Ignorance is not bliss
In interacting with various people from conservative type evangelical churches, I have found that our Christian culture does not focus on the Old Testament enough. In fact, I have talked to people who believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, but if you practice Judiaism today, you're in too.
So many things are misconstrued and read into, or plain ignored, and it's sad really because the Old Testament is a beautifully constructed book full of many theological truths that all Christians can benefit from. It seems that we have relegated the OT to the Sunday School classroom and people only know the basic stories of Creation, Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, David, Esther, Daniel, Jonah and a few others. Some people know a few Psalms and some Proverbs, or maybe a tale of a prophet or two, but no one "minor", and that's about it.
What does this do?
Well, for one it creates a Christian who does not appreciate the whole of God's revelation.
It also puts the Church further and further away from the context the OT was written in and it also puts the Church further and further away from the idea of Covenant and leads us to more individualistic interpretations.
It puts us further away from the proper way to understand prophesy.
It leads us open to liberal theology and source critics who seek to undermine the authority of the OT.
It puts us futher away from understanding the New Testament because we must realize that the NT was written in light of the OT and when the OT is ignored, we miss out.
It also can lead us to the "Old Testament God"-"New Testament God" paradox, which is unorthodox and not the way God reveals Himself in Holy Scripture.
We need to get back into the OT and study it with ferver because it is the Word of God and must be respected, not relegated to the back of our studies.
It's time to get the OT out of the Sunday School Room and into the Sanctuary.
Book of the day, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction by Gleason L Archer.
So many things are misconstrued and read into, or plain ignored, and it's sad really because the Old Testament is a beautifully constructed book full of many theological truths that all Christians can benefit from. It seems that we have relegated the OT to the Sunday School classroom and people only know the basic stories of Creation, Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, David, Esther, Daniel, Jonah and a few others. Some people know a few Psalms and some Proverbs, or maybe a tale of a prophet or two, but no one "minor", and that's about it.
What does this do?
Well, for one it creates a Christian who does not appreciate the whole of God's revelation.
It also puts the Church further and further away from the context the OT was written in and it also puts the Church further and further away from the idea of Covenant and leads us to more individualistic interpretations.
It puts us further away from the proper way to understand prophesy.
It leads us open to liberal theology and source critics who seek to undermine the authority of the OT.
It puts us futher away from understanding the New Testament because we must realize that the NT was written in light of the OT and when the OT is ignored, we miss out.
It also can lead us to the "Old Testament God"-"New Testament God" paradox, which is unorthodox and not the way God reveals Himself in Holy Scripture.
We need to get back into the OT and study it with ferver because it is the Word of God and must be respected, not relegated to the back of our studies.
It's time to get the OT out of the Sunday School Room and into the Sanctuary.
Book of the day, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction by Gleason L Archer.
posted by Bobby's blog at 1:17 PM
1 Comments:
Or else you will summon the she-bears and all those mocking you will be thorn into pieces?
Jokes aside, the OT is mostly a way of scaring people into submission, it had a purpose and that purpose was showing people what would happen to them if they didn't obey the lord. Look at Numbers, it is a lithany of all those that were smitten by the lords fiery hand. Now, if you are a Christian, how come you think that is so important? Wasn't Jesus message one of love? Wasn't is message one of free will? How often do you see modern-day-Sodoms destructions? Furthermore, how important is it to read the book through and through, unless people start acting a bit more like Jesus?
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