Post 1: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:37 pm
 Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|
|
Like this post |
|
| Hi, I'm new to this forum. I've been attempting to read the Bible for the first time entirely and from the beginning. I know pretty little about the Bible going into it and there is a lot in there that has come as a surprise to me.
I'm only half way through exodus, so I have a long way to go but I wonder if any Christians have read the old testament and what you think about it. |
|
|
Post 2: Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:58 am
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|
|
Like this post |
|
| [Replying to post 1 by PillarOfSalt]
I am not currently a Christian, but when I was, I did read the entire Old Testament. A couple of tips:
|
|
|
Post 3: Tue May 20, 2014 8:32 pm
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|
|
Like this post |
|
| [Replying to post 1 by PillarOfSalt]
For the most part it deals with pimps ,cattle rustlers ,and blasphemers. |
|
|
Post 4: Wed May 21, 2014 6:17 pm
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|||
|
Like this post |
|||
Care to post evidence for that outrageous assertion? Don't forget to show that "most" of the OT is taken up by such concerns. And good luck with that. |
|||
|
Post 5: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:18 pm
|
|
|
Like this post |
|
| I see the OP was posted months ago, but perhaps there are others who are new Christians and wondering about how to approach the Bible. I suggest that beginners start with the Gospels and find out who Jesus is. Then I recommend that they read Acts and all the letters, but NOT Revelation.
At that point, the reader should tackle the Old Testament, reading it from Genesis to Malachi. The Old Testament can only be understand when read from the foot of the cross of Christ. You have to "get" Jesus in order to understand the O.T. Read Revelation last. It speaks to the future and, again, can only be understood when you grasp the other New Testament books and the Old Testament. For a good book on how to read the Bible, I recommend Stuart and Fee's How To Read The Bible for All Its Worth. It's meant for everybody, not just Bible scholars. McCulloch has offered valid advice re: getting a good study Bible. I would also suggest a couple of web sites that offer all kinds of articles answering all kinds of questions: http://www.gotquestions.org/ https://bible.org/ Enjoy! |
|
|
Post 6: Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:15 am
|
|
|
Like this post |
|
| I'm a Christian. For a brief season in my life I was agnostic, and the Old Testament was almost impossible to believe, and even if true many times I didn't want to believe it. The picture it paints of how God interacts with humanity is grim and harsh.
The Bible is one of the hardest things to every read. It is rarely clear, it fragmentary, and the Old Testament (OT) especially goes in to long gory detail of God hurting people in especially cruel ways. So why do I believe? The Bible seems to be a credible witness of reality. There are surprising historical and scientific facts that seem more to accord with the Bible than any other stream of thought -- it strikes me as inspired by God. When Jesus arrived on Earth he spoke of the impending judgment. The Old Testament is a picture of God's wrath on people in hell. The Gospel is the promise that those who repent will be spared. The Old Testament shows God's favor on people who didn't deserve his grace. Jacob (Israel) and many of the people in the OT hardly come across as more righteous than anyone else. It speaks of God being faithful to his promise of grace. You'll be horrified to learn harsh the God of the Old Testament is, but as I pondered it, it was the same God of the New Testament. There were horrific judgments that came upon Jerusalem that aren't recorded in the New Testament, but were prophesied by Jesus. |
|
|
Post 7: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:24 am
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|||
|
Like this post |
|||
Good morning, good to meet you. I read the whole Book three times back in the day when I was searching for what GOD wanted me to believe. Good luck too as every time you try to read the phone will ring, the cat will need to go in and out 10 tines etc etc so persevere!
In my opinion it is the word of GOD as much as the New Testament. Prayerfully meditate on how Jesus as one of the Trinity is one of the Unity called YHWH and this is His back story too. Take it easy on the genealogies, it's ok to skip ahead and redo them later as topics come up. Watch out for Ecclesiastes, it is written from the point of view of a man on earth and so contradicts the Spirit in a way that must be prayerfully managed. Always keep in mind that the book is not the truth though it contains the truth, but only the interpretation from the Holy Spirit is the truth, that is, don't idolize the book but only use it to draw closer to the Holy Spirit. Seek GOD and you will get the understanding, not the other way around. 
Peace, Ted |
|||
|
Post 8: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:27 am
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|||
|
Like this post |
|||
An excellent idea for the SECOND TIME reading it as many contain sectarian bias. Peace, Ted |
|||
|
Post 9: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:28 am
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|||
|
Like this post |
|||
Sounds like family to me... |
|||
|
Post 10: Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:07 am
Re: Christians: what are your thoughts on the old testament? |
|
|
Like this post |
|
| [Replying to post 1 by PillarOfSalt]
I think that a good many Christians do not understand the Old Testament. It is a book about the Covenant God made with the descendants of Abraham. You will never understand either Testament until you understand this point, that God has a plan for mankind that He has never deviated from, despite our failure. The New Testament is a covenant made with spiritual descendants of Abraham, the Old Testament was made with physical descendants of Abraham. Lacking the spirit of God, the Children of Israel could not meet the demands of the Covenant they agreed to and signed in blood. (see the book of Hebrews). So the God that Israel dealt with, the Rock (see 1 Cor 10) or Christ, gave up his own status as God, reduced himself to a human being, paid the penalty of Israels breach of contract whereby man could be pardoned from past sins and opened the door to a new covenant with a spirit led Israel (Gal 3:29). The new testament isn't a new religion, it's a way whereby mankind can still meet the criteria to obtain sonship into the Kingdom of God made possible through the spirit of God made available through the death and sacrifice of Christ. |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
