What is the relationship between the old testament and the new testament?

Question

Recently, I asked a question comparing the observance of 2 biblical commandments from the old testament (OT). Many of the answers I recieved suggested that laws from the OT could be overruled by laws from the new testament (NT). I got the impression that Christians believed that they must only follow the laws from the NT and not the OT.

Later, I looked at someone else's question and it was about creationism and evolution. Many of the responses to that question included references and quotations from Genesis, a book from the OT. This confused me because for my question, Christians said that the value of the OT had been diminished with the advent of the NT. However, when the evolution/creation question was asked, all of a sudden, the OT was intrepreted as a literally accurate scripture that must be followed at all costs.

So,...
What's the relationship between the OT & NT?
If the OT has a law not mentioned in the NT, must it be followed and vice-versa?

For the part about a law being in only one testament, I mean something like the dietary restrictions (laws about eating kosher food) mentioned only in the OT.

Also, what about the 10 commandments, which are in the OT? (I assume those are still followed.)

GMA Joan, I appreciate that you answered all aspects of the question, but I don't think that your response was accurate. You talk about the Jews (the people following Moses) and say that they were idol-worshippers. That's incorrect; they were monotheists. Second, you say that there were 630 laws plus the 10 commandments. Really, it's 613, including the 10 commandments.
Lastly, you discuss keeping major parts of the OT, but ignoring the minor rstrictions in the testament. If that's true, how does one distinguish between an important and a negligable commandment.

Answer 1

You'll never get a logical answer to this question. Christianity is a religion of faith, not science.

They use the Tanakh for legitimacy -- for the NT to be "true" the "Old" Testament must also be true. Some folks say that Christianity "supersedes" Judaism. That means they take out the parts they don't like and replace them with parts meant to foreshadow Jesus.
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Answer 2

The OT & NT go hand in hand- The OT was strong on the LAWS -- 10 commandments
The NT is Strong on LOVE- however no where does one do away with the other-
They only law done away with, were the Temple laws!! There was no need to sacrifice anymore once Jesus Christ (The Lamb of God) was crucified- many times Jesus says in the NT that we are to obey the Commandments & accept His Grace- to make it to heaven- not one or the other -- but both.

Answer 3

You've not actually read the Bible, have you?

You need to get to a Wednesday night Bible Study class at nearly any church, and a seminary-trained pastor can address these questions in about 10 minutes.

The question about OT dietary habits is addressed in the NT in several different places, for example.

Jesus talks about the 10 commandments (they are actually mentioned in two different sections of the OT, by the way.), in the NT, as well.

Jesus mentions Abraham and Noah and the NT mentions Moses, too.

Jesus quoted the Psalms (Jewish prayers) from the Tanoak (the Jewish version of the OT) and he quotes other sections of the OT.

So, what’s the connection between the OT and NT?

Without knowing, and understanding, major sections of the OT, then you wouldn’t know or understand major sections of the teaching of Jesus.

It’s like learning who your grandparents are to better understand who your parents are. You can know your parents without understanding who your grandparents are, but it certainly helps.

Answer 4

"What is the relationship between the old testament and the new testament?"

Testament mean covenant, an agreement or contract between God and Man it means here.
The covenant between God and Abraham, and then the covenant between God and Moses through Abraham promised Them several things: That Jehovah (YHWH) would be their God and they would be his "pecular people" set apart and given the responsibility to bless the rest of the world with the knowledge of God and His sovereignity, and as such they would be his servants and be obedient to His commands. Also that they would multiply as the sands of the sea and fill the earth, and that they would be given the inheritance of the Earth for now and for Eternity. The sign of this covenant was circumcision which "set apart" the covenant people and forbade intermarriage with the Canaanites.

Moses took an idol-worshiping people into the desert to teach them God's laws, and to prepare them for their responsibilty. They were given a set of "carnal commandments" to observe perfectly or they could literally get the punishment of death. This was to teach that no one could live the laws perfectly and man would die spiritually and physically. Along with this, a set of rites of sacrifice was given, where among others, a sacrifice was observed which involved the sacrifice of an unblemished, firstborn male lamb. This was in similitude of "the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world" And taught and indicated that it was only through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that man could be justified. The apostacy of the people of israel because of unrightousness made them forget the meanings behind the Laws of Moses, of which there were 630, along with the main ten commandments.

When Jesus Christ came, He announced that he was the God who gave the Law of Moses, and that law was finished in Him. The made another covenant with man which is the New Testament, which involved his sacrifice and death to redeem man from the Law Himself, and His resurrection to overcome death and hell. This was the great and last sacrifice. Then He gave a higher law which was more than a law of observances but involved what one thought in his heart was as important or more so than the old laws. For instance, the old law said "You shall not committ adultery." Jesus said "He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart." so in other words what we think is just as important as what we do. Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses instituting the law of Grace which is justification through his death on the Cross to all those who would accept that sacrifice. We follow the laws of the New Covenant which are but an extention of the Old ones. The new one is spelled out in Matthew 5 and 6, the Sermon on the mount.

" This confused me because for my question, Christians said that the value of the OT had been diminished with the advent of the NT. However, when the evolution/creation question was asked, all of a sudden, the OT was intrepreted as a literally accurate scripture that must be followed at all costs." The Old Testament is not completely done away with, but the covenants there of observances as the dietary laws and the law of sacrifice, and other obervances have been done away, but the basic commandments are actually not only valid but extended with the new Covenant It is not that the value of the Old Testament is diminished, it is FULFILLED and EXTENDED.


"For the part about a law being in only one testament, I mean something like the dietary restrictions (laws about eating kosher food) mentioned only in the OT" . Some of these laws were changed with the Organization of the New Testament Church. The Gentile converts were never required to live the dietary laws. So they were only required to refrain from blood and meat sacrificed to idols. The rest was kind of up to the person.

"Also, what about the 10 commandments, which are in the OT? (I assume those are still followed.)" This was explained above. These are not only in force but extended.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
This was a long and involved answer, and some of it is evidently misunderstood. I agree that I goofed on the exact number of commandments. The main thing I was pointing out was that most of the requirements concerning the commandments had been fulfilled, but the Ten commandments actually had been extended in Matt. 5 and 6. Also I did NOt mean to indicate that living the ten commandments would ever even save you, but that it is only through the New Covenant of Grace. But that as Christians we do follow Christ.

Also, the Israelites were, for the most part, idol worshipers when they lived in Egypt and had to be taught by Moses about God all over again. That was the reason Paul called the Law of Moses a "schoolmaster" or actually a "nanny."

Answer 5

The Old Testament was about God's law. He gave mankind laws to follow. Burnt offerings and so forth. If you look over the Old Testament it is full of laws and rituals that were needed for the people of that time. One was to drain all the blood from animals before eating them. They were considered unclean with the blood in them. We know now through science that draining the blood is a good thing in order to keep out disease. The ceremonial washing of the hands before eating. Again kept them healthy. Most of the Old Testament was to keep people healthy or preparing the way for Jesus. The priest would sacrifice a spotless lamb to atone for sin. Jesus was our spotless lamb, which washed away the sins of the world. The greatest link between the old and new is Christ Jesus. Everyone in the Old Testament looked forward to the coming messiah. He was revealed to us all in the New Testament. Praise be to God.

Answer 6

Whereby the Jews DO NOT accept the New Testament, the Christians use the Old Testament to 'cherry pick' answers to various questions. They say they follow the New Testament but there are so many contradictions, many are starting to doubt the validity of it.

Answer 7

You will get conflicting opinions on this, but, basically, most Christians throw out the rules of the OT and use what they like in the NT, then use the OT to condemn others.

Answer 8

the two are significant because of the fact it somewhat is the words of God. I even have discovered the old testomony to somewhat be a replica in many the right thank you to the recent testomony. And for particular in at present's international of Prophecy, for it somewhat is how all of us know that the return of Jesus' is quickly! See: Isaiah fifty two: a million-12. This replaced into Prophesied seven-hundred years formerly the delivery of Christ. and Luke: a million.

Answer 9

Not trying to be flip, but the NT is the new and improved word of God. Jesus came and taught the real truth. The message in the NT for the most part is more reliable than the OT.

Answer 10

The new testament was created to erase the THE LAW Tanakh (old testament) of G-d..


There was an apocrapha written about Yeshua (Jesus) "rescuing the 'old time religion' saints".. As if these people needed rescue from "the sleep of the dead"..