Since we are under the New Covenant as instituted by Christ, is the reading and meditating on the New testament sufficient for one's growth in Christ? Does one need to read the Old Testament to grow spiritually? No debates please just some honest answers.
Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16
ALL SCRIPTURE is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (emphasis added)
I've always assumed he was speaking of what we refer to as the Old Testament.
Yes, Old and New. It is all God's Word to us.
Apostles only had the Old at the time.
The entire Old Testament points to Christ... I hear Art Azurdia preach a couple months ago and one of his sermons was all about this.
You can certainly grow from meditating on the NT, but solid well rounded study will involve the OT as well.
Krispy
Since we are under the New Covenant as instituted by Christ, is the reading and meditating on the New testament sufficient for one's growth in Christ? Does one need to read the Old Testament to grow spiritually?
I think it is significant that you mentioned growth because the whole Bible is aimed at the perfecting and maturing of saints until we come to the full expression of Christ as His Body. It would be a big mistake to neglect any part of God's Word that would be useful in that maturing process.
Remember on the Emmaus Road how Christ expounded the Scriptures concerning Himself. This clearly shows us that the Old Testament is a book of preparation and anticipation, it is not a complete picture but we miss out on valuable preparation if we neglect it.
G. Campbell Morgan said that the Old Testament could be divided into three main categories; a sigh for a priest, a cry for a king, and a quest for a prophet. The New Testament opens all that up in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ but we would miss out on much understanding if we didn't read the Old Testament.
From the creation account, to the patriarchs, to the thundering of the Law, to the beautiful poetry and wisdom, to the mysteries of the prophets, God spoke in many and various ways, yet we know it is incomplete, intended to ready us for the Glorious One. So why bother with the Old Testament? Because it is an inescapable imperative to understanding the fulness of the New Testament, it fully prepares the heart.
Every farmer knows that seed sown will never take root unless there has been adequate preparation of the ground.
In Christ,
Ron
Since Christianity is all about Jesus Christ, it is a must that we read both the Old and the New Testaments.
Luke 24
"44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:"
Christ thru His Holy Spirit will cause us to read and understand the scriptures (usually refers to the Old Testament).
They are our inheritance from Christ. I don't want to miss them myself.
May God give us grace to read and understand them in order to know more of Jesus.
I would Luke to thank those who have taken he time to respond to my question. I have read your answers carefully and see I need to get more into the O. T. Again thank you for your thoughts.
Since we are under the New Covenant as instituted by Christ, is the reading and meditating on the New testament sufficient for one's growth in Christ? Does one need to read the Old Testament to grow spiritually? No debates please just some honest answers.
I have often wondered some of the same things. And agree with what some of the others are saying. Lately I find myself reading the OT more than the NT and wonder if this is wrong or not. Though I so enjoy the OT. It is rich. I have always heard it said, "there is a reason that 2/3 of the Bible is the OT."
And also reading the OT, has made me so the more thankful for Christ in the New Testament. And our now New Testament living. How glorious and triumphant is our salvation because of Him.
Since we are under the New Covenant as instituted by Christ, is the reading and meditating on the New testament sufficient for one's growth in Christ? Does one need to read the Old Testament to grow spiritually? No debates please just some honest answers.
I think it is vital the Evangelical world immerses themselves in the Old Testament Scriptures to gain the Fear of the Lord.
Hands down yes!
Jesus and his disciples used old testament examples. Jesus also said that he did not come to destroy the law (meaning the old testament) but to fulfill it.
There are so many golden nuggets in the New testament, but there are more diamonds in the Old.
A vast majority of what I have learned about the nature and character of God comes from the Old Testament. If you want to get to know God. The Old Testament is a school house. The New Testament is the Old Testaments crescendo. If you were to just listen to the crescendo of a great piece of music, it might sound good, but it sounds way better if you heard what built up to it.
Hebrews 1:1-4 are a great commentary on this.
no debate neccesary or of any utility.
parable: though it be dark now, 20 yards in front of me is a beautiful mature white oak. From the crown of this oak, comes mast, acorns, which is food for deers, and other animals, who derive nourishment from such.
i've decided that since only the crown yields nourishment, so i saw the oak in half, dig a hole, and set it in the ground, hoping it will continue to yield mast, acorns.
such is the suggestion to cut the crown from the roots, both die and yield no fruit.
in Jesus' love, neil
Yes, OT is instructive, especially for comparison of Covenants.
If this is an OT promise, what should NT be, with Jesus.
Selah!!
Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
WHY SHOULD WE STUDY THE OLD TESTAMENT?
BY SCOTT CRAWFORD
A serious study of the the Old Testament is a great blessing! It is important to take truths discovered in the Old Testament and showing how they relate to the New Testament and our lives. The Old was written to provide light on the New and vice versa. It is critical that we, as growing Christians , have a deeper knowledge of the Old Testament. Jesus said in John 5:46-47 “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” Also notice what He said in Luke 24:25-27 “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” The New Testament actually uses the name “Moses” 80 times and quotes the writings of Moses hundreds of times. The Old Testament prophets are also quoted hundreds of times in the New Testament. Thus, the main reason we are studying the Old Testament is to understand more about our blessed Savior and be conformed to His image.
The Old Testament is the Word of God! It was written by and given to the Israelites (Rom 9:4) but it is written for our admonition and learning. Romans 15:4 says “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” From this verse we see a study of the Old Testament can produce “hope” in us if we patiently allow the Lord to work through the scriptures in our lives. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Hope comes by studying the Word and allowing the Spirit of God to work through His Word to transform us to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2).
The Old Testament provides real life examples of how to live our Christian life! First Corinthians chapter 10 has been called the doorway into the Old Testament. Notice what Paul says in the first 6 verses“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” Paul is relating truths from the books of Exodus and Numbers that tell us we have much to learn from the ancient Israelites. Thus, we have many examples in the Old Testament, positive and negative, that will allow us to develop wisdom in our walk with Christ.
The Old Testament reveals all the various facets of the person and work of Christ! For example, the tabernacle in the wilderness described in chapters 25-40 of the book of Exodus foreshadows Christ. The brass altar points to the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the sin of the world. The brass laver (wash basin) points to separation from the world and daily cleansing we need as believers. The table of showbread represents fellowship with Christ, the bread of life. The golden candlestick depicts walking in the light as He is in the light. The altar of incense symbolizes a life of communion through prayer. Entrance into the holy of holies represents a spirit-filled life that is in close fellowship with the Lord. Perfect peace and rest for the believer are found at the blood-sprinkled mercy seat under the wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies. Even the materials, measurements, and colors that describe the tabernacle point to the person and work of Christ. Gold represents Deity, silver symbolizes redemption, and brass denotes judgment. The color blue illustrates the heavenly nature of Christ while scarlet represents His judgment and purple portrays Christ’s royalty. The pictures or types in the Old Testament are many times very vivid and help us see and understand our Savior much more clearly!
The Old Testament was written to foreshadow Jesus! Hebrews 10:1 says “For the law having a shadow of good things to come…”. We must remember the Old Testament was written to show us Jesus. Jesus is the Person of the Bible! He is the focal point of the “good things to come”. In Genesis, Jesus is Creator, seed of the woman, and a lamb provided; Exodus-Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Passover, the Rock; Leviticus-Jesus is the High Priest typified; Numbers- Jesus is the Star out of Jacob; Deuteronomy-Jesus is the Prophet like unto Moses… Ruth-Jesus is the Kinsman Redeemer… Psalms-Jesus is the Shepard; Proverbs-Jesus is Wisdom… Isaiah-Jesus is the Suffering Servant and Glorified Savior; Jeremiah-Jesus is the LORD our Righteousness… And on it goes in the Old Testament. God has abundantly shown us His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, throughout all of His Word!
The Old Testament was actually written for the Church! According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Have you thought about the significance of this statement? Paul says the Old Testament was written for our admonition or warning! God so cares about our success in the Christian walk that he has given us numerous examples or types from which to glean. He preserved His Word for us so we can stand in an evil day and not fall out of fellowship with Him. The church is so special to God that He has blessed us with the entirety of His revealed will for man, the Old and New Testaments! Israel did not have this privilege! The church is the most privileged generation of men and women to ever live on planet earth! However, where much is given much is required.
God does not want us to be ignorant of His Word but full of wisdom and knowledge! Notice Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers Ephesians 1:15-19“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,”.
Dear saints thank you for your wonderful posts. Your rich thoughts have shown me the wonder of the O.T. I look forward to discover its rich treasure.
Does one need to read the Old Testament to grow spiritually?
Yes, sir!
The OT helps one to understand the new.
I used to find the epistles difficult, redundant and boring. Then one day - and I am sure this was prompted by the Holy Spirit - I observed that these writers were Jews and they were writing from that perspective....so, since this is the case, I needed to get into the OT law, study it so I can understand a Jew's mindset. Now this made for a fascinating study. I promise. When I did that, the New Testament opened up like nothing else could. Today, I am partial to the OT prophets, but then maybe next month I will change my mind and say something else. In any case it is so illuminating, it teaches one so much about the character of God, human nature and how humans respond to God.
A study of the OT can grab you so that you will not have much time or interest to study contemporary writer's works!
When Jesus came He did not do away with God His Father, did He? To me, brother, it's not just all about Jesus now, the New Covenant is about the Holy Spirit (God's Spirit) living in us making us more like Christ.
Who was that fourth man in the fire? who revealed Haman to the King? Who held the sun till the battle was won? Who revealed in Habbukkak that he was raising up the Babylonians? (And who is now raising up the Muslims?)
The Old Testament is full of God's nuggets!!
To God be all the glory!!!
Sister Lisa
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