Is the OT really needed by Christians ?

Question

Romans 15:4

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Your thoughts ?

Answer 1

Romans 15:4 means--- The knowledge of the Scriptures affects our attitude toward the present and the future. The more we know about what God has done in years past, the greater the confidence we have about what he will do in the days ahead. We should read our Bibles diligently to increase our trust that God's will is best for us.

Hope this Helped   God Bless

Answer 2

Christians tend to refer to the OT when it goes along with their opinion on any subject.  When it differs from their opinion, they say things like "that was before JC so it doesn't pertain to us today."

Answer 3

I think so,  yes.  Because the themes of redemption and God's faithfulness are ever present, and the foreshadowing of Jesus' death and resurrection are present.  There is also the theme of God faithfully providing his chosen ones with protection, miracles, and whatever they need -- all of which culminates with Jesus.

There is a saying:  "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed."

At any rate -- the Old Testament is the story of God's people being called into a new way of living in relationship with him and one another, and that in itself is a wonderful thing to read about and ponder.

Answer 4

since Jesus said:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." Matthew 5:17,18

i think the OT is still important.

Answer 5

Yes it is. It's full of prophesies yet to be fulfilled in addition to the many that have already been fulfilled so accurately. We can understand Jesus more from the many recorded encounters with the pre-incarnate Christ (referred to as "the Angel of the Lord"). We can learn from the prayers, adoration, and fear of the Lord's great holiness found in the OT. We can be amazed at how lenient and merciful God was to a chosen nation that He should have just given up on after so much disobedience of Him.  

Answer 6

Yes.

The OT correlates with the NT. You'll have trouble understanding NT w/o OT.

Answer 7

The concepts in the New Testament were not derived out of thin air.  Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets."  What is mentioned in the New Testament is revealed in the Old Testament either clearly or in types and figures.  Gen. 22 is a great example of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Son in Typology represented by the sacrifice of Isaac.

     Some critics of Christianity state that Christianity borrowed its concepts from pagan sources like Mitrha, Osiris, Apollonius, etc.  Admittedly, there are similarities in some pagan religions with Christianity, but that does not mean Christian writers borrowed from them any more than similarities between Communism and Democracy mean one is from another.  Similarities abound in many religions.  Hinduism has moral statements similar to Christianity as does Taoism.  But they are unrelated to each other.

     There are, however, several reasons working against the idea that the people who wrote the New Testament copied ideas from pagan myths.  First of all, the writers of the New Testament were Jews.  As Jews they would have nothing to do with paganism in any form.  They knew specifically that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament which is why they followed Him. Second, the Old Testament has almost all the New Testament themes from which a devout Jew would refer when writing the New Testament.  Third, there is no proof at all that the New Testament writers borrowed from pagan sources and incorporated them into the New Testament.  It is up to the critics to supply reasonable evidence for this if they want to hold the position.  Just saying it happened doesn't mean anything.  Fourth, so what if there are similarities?  What does it prove?  If two writers in the same city both write similar articles about the President of the U.S., does it mean one used another's concepts?  Not at all.  Similarities happen all the time when dealing with similar subjects.  Besides, it makes sense that common themes would be around an area at the same time in history when all nations served various gods.  Undoubtedly, some similarities will occur, but that doesn't mean one was borrowed from another.  Finally, there is another possibility worth examining.  The concepts of redemption, the incarnation, resurrection, etc., are prophesied in the Old Testament and these documents were around for hundreds and hundreds of years.  It is quite possible that if any borrowing was done, it was done by the pagans who incorporated Old Testament concepts since these documents existed prior to many of these pagan myths.

      Nevertheless, following is a chart that exemplifies many of the themes that were revealed in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New.  It is easy to see that there is no need at all for the Christians to borrow from any source outside the Old Testament.

Answer 8

It is the Word of God. We just need to remember that we are under the new covenant

Answer 9

OT is as important as the NT.  Liberals reject it when they reject the law of God, the Ten Commandments.  God told us to remember the Sabbath.  He knew we'd forget.  

Answer 10

Yes?

Ole!

Answer 11

Yes`

Answer 12

Yes. I agree. It is the word of God. We learn things from the OT that we don't learn from the NT. It's history, it shows God's nature. Without the OT... how would we know about Adam and Eve really?

The scriptures still speak to us today. We can use their teachings to apply into our own lives today.  

Answer 13

Only in the sense that it prophesies the coming messiah, Jesus Christ.  It shows us how killing it is to live under law when we are sinners.  Thank God we have been born again by the Spirit and are no longer under the old testament law.

Answer 14

The OT gives you the whole picture and a better understanding. But I try to live my life by the NT.  

Answer 15

We can lean how God dealt with Nation of Israel under the Law and we can be thankful that we today we are not under the law but under grace. The Lord Jesus Christ came to the Nation of Israel to offer them the kingdom but they rejected their King and had Him killed. When they did that He died for the sins of the world and all that would believe would have a place in God's heaven. 1 Corinthians 10: 11 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.

Today we serve a risen Lord and we have been given a doctrine that the Lord Jesus Christ did it all for us. 2 Corinthians 5: 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Answer 16

No... Christians need the OT just as Jews need the I-Ching.  

Answer 17

Yes, it is the Scripture Jesus was referring to. Jesus promised the New Testament and  the new covenant

Answer 18

That is true.

Answer 19

umm this passage is referring to the OT. we absolutely need the OT. what would happen to the law? if we completely removed the OT there would be no law to abide by. We would have no Psalms which are a great source of praise, and we could throw prophesy out the window. the OT is absolutely necessary.

Answer 20

yes Jesus said "Mat 5:17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. "

Answer 21

Christians absolutely need the Old Testament (as does everyone).  The New Testament is based on the Old.  If Christians only study Christ's words, they will be blissfully unaware of what His meaning was.  Many of Christ's very words are quotes from the Old Testament and thus have a completely different meaning than if one were to read them out of context and without reference.

Answer 22

ALL scripture is given for your understanding.  That is your foundation.

Answer 23

  In the book of Luke chapter 24:44-45 we see where Jesus was speaking of the Old Testament.   "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.

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,"

We as Christians need to know that things were prophesied in the OT and found their fulfillment in the NT.

I find it amazing that so many non-Christians keep saying "Well those prophesies don't mean a thing because they could have been written after the fact but that wasn't possible because the Jews of Jesus time already had the completed OT. It had been put together several hundred years before and was being taught in the temple and the synagogues.

Any prophecy in the OT was written well before the time of Christ.

We Christians use the OT as a history book both of the Jews and of mankind. We also use the OT as a praise and worship medium (Psalms) and also as a book of wisdom. (Proverbs) The OT is important to us for many reasons.

Answer 24

No. Christians only need, "Love one another" out of the NT. Maybe if it was short and sweet they might actually get it right.

Answer 25

the N.T. explains what the O.T. contains. YES.  

Answer 26

The OT scripture is there as Rom 15 says b/c we are encouraged by the way God provided for His people back then.

The OT is a wonderful account of who God really is - His character - His love - His almighty power. I love reading the OT and especially God's love for Abraham and how God called Ab His friend. I love how the prophets foretold the birth of Christ as Savior Redeemer of all mankind  all the way through the OT.

The only thing we don't have to do is live by the laws of the OT -- Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the law b/c it wasn't possible for either Jew or gentile to do so -- this is where Christ made way for a new covenant - so we could be reconciled with God and be grafted into the vine and all those who believe in Him will live with Him in eternity.

So although we don't live by OT laws, with  OT and NT  together we have completeness...

Shalom

Answer 27

Yes. The OT has many lessons in it.  One of the biggest ones for me was wandering around in the desert for 40 years.  Round and around. For me, that can happen today.  When trouble comes my way, the way I react and what I do will determine how many laps I will make.  

Answer 28

Yes it is.

It would be most difficult to condemn homosexuals on Paul's word, alone.