

[Shane R]

Reading the words and absorbing the text are not the same thing. In my experience, studies prepared for the OT tend to focus on a broad survey format keyed to historical events. There is little thought of how the text relates to the NT and I think many preachers could not tell you an answer to even some key texts. Then there is the problem of a 'literal' interpretation, as Evangelicals style it, and the total absence of and even derision for the allegorical approach long attributed to the Alexandrian fathers. A lot of the text is hard to figure out from the (overly) literal approach. There still exists a certain amount of Puritan discomfort with texts like Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, and, on the other side of the spectrum, a liberal disdain for the passages which pronounce great judgments, genocides, and such.

 

[Julie.S]

I had to read some of it for a class in college. It was alright but kind of hard to get through.

 

[dzheremi]

When I sat in on the Bible study at the monastery in NY, the focus was on types of St. Mary in the OT (in the particular book they were studying, though I can't remember which it was this long afterwards). This seemed to help the discussion and deepen the kids' (the people at it were all teens and young adults, except for the monk leading it) understanding of the text. Since the connection was made in the way that they looked at the Bible in the first place, it wasn't talked about in terms of "Okay, here's a record of what the Hebrews did thousands of years ago in the middle of the desert", but was instead connected to what the Church itself actually does, e.g., in our Theotokias when we call St. Mary the tabernacle or the golden censer, it is an allusion to the tabernacle discussed here (in the OT), or the censer discussed here (in the OT). Why did our fathers make this allusion, and why do we continue to pray with those same words today? Honestly it still took them some time to start making those connections, but you could see it when it happened, and it wasn't too long before everyone was very engaged with the text, coming up with their own questions and suggestions of what could be a type of St. Mary in the text and why.

I think that's the problem for a lot of other Christians: due to their lack of continuous, established and set historical practice, they don't necessarily have that bridge that will allow them to connect what they read in the OT to their own faith. So I think for many it is alienating and foreign (not to mention potentially scandalous), because there's no way to bring it forward or make it be 'alive' for them. So large sections may be written off as the irrelevant war records of barbarous people, or strange carnal poetry, or otherwise not particularly connected to their idea of what Christianity is.

 

[prodromos]

It helps to have a solid grounding in the Gospels when reading the Old Testament. The types and shadows tend to leap out at you when you have a good grasp of their fulfillment.

 

[Luke17:37]

Since much of the OT is history, it might help folks to have bibles that were in chronological order.

This perspective is not very relevant when we only focus on Genesis, Exodus, Psalms and Proverbs.

You can get a chronological reading plan from https://www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading/PDF/1Yr_ChronologicalPlan.pdf

 

[Butch5]

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

People often get surprised when I tell them that Genesis is my favorite book of the Bible, I feel that there are a lot of very deep connections and insights that can be drawn from its passages. I have similar feelings about other books of the OT as well.

I have noticed that many Christians in RL and on this forum have either never read the OT, or they do not care for it. I understand that as a Christian, the NT is more relevant to our plan for salvation and our outlook on the world, but I do not see how a person could completely ignore the OT. How can a person be thoroughly equipped for every good work when they have never read a huge chunk of the Bible? How can people truly understand the significance of Christ when they do not understand what lead to his arrival here on Earth?

People who don't read the OT don't even know what the Bible is about. It's not that the NT is more relevant to salvation, The NT is simply God working out the salvation that was promised in the OT. The Christian's hope is found in Genesis so the Christian who doesn't know Genesis doesn't know what his hope is.

 

[Butch5]

The hope of the Christian is found in Genesis. Here Paul touches on the hope set before us.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (Heb. 6:11-19 KJV)

Many Christians think the hope for a Christian is to go off to Heaven and be with Jesus. The Scriptures teach no such thing. The Christian's hope is the promises made to Abraham. One of those promises is the land promise.

God said to Abraham,

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Gen. 13:15 KJV)

God promised that land to Abraham and his seed. God made the same land promise to Isaac and Jacob. Isaac said to Jacob,


1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.
3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. (Gen. 28:1-4 KJV)

Isaac blessed Jacob and said, God give thee "the blessing of Abraham" that thou may inherit the land that God gave to Abraham. We see in this passage that "the blessing of Abraham" is to inherit the land that God gave to Abraham. This phrase, "the blessing of Abraham" only appears twice in Scripture, here in Genesis 28 and in Galatians 3 where Paul applies it to the Gentiles.

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Gal. 3:7-14 KJV)

Paul says here that those of faith are blessed with Abraham. Then he says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law that "the blessing of Abraham" might come on the Gentiles. So, it's through faith that "the blessing of Abraham", the land promise, comes upon the Gentiles. Paul goes on to say,

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Gal. 3:16 KJV)

Here Paul identifies that seed to whom the promise was made. The Jews believed they were the seed of Abraham to whom the promises were made. However, Paul points out that when God made the promise He meant seed singular, not seed plural. The Seed is Christ. He continues,

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
(Gal. 3:26-4:1 KJV)

Here Paul says that if you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. The promise again is the Land promised to Abraham, "the blessing of Abraham".

This is the Christian's hope. It's not to fly away to Heaven. So, those who don't read the OT probably won't know this or what their hope is.

 

[Bob Crowley]

Well, there are some terrible passages in the OT. Considering such passages in light of Christ & his example helps me in dealing with them, but there's no denying the fodder for atheism found within some of the texts.

Most Christians I've known have read most or all of the OT. In the Episcopal Church, we typically read 4 passages of Scripture every Sunday, which typically includes an OT passage.

Looks like the Anglican Church has the Catholic liturgy in drag. We Catholics seem to have the same or similar format - OT reading, responsive Psalm, NT reading (from the epistles) and finally a Gospel reading. Lay ministers read the first three, and the priest usually (nearly always) reads the Gospel reading, for which we all stand.

Granted the OT has a lot of what seems to be un-Christian passages, pertinent to the culture of the time, but seemingly barbaric to our ears. Of course we civilized moderns prefer to slaughter our unborn children sight unseen, in the abortion clinics, by the million, and it's only been seventy or so years since the Holocaust, the Gulags, and even less since Pol Pot and the killing fields. Our sexual ethics are about the same as the ancient Romans and Greeks, and we're still as greedy as ever.

I wonder what the ancients would make of that when we single out OT passages to argue against God being a realist, dealing with people as He finds them.

I think they'd call us hypocrites of the deepest dye.

 

[Job8]

I have noticed that many Christians in RL and on this forum have either never read the OT, or they do not care for it.

Since the entire Bible is the Word of God, those who fail to read all Scripture hurt themselves more than anyone else. And since reading is not enough, and study of the OT is hard work, many do not wish to invest time and effort in hard work.

 

[mark46]

Looks like the Anglican Church has the Catholic liturgy in drag.

???

As I recall, the Catholic liturgy was in Latin until the 70's. Also, the laity didn't do any of the readings.

The Anglican liturgy has had this form (in the local language) for a very long time.

 

[Salem]

When first coming to Christ, all I had was a New Testament somebody gave me. Shortly thereafter, I purchased a whole Bible, but spent some years in the New Testament, near exclusively, only cross referencing it to the Old Testament where insight was indicated. I believe this is where the Lord wanted me, to this day it making sense to learn about the New Covenant and the gospel of Jesus Christ, first. Since then, of course, I've studied the OT, but doesn't it make sense to first learn the newest revelations from God, going out to the whole world, and the gospel that saves? Not disparaging the OT, but Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the OT, what the OT is all about. I'd most highly recommended any new or young Christian reach a firm understanding of the NT, first.