Old Testament or New?

Sadly, some ignore the Hebrew Scriptures aka old testament because they believe that the God portrayed therein is a cruel deity who destroyed his enemies without mercy.* Let us consider what the old testamemt and the Greek Scriptures aka the new testament themselves tell us about the Author of the Bible.

According to the old testament, God told the nation of Israel: “I am Jehovah; I have not changed.” (Malachi 3:6) Why, then, does it seem to some that the God revealed in the old testament is different from the God of the new testament?The answer is that different aspects of God’s personality are revealed in different parts of the Bible. In the book of Genesis alone, he is described as feeling “hurt at his heart,” as the “Producer of heaven and earth,” and as “the Judge of all the earth.” (Genesis 6:6; 14:22; 18:25) Do these differing descriptions refer to the same God? They certainly do.To illustrate: A local judge may be best known by those who have faced him in court as a firm enforcer of the law. His children, on the other hand, may view him as the loving, generous father that he is. His close friends may find that he is an approachable man with a good sense of humor. The judge, the father, and the friend are all the same person. It is just that various aspects of his personality become apparent under different circumstances.Similarly, the Hebrew Scriptures describe Jehovah as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.” Yet, we also learn that “by no means will he give exemption from punishment.” (Exodus 34:6, 7) But he remains the same God. Jesus stated: “Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.”—Mark 12:29.

Has the old testament Been Replaced by the new testament? No.If Jesus had intended that the record of his ministry and the writings of his disciples replace the old testament, he would surely have indicated this. However, regarding Jesus just before his ascension to heaven, Luke’s account states: “Commencing at Moses and all the Prophets [in the Hebrew Scriptures] he interpreted to [two of his disciples] things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures.” Later, Jesus appeared to his faithful apostles and others. The account continues: “He now said to them: ‘These are my words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all the things written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and Psalms about me must be fulfilled.’” (Luke 24:27, 44) Why would Jesus still be using the Hebrew Scriptures at the end of his earthly ministry if they were out-of-date?After the Christian congregation was established, Jesus’ followers continued to use the Hebrew Scriptures to highlight prophecies that were yet to be fulfilled, principles from the Mosaic Law that taught valuable lessons, and accounts of ancient servants of God whose fine examples encourage Christians to remain faithful. (Acts 2:16-21; 1 Corinthians 9:9, 10; Hebrews 11:1–12:1) “All Scripture,” wrote the apostle Paul, “is inspired of God and beneficial.”* (2 Timothy 3:16) How do the Hebrew Scriptures prove to be beneficial today?

Hope for the Future

The entire Bible has but one theme: The Kingdom under Jesus Christ is the means by which the vindication of God’s sovereignty and the sanctification of His name will be accomplished.—Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15.Through the Hebrew Scriptures, we learn details about life under God’s Kingdom that give us comfort and draw us closer to the Source of that comfort, Jehovah God. For example, the prophet Isaiah foretold that there would be peace between animals and humans: “The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them.” (Isaiah 11:6-8) What a beautiful prospect!And what of those disadvantaged by racial or ethnic prejudice, serious illness, or economic factors beyond their control? The Hebrew Scriptures prophetically say this about Christ Jesus: “He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save.” (Psalm 72:12, 13) Such promises are practical because they enable those who put faith in them to face the future with hope and confidence.—Hebrews 11:6.No wonder that the apostle Paul was inspired to write: “Allthe things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope”! (Romans 15:4) Yes, the Hebrew Scriptures are still an integral part of God’s inspired Word, the Bible. 

To genuine Christians, the entire Bible is the word of God. The Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament), based on the foundation laid by the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), are a logical extension of God’s Word brought about by the gradual unfolding of God’s purposes. They in no way diminish the value of the Hebrew Scriptures. As a matter of fact, the Christian Greek Scripture writers directly referred to texts in the Hebrew Scriptures some 320 times and indirectly another several hundred times.

People who thoroughly understand and get the sense of the Bible, know that the God (Jehovah) of the Hebrew Scriptures is the same God of the Christian Greek Scriptures. The many titles he has, such as: “the Almighty," “King of eternity," "Father," "Grand Instructor..." etc., represent the many roles he takes on to fulfill his purposes. Since the Old Testament is the backdrop for the New Testament, in essence, true Christians follow both.

We, as Christians, do not ignore the Old Testament. Obviously, we can't learn about our religion without it. Jesus himself clearly states in Matthew 5 that he did not come to abolish the law. However, Christianity obviously wasn't founded until Jesus showed up in the NT. The New Testament is just a better reflection of our religion, which is faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. If we were supposed to ignore the Old Testament, it wouldn't be in the *Christian* Bible.

They describe two different covenants of God with his human souls. You cannot understand one without the other. Think of them aa parts 1&2 of God's plan of salvation.

Um yes. Two almost totally different books. Explain anyone and I'll listen?

we cannot have one without the other, they support each other so...