The Old Testament Challenge?

Question

I have this book called the Old Testament Challenge and I'm having some problems with a lot of the things it says and asks. I don't know if it's just because I'm Catholic and not used to certain ideas or what but I'd like to know if anyone else is having this problem too.

I'm not having questions with Christianity or the Old Testament it's the darn book about the Old Testament. They ask these questions about what Job said and then fortify it with scripture from somewhere else that didn't have anything to do with what the guy was talking about. And they are saying that when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac that it forshadowed Jesus' death. (Which I find absurd)

And sometimes it even answers its own questions and I'm like what? Now how do I answer it?

Answer 1

specifically....?

edit: they used the New International Version - if you are using something else, it may create confusion in translation.

Answer 2

John Ortberg is an evangelical Presbyterian minister, a discipline somewhat out of traditional Catholic circles. But he is quite knowledgeable. Some of your difficullties may arise from the Evangelical approach to spirituality, but there is also likely a problem on the Catholic end.

For all its support of reading scripture in context, the Catholic church has a habit of breaking the Bible into isolated, Lectionary-sized moral lessons, ignoring the cultural subtexts and continuities. In many parts of the Hebrew scriptures, events flow into and out of other events. By cutting the connections between "scenes", Catholics lose the big picture and the sense of an ongoing relationship between the community and God, with highs and lows and other complexities.

As I said, there may be some theological issues with using a program from another faith tradition, but I'd say reserve judgment and listen. You might discover a question you need to ask your pastor, like "Why don't we do this?" or "Is this what this passage really means?" With some admirable exceptions, adult Catholic education is very haphazard. RCIA catechumens often understand their faith more than cradle Catholics. Hopefully new initiatives will help Catholics become more informed and serious about their faith.

Additional: Ideas like the sacrifice of Isaac foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus ("only son") are perfectly reasonable Christian (but not Jewish, of course) interpretations. The writers of the Bible (Old and New) used the same literary devices to make their points as other writers do. (Consider the story of Joseph, who receives messages from God in dreams and takes his family to Egypt for safety. Am I describing Jacob's son in Genesis or Jesus' father in Matthew?) The Bible is not an inert account of history but includes a very nuanced, Jewish cultural perspective that is not apparent to the casual reader. Ortberg may not always get his interpretation exactly "correct" from the Catholic viewpoint, but at least he exposes you to the ideas of relating things to each other. In actual fact, parts of the Bible DO expect the reader to be familiar with other parts in order to understand completely. It was not written all at once. Some of the "connections" people make are bogus (like "the Rapture"), so it's sometimes tricky to tell the difference, but you'll never get good at it without trying it out. What's important is consistency.

Answer 3

The Old Testament is the Law. The Law does not save people, it points out where and why they are wrong and in need of grace. I would start with that position.

If you have a specific issue, feel free to ask.

Answer 4

I did have once. The best thing you could ever do is stop reading only what you believe, and start believing what you read. Sounds like you're on the right road. Anytime you study Gods Word, you're going in the right direction.

Answer 5

Ten Commandments,
I would be glad to take a look at the questions with you. I am a Christian also but I may have a few answers that you have not found. In any case, I have no "problem" with it at this point.
Thanks,
Eds


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Answer 6

Have you read the Commandments section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Answer 7

I used too (catholic for 28 years). So I became atheist.

Answer 8

The problem you're having is due to the fact that the bible is a work of man, not some omnipotent, omniscient GAWD. The christian cult guide book is full of of contradictions and brutality.

You need to realize that "god" is nothing more than a nonsense word made up by man to explain away all of the things that we can't yet understand.

Answer 9

Could use some more detail.

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