Why bother reading the Old Testament if the New Testament voids it?

Question

for example, OT says don't eat a bunch of stuff, then NT says eat whatever you want

Answer 1

If the new testament voided the old, there would be no use in reading either.

Answer 2

The Bible is a progressive revelation. If you skip the first half of any good book and try to finish it; you will have a hard time understanding the characters, the plot, and the ending. Even so, the New Testament is only completely understood when it is seen as being built upon the foundation of the events, characters, laws, sacrificial system, covenants, and promises of the Old Testament (OT). If we only had the New Testament (NT), we would come to the gospels and not know why the Jews were looking for a Messiah (a Savior King). Without the OT, we would not understand why this Messiah was coming (see Isaiah 53); we would not have been able to identify Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah through the many detailed prophecies that were given concerning Him (e.g.., His birth place (Micah 5:2); His manner of death (Psalm 22, especially vv. 1,7-8, 14-18; Psalm 69:21, etc.), His resurrection (Psalm 16:10), and many more details of His ministry (Isaiah 52:13f.; 9:2, etc.).

Answer 3

It does not VOID it, it builds on it.
Dietary Laws really still applies for health reasons. We now have a much safer way to deal with food, so many do not follow it.

Now look at the 10 Commandments the NT adds doesn't do away with them.

The 1 major thing the NT over rules the OT is yearly sacrifice for sins..Jesus is our permanent sacrifice.

Answer 4

The New Testament does NOT void the Old Testament. The New Testament is the completion of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God promised man a Savior who will also open the gates of Heaven.

The New Testament completes what God promised. Christ came down to earth and thru His ultimate sacrifice, he gained the right of way of man to Heaven. Christ also reaffirmed God's teachings and thru the help of the Apostles, he constructed His Church with Peter as the Head so as to give man a means of salvation as God the Father initially promised.

The Old Testament is the preparation for Jesus' coming. God's prophets such as Abraham, prepared the people for the Messiah's coming.
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If you were watching movies; think of O.T. as part I & N.T. as Bible part II.

Answer 5

The New doesnt void the Old but validates it. There are many references to the Old in the New. Without the Old where would that leave the New? The New voids the need for daily sacrafices because God created the New covanant with mankind.
Shalom and Happy Easter
He is risen

Answer 6

Where in the world did you get the idea that the New Testament voids the Old.
That is wrong, the Old Testament is still relevant to-day and everyone should read it and study it. In doing so it would offer them an opportunity to meet and better understand God and JESUS CHRIST.

Answer 7

It's a bit like reading the last book in Lord of the Ring without reading the first two. The Old testament (as a whole) set the context into which Jesus came.

I can't remember the location of this verse, but it applies here"

Jesus: "I did not come to abolish the Law, but to complete it.".

Answer 8

In the Old Testament, God selected the nation of Israel to be His "special" people. As such, they were to be "holy"—separate from the unbelieving nations around them and God's own possession. This was to be expressed by their obedience to the laws God gave them to direct their life as a nation. There were civil laws, ritual laws, and moral laws. By the time of Jesus, the Jews thought that the law was a way to earn salvation—something God had never intended. The Bible stresses, "Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith'" (Galatians 3:11).

The New Testament says that the Old Testament law was intended "to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). The ritual laws of sacrifice teach us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22) and point us to Jesus on the cross. The moral laws—those against lying, stealing, immorality, etc.—show us how far we fall short of God's will and how badly we need salvation as a free gift, earned by Jesus' death on the cross (Galatians 3:24).

Once we accept God's free gift of eternal life through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus, the moral law becomes a guide for how we live out our new life in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). The civil laws of Israel have passed away, since the church is not a nation. The ritual laws of sacrifice, priesthood, and temple have been fulfilled in Jesus, and are no longer applicable to the church (see the book of Hebrews). However, the basic moral law of the Old Testament is clearly reflected in the New Testament guidelines for the Christian life (e.g. Colossians, chapter 3) and is summarized by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40.

Many people feel they can win God's favor and have eternal life by following the old civil and ritual laws, and do enough good deeds so that they balance out their bad deeds. But this is a misunderstanding. You cannot save yourself—but Christ can, and He will as you commit your life to Him by faith.

Answer 9

Only for reference.

Old points to new.
Prophets and psalms.

The New Testament. OLAY.

So much there. Very deep and there is hidden manna.

What would you say if the pastors have not been teaching you correctly?

Answer 10

all scripture is important
God used Isreal in the OT to teach our need to follow Him.
The prophets prophesied and warned (including the coming Messiah and His payment for sin).
Need the OT to understand the NT.