Subject: Why the Old and New Testament? |
Bible Note: The moral codes are never called "lifeless" in the New Testament. What is said is that the law could never impart life (Galatians 3:21). That is something very different from saying that God's unchanging moral standard itself is lifeless. You need to be clear about what you mean when you start talking about the New Testament itself being "infinitely more glorious" than the Old Testament. Both the OT and the NT text are completely and totally inspired by God, and the OT is quoted extensively in the NT as well, testifying clearly that it is not a bunch of "dead" books. We owe most of our understanding of God's standard of righteousness from the text of the Old Testament, and it is the Old Testament which reveals the coming Messiah who will save His people. The OT intimidating? Parts of it, and intentionally so. We all should be intimidated in a certain sense when we apprehend the absolute majesty, power, and holiness of Almighty God. But depressing? That would mean that all of the Jews prior to the Incarnation had a pretty depressing existence. What is so depressing about the Psalms? The only thing depressing about the Old Testament is seeing the constant failure of humanity to meet the good and right will of God. there is nothing about God's character itself that should invite depression in the believer. The fact is that while the new covenant is much more superior than the old in that the first results in our condemnation and the second results in our salvation, both covenants are good covenants from a good God. It is the other party which messed things up in the first covenant. --Joe! |