The Old Testament in the New Testament

Do Christians use a book, more than half of which is obsolete and irrelevant? Did God provide humanity with two sets of inspired writings, the Old Testament and the New? by Scott Ashley

One of the common misconceptions among readers of the Bible is that a large part of it is obsolete-irrelevant for modern life. Sadly, some professing Christians have unwittingly turned a blind eye to much of God's revelation by rejecting what is known as the Old Testament. They believe that the New Testament-the writings of the apostles-is what really matters; that the Old Testament was valid up until Christ came, but at that time became old and outdated. Did God, in essence, provide humankind with two Bibles? Did He inspire one set of writings-the Hebrew Scriptures-for the Israelites living from Moses' time to Christ's birth, and then provide another set in the first century, with that set intended for everyone else? Does the Bible itself have anything to say about this idea? Would one part of the Bible reject the other? Let's see exactly what the Bible itself has to say about the Old Testament. We will see whether God gave us two different sets of writings-or one continuous inspired set of teachings and instruction. Let's begin with the terms Old Testament and New Testament. The general view is that the Old Testament was old-and thus obsolete or worn out-and that it has been replaced by the New Testament. Is this view found in the Bible? No, it isn't. The terms Old Testament and New Testament are found in a few places in some Bible translations, but the word translated "testament" is actually the word for "covenant." Those scriptures simply talk about the old and new covenants-not about books of the Bible. If you had been around to ask the apostles John, Peter or Paul about the "Old Testament" or the "New Testament," they would have had no idea what you meant. The terms Old Testament and New Testament were coined by men long after the books of the Bible were written. The first use of the term New Testament is found in the writings of the early theologian Tertullian (ca. A.D. 155-220), a century or more after the deaths of the apostles. Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn15/otnt.htm Related Information on UCG Sites: Table of Contents that includes "The Old Testament in the New Testament" Other Articles by Scott Ashley Old Testament: _The Word of God _The Apostles, the Old Testament and God's Law _Paul's Use of the Old Testament _God's Knowledge Revealed in Two Parts _The Transition from the Prophets to the Gospels _Reexamining the Roots of Christianity _Keys to Unlocking Understanding of the Bible _How Did We Get the Bible? _Has the Bible Been Preserved Accurately? _William Tyndale: He Gave His Life to Give Us the Bible _Tyndale as Translator _Questions and Answers - Sep/Oct 2004 Jesus - prophecies of: _Does God Have a Plan for Humanity? _A Great Light Has Shined _Immanuel - "God Is With Us" _The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Salvation in the Kingdom _A Sinless and Miraculous Life _Jesus' Amazing Fulfillment of Prophecy _Why Be Baptized? _Promises and Covenants: a Prophetic Legacy _Jesus Christ's Life and Death in Prophecy _Was Jesus a Jew? _The Feast of Trumpets _Daniel the Prophet _Was Jesus the Promised Messiah? _The Choice: Which Way of Life? _'Christ, Our Passover, Was Sacrificed for Us' _Does Easter Commemorate Jesus Christ's Resurrection? _Why Was Jesus Christ Resurrected? _Can You Believe Bible Prophecy? (9/99) _Removing the Myths From Christ's Childhood _Who Was Jesus Christ? (1/2002) _Seven Reasons Why Jesus Was Born _Who Was Jesus Christ? _'You Are Gods' _Does Easter Really Commemorate Jesus Christ's Resurrection? _Fullfilled Prophecies of Jesus Christ _The Story of Jesus Christ: Why Can't They Get It Right? _Jesus Christ, the Supreme Servant _Dispelling Myths of Christ's Birth and Childhood _Psalm 22--An Awe-Inspiring Prophecy! Search Our Site Key Subjects Index General Topics Index Biblical References Index Good News Magazine Index Booklets and All Literature Index Home Page of this site