Why should the old testament still be in the Bible?

Question

There are a lot of contradictory, violent, and downright strange pronouncements all through the Old Testament.

Most Christians state that they do not follow these pronouncements (I'm talking about those particularly in Leviticus and Deuteronomy) because Jesus gave himself up for them and freed them from OT laws.

If that is the case, shouldn't the old testament be excised from the Bible, as it simply detracts from and confuses the New Testament message?

Thank you for the thoughtful answers so far.

To those who think they should follow everything in the OT do you follow these laws? If not then you need to think about my point rather than rant.

"These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat: And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you."
Deuteronomy 14:9-10 (should you REALLY not eat shrimp, mussels, squid?)


"Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of wool and linen together."
Deuteronomy 22:11 - no mixing materials?

Answer the question seriously, and read the Bible properly if you're going to rant.

Answer 1

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/otlaw.html

Jesus never dismissed the OT.

MEN dismissed it after his death. They made christianity more "convenient"


they only quotes from Jesus state very clearly that the OT laws apply to all christians.

any christian that dismissed the OT, also dismissed Jesus' teaching.


I love christian hypocrisy, don't you?

Answer 2

I want to answer your question about the dietary laws first. Your question, "then should we not eat shrimp, squid, an something else?" The answer is No We Should Not. Should not eat pork either. The dietary laws were given to the Children of Israel for a purpose to keep them healthy. People will say, that's Old Testament, we are under the New Testament and can eat whatever we want. Look at Peter and his vision and didn't God even say what I have cleansed call not uncleaned. Well for one thing, the Lord was not talking about food, food. He was talking about the way we look at other races and people and the fact that everyone stands equal at the foot of the cross.
What is the first thing the doctors tell you not to eat when you have high blood pressure - PORK
When your cholestral is high what is the first thing the doctors take you off of: SHRIMP, OYSTERS, ETC. These seafoods are scavengers. No wonder we are so sick these days.
Part of the Dietary Laws was not to eat rats, bugs, buzzards, etc. They are not a part of our common household foods today, thank God. Okay? Now for the first part.


Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. The Old Testament shows us not only the history of our world, but it is chocked full of prophecy which points to Jesus being borned and dieing for our sins and about the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. If we did not have the Old Testament, we would not know how to fully appreciate the work that Jesus did on the cross. If you have a really good preacher and teacher, you will see that there are no distractions from the New Testament. The New Testament completes the Old. Leviticus and Deuteronomy are great books to know. Alot of our laws today stems from the laws handed down by God to the Children of Isreal. Grant you, we do not stone any one today, but we do have the death penalty. You are right when you say there are violent happenings in the Old Testament, but the scriptures tells us, there will always be wars and rumors of war. Has the violence stopped today just because we live under Grace and the New Testament? No. The Old Testament is wonderful and worth the time in getting to know. The war in Iraq and the Holy Lands takes on a whole different meaning when you know their history.
Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Without the Old, we would never understand the New. And Jesus did not do away with all the Old Testament laws. Some people want to believe that, so they can go on and do anything they feel like, instead of doing what is right. Don't pick and choose from the Bible. Experience it all.

Answer 4

Yes, the OT should still be in the Bible. In it are many types and shadows of Christ.

The Ark of Noah, the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, the High Priest of the Temple, the rock from which water sprang.

Many places testify of the coming of Christ. Isaiah ( 52, 53), Pslams ( 22, 23, 24 and others like 8, 2, and all those that say the Lord is my Salvation). These are not even exhaustive examples of Him.

There are many untaught in the word of God that seem to think that the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT. This is another untaught approach to scriptures. If only the judgement of God in the OT are looked at, and only the act of healing and love are looked at in the NT, then I can see how that confusion can be held.

But that is not all that is in there. God heals in the OT. He expresses love in the OT. People die in the NT for a lack of faith, or are cursed. It is the same God in both.

The OT occurs before the Deliverer. It tells of the necessity of the Christ, which is Greek for Messiah. But only those who God chooses can understand them. And even then, you have to be taught.

Having read all of the OT, I have a greater understanding of Jesus.
Psalms 24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
It all belongs to Him.

Psalms 24:2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
He created it. (cf John 1:3)

Psalms 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
In other words, who is worthy? ( cf Revelation 5:12)

Psalms 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
( cf Revelation 7:14)

Psalms 24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
It's the gift of righteousness imputed upon those that believe, being 'saved.' That's the blessing. Righteousness and salvation. Sound familliar?

Psalms 24:6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
These things are describing the character of the people (translated 'generation'), that come to Him. They are the ones seeking God and find Him.

The OT is full of these revelations of God. You can search them out all over the Bible. There are sentiments and phrases that call attention to how much we should revere Him. All these things teah us several things:
1) It all belongs to Him, including us. Saved or unsaved.
2) It was all made by Him. All is His to do with as He pleases.
3) Since 2) is true, it is wisdom to fear Him, spurring us to repentance. After all, He could destroy us if He wanted to.
4) The nature of God, including His nature to keep some that He wants, which to the wise is good reason to rejoice in His calling. That teaches us value for what we have, for not all are called. And those that are not called are evidence that He brings understanding. That's evidence of His workings in us. For we value what He provided for us. Those that don't believe have only hatred, confusion, and disrespect for Him and His word.
5) The Old Testament also reveals to us the prophecies of God. For where would we look to for the foretelling of God to the position of the Christ? Jesus used the Old Testament to tell what he was doing here. What would we do without those things.
6) The stories of faith and doubt. God does mightly works in the Old Testament for those that trust Him. Hebrews 11 tells of them. What would we have to compare the stories and even the revelations that Paul cited if we did not have the Old Testament to judge?
7) The coming of Events. Those prophecies that have not yet happened. Ezekiel 38 and 39? Zachariah 14? Daniel 11? Where would we go to consider the End Times events that are occuring even now in Israel?

So the Old Testament is necessary for all these things. I would ask you to reconsider and reapply yourself into the meaning of it. For the word of God is no less in there, than the New Testament.

Answer 5

I love The Old Testament too,all is a meeting with The God-Father.
God has educated His choice people and this fact wasn't easy,because God didn't need mens who belief by force.When people was respecting the advices of God ,the end was good for people and the people learned to listen to God.Last 2000years many mens had a stone harts,the problem is that today they are many too.
Is the History of the choiced people of God.
Very important is that in The Old Testament there are many prophets who told about what will happen in the New Testament.

Answer 6

The Old Testament is the bible.

It is the one Jesus read and lived by.

The new Testament is just a re-telling of Jesus life and some history of the early start of the church and some teachings from various Apostles.

Answer 7

Go to the last Chapter in Revelation. That will tell you why the Old Testament BETTER not be removed. If it is then God's people will be removed from the book of life. Hmmmm, I would much rather keep the OT than get rid of it automatically.

Answer 8

The reason the Old Testament is left in the Bible is the same reason that we have history books. It shows how things progressed throught the ages and gives a reason for the new covenant and the New Testament.

Answer 9

I can only tell you what Christ said:
Matthew 5
17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.

There are many that think that because Christ fulfilled the law the Old Testament is no longer valid. IE Destroyed
They are just as valid today as in the days of King David, maybe more!

Answer 10

While in probate mode, both old/new testaments, wills thereof law/grace, are looked at, kinda like try the law/grace spirits, to know which is witch, and doing it before taking either this/that gospel out for a global ride.

However in the new, it speaks of the new(grace) making the old(law) not only "old" of such old/new, but the faulty part of imperfect/perfect things created/made before/after. And new says what's old and faulty is not only "ready to vanish"(Heb 8), but "shall vanish"(1Cor 13). Paul also says when the perfect part (grace) is come, the imperfect part (law) is to be "done away": was, but is not; rather than was, but is not, yet is. And what law was, was a ministration of death; and what it is not, is grace. Thereby we learn what grace is, compared to what it's not: law.

Yet if the new finds fault with the old, and the new is contained therein the old as one of twain (cutting old quotes out of the new leaves shredded none sense), then the new also finds fault with itself, and the new becomes a new and dead way instead of the new and living way; kinda like NIV leaves out the grace us end.

Perhaps it is far better to not even begin such law law, which notably begins with fear, the fear of falling from grace to a law law God below on high in plural and divided law law heavens.

Perhaps it is all allegory, and written aforetime for our learning, to learn what meaneth I will have mercy(grace) and not sacrifice(law), and the truth "grace is sufficient" (meaneth no law req'd).

Perhaps when you "know" the truth, it makes you free, perhaps free of "believe"-ing such law law could ever exist, perhaps such is nothing more than a counter part in a shew, to shew who is the blessed and only Potentate of such law/grace, is His grace, in his plural times of law/grace.

The "grace" of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 11

Without a tie-in into the Old Testament, the New Testament isn't complete.