Do you think it's important to only know the New Testament?

Question

According to my newly church going in-laws they say that it is only important to read the New Testament because it's what God really wants us to know and this is what there non demoninational speaking in tounges church teaches them. Personally I think it's important to know the whole Bible.

Answer 1

While it is important for Christians to focus on the teaching of the New Testament, as they are the basis from Christianity, I think you are correct in saying that we must study both Testaments.

The Old Testament tells the history of the pre-Christian church. Without the Old Testamnet, we don't know WHY we need the Messiah. The Old Testament is the history and back story to set up the New Testament. The Old Testament tells us what the people of Jesus' time believed, as well as the prophecies that were fulfilled when the Messaih came.

While the New Testament is the foundation for Christianity, we must study both. Without the Old Testament, the New Testament doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Answer 2

The Book of Genesis is foundational to the NT as are many others---how can a person feel a need for a Savior without knowing the original sin, the punishment for it and the plan for salvation? Or that Jesus is the Creator of the universe and the Word of God? Or the prophecies He fulfilled? The Bible must be taken as a whole work and true Word of God --- not just parts of it.

Answer 3

You're right, it's called the Holy Bible...for a reason...without the Old you don't understand why there is a New.

The Old Testament is very important. Christ didn't teach any new Laws, or Commandments...He clarified the original ones. He fulfilled the Law, which we are given in the Old testament.

It is always beneficial to understand why things are the way they are...the Old Testament demonstrates God's relationship with us from the beginning of His creation. It is "all" scripture. None of it is to be ignored or taken away.

Answer 4

What about the prophecys that have not been fulfilled?
Daniel 2:44 tells about the end of the world.
god's kingdom being set up on the earth.
Isaiah 65:17 thru the end of the chapter. Do we see the lion lying down with the lamb? These as well as many others are all future prophecys.
Psalms 37:9,10,11, 12,29 These are all good scriptures to read about the future for the earth.
Most religions today do not give any future for the earth except burning up. Yet the bible doesn't say it is going to burn up. It says, The earth abidith forever.

Answer 5

Not according to it... Paul makes this clear in Romans 15:4 -- "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They cheer us up and give us hope."

Following the "law" of the Old Testament is NOT what saves us, but there are many great things recorded in those books that serve to build us up and help us... Here are some excerpts from Colossians 2:14, 16, & 21 "He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross… No one can be made right with God by obeying the law.... What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!" One could easily misunderstand this and erroneously conclude that the OT is meaningless, though that was clearly not Paul's intent.

Look at the 11th chapter of Hebrews. It lists the "champions of faith" from the Old Testament, but is virtually meaningless to someone who is not familiar with the lives of those people.

Answer 6

Romans 5 and 6 mentions the law quite a bit. I wonder why Paul brought up that he delights in the law, if it "doesn't matter?"

Since tithe is a OT commandment, hopefully your church doesn't accept these offerings.

As far as tongues, it is speaking to God directly (1 Cor. 14:2) The Holy Spirit is the teacher for the contents of the Bible.
If the OT was "over," then the composers should have never included it in the Bible.
Not sure of your church's teachings...

Answer 7

There is a reason that the whole bible exists as is. The key is get the spiritual meaning out of the text, and not just read it in a literal sense, for if it is taken literally, then nothing makes sense, starting with man being created a second time in Genesis.

Answer 8

Yes, your are right.

The New Testament is fullfillment of the Old Testament.

How can anyone really understand history or anything unless they start at the beginning?

There is an old coventant (promise from God) and a new covenant. The new covenant is that Jesus Christ died for those who believe. John 3 16.

The Old Testament talked about His coming.

I thought a Christian would like to know everything about Jesus.

I do.

Answer 9

Yes it its important to know All of the Bible (i believe only in the 1611 KJV and highly recommend it) The New Testament deals with life after the cross and how we are supposed to live today but the Old Testament also has a lot of laws and real life people that went throught trials that we can learn from their experiences.

Answer 10

The beauty of the flower is seen in the new but the root or foundation is in the old. Take Hebrews. It is very difficult to grasp the meaning without knowing the OT and the writer assumes as much. Also Revelation has a lot of OT imagery that seems so hard to comprehend without the OT.
One other thought is that Jesus Himself used it and said that all of it speaks about Him. If we love Jesus would we not love the Book of His love to us? The Old Testament is like having a picture of Jesus and while we have the Real Him in the New we still love the pictures of our loved ones.

John 5:39
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.