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You can discover little by reading the Old Testament casually or superficially. To really find anything useful in it, you must read in context and with cross-reference to other books of the Old Testament. If you are really serious, you need to seek guidance in publications by theologians or biblical scholars. The essential difference between a theologian and a scholar is that the role of the former is to defend religion and the role of the latter is to seek the truth in religious texts, although it is indeed possible to be both a theologian and a scholar.
By reading the Old Testament, it is possible to learn about the history of the Jewish people, as they understood it to be.
By reading the Old Testament, it is possible to discover the ways of God. If you so choose, you can also discover that the ways of God differed from author to author, even within the same book if it had multiple authors, leaving you to form a view as to the authenticity of the various accounts.
By reading the Old Testament, it is possible to discover the original meaning of passages often believed to foreshadow or prophesy the life of Jesus, and therefore arrive at an informed view as to the extent of prophecy involved.
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∙ 8y ago
Reading the Old Testament can provide insights into ancient Jewish history, culture, laws, and religious beliefs. It contains stories of creation, the patriarchs, the Exodus, the kings of Israel, and the prophets. The Old Testament also lays the foundation for the Judeo-Christian faith and provides moral teachings and guidance for believers.
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∙ 8y agoThe Hebrew Bible tells the history of the ancient Israelites, as well as giving the teachings of such prophets as Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah, the stories of kings like David and Saul, and the ethics and beliefs of the Jewish religion.Tradition states that the Hebrew Bible is from God (Exodus 24:12), serving to provide knowledge, guidance, inspiration, awe and reverence, advice, law, comfort, history and more. It is the basis of Judaism.
It provides optimism and comfort through the prophecies of redemption, inspires us to strive for holiness, and informs us how to pray and to approach God's presence.
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∙ 8y agoOne must realize that the only 'Scripture' written at the time of Christ was the Old Testament. These scrolls served the Jewish communities and guided their entire society with a structured history and law. God's promises and prophecies are mostly found in these writings.
Many today consider the Old Testament - old and obsolete or worn out - and therefore has been replaced by the New Testament. Realize that the word 'testament' is also the word for 'covenant.' So one can think of it as the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. If one went back 2000 years ago and asked any of the Apostles about the Old or New Testament, they wouldn't have any idea what you were talking about. These terms are coined by men long after the biblical books were written.
Most of The Bible consist of the Old Testament, with the vast majority of God's word in the Hebrew Scriptures - nearly 80% of the 773,000 words. Indeed, the New Testament has over 600 quotations from and references or allusions to the Old Testament - Jesus and Paul most often.
So there is a wealth of knowledge/information one may glean from a reading of the Old Testament as it contains over 3/4ths of God's inscripturated revelation with a massive amount of biblical teachings. Disregarding or not reading the Old Testament will leave the reader with an imbalanced view of the word of God.
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Is job in the Old Testament or new testament?
The book of Job can be found in the Old Testament.
Is the last book of old testament is Zechariah?
No, the last book of the Old Testament is Malachi. Zechariah is the second to last book in the Old Testament.
Is wisdom in the Old Testament or the New Testament?
Wisdom is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible. In the Old Testament, books like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job contain teachings on wisdom. In the New Testament, wisdom is also discussed in passages such as James 3:13-18.
What is the abbreviation for Old Testament?
The abbreviation for Old Testament is OT.
What links the old and New Testament?
The Old Testament laid the foundation for the coming of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The New Testament fulfills the prophecies and promises made in the Old Testament, showing how they are interconnected and part of the overarching narrative of God's plan for humanity. Jesus himself often referenced the Old Testament scriptures to demonstrate how they foretold his arrival and mission.
What can we discover from reading the old testament?
Which events happened in what order
What are the disadvantages of only reading the Old Testament?
This question can be understood in terms of reading only the Old Testament but not the New Testament, or in terms of reading only the Old Testament but nothing else that could contradict or challenge the stories and traditions portrayed in the Old Testament. For a Jew, there is no particular disadvantage in reading the Old Testament but not the New Testament, as the New Testament is not relevant to his religion. For a Christian, the disadvantage is that the books most important to his faith are in the New Testament. Anyone reading only the Old Testament and not what is now known about the history of the times and biblical scholarship on the Old Testament, the disadvantage is that the reader must take everything literally and can not have an informed view as to how literally the Old Testament should be read.
Does reading from the Old Testament come before the New Testament in a Mass?
Yes, the readings usually follow the plan: Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament (Epistle or other non-Gospel reading), Alleluia verse, Gospel in a Sunday Mass. The Second reading is omitted during the week, and the first reading may be from either the Old Testament or the New Testament.
Where does the first reading have to come from?
Usually the Old Testament.
What part of the Bible is the second reading from?
Old Testament
Why first reading is chosen from the Old Testament?
The first reading in Catholic and many Protestant churches is traditionally chosen from the Old Testament to tell of God's promises and his preparation of his people for the coming of the Messiah (his Son).The Old Testament reading harmonizes with the Gospel reading and reveals the continuity between Israel and Jesus who comes not to replace,but to fulfill the scripture.
What part of the bible is the second reading taken from?
old testament
What part of the Bible does the first reading come from?
The Old Testament
the old and new testament?
I prefer the new testament, I enjoy reading the gospels
What is the first reading in a Mass?
The first reading is usually from the Old Testament or from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Season.
Which books of the Bible do we have reading from during Sunday mass?
During a Sunday service or a Sunday mass, any reading can be taken from the books in the bible, from the book of Genesis to the book of revelation.And usually the sermon is based on these readings.
Where does the First reading in a Catholic mass come from?
In the Catholic Church, there are two different cycles of readings, one for Sunday Masses (allowing the Church to read nearly the entire Bible in three years on Sundays) and one for weekday Masses (which covers the same amount of the Bible in two years). It is important to remember that Sunday Masses have three readings while weekday Masses have two. During Sunday Masses, the first reading usually comes from the Old Testament, with rare exceptions including the Sundays of the Easter Season, when the first readings come from the Book of Acts. Also, during Advent, the first reading comes from the book of Revelation on Sundays. During weekday Masses, the first reading comes from either the Old or New Testament.
