Importance of OT to Christians

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What does the OT mean to us as Christians? Is it relevant to us other than a historical background to Christianity? A reference so we can see how Jesus changed things.

And is it fair for athiests to condemn 'the God of the old testament'? They claim God was once jealous and vengeful and murderous as opposed to the 'God' of the new testament.

-- Jacob R. (jacobrainey@hotmail.com), April 17, 2004

Answers

What does the OT mean to us as Christians? Is it relevant to us other than a historical background to Christianity? A reference so we can see how Jesus changed things.

The Old testement is Important for many reaos. yes, for the historical background it is important. We need to know into what world Jesus was Born, and how the events of the earlwir days lead to his meassage.

Likewise, all the Prophecies that confirm him as the Messiah are in the Old testement.

Likewise, the Old testement actually has soem profound wisdom in it. Form the tales of David and how he sinned,a nd cmae ot repentence, to the story of Abraham and his strong faith and struggles.

Likewise, the Psalms, the proverbs, the Book of eccelesiasties, collectivley refered to as the wisdom Liturature, contains profound insights into humanity, God, and the relationships between the two, as well as addressing various states in which we find ourselves, and have served as Inspiration, or reflection, even t the Unbeleivers.

The Old testement is important for the hisotry, the Prophecies, and for the Philosphetical staements it possesses.

And is it fair for athiests to condemn 'the God of the old testament'? They claim God was once jealous and vengeful and murderous as opposed to the 'God' of the new testament.

Not really, no. The "Vengful Old tesement" God is actually loving and merciful. Their relaly is no difference between how God acts in the Old testement and the New. Atheists tend to warp things out of proportion in the Old testement though, like if God orders a ar for the peservaiton of ISrael, the Atheist will say ":See, he Ordered a war, hes a warmonger!"

Gid did what he had to do in the Old testement, and was far more merciful and just than is given credit for.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), April 17, 2004.


Hey,

The OT is CRUCIAL to understanding the History of God's People! Never ever get that out of your head. Remember what St. Augustine said, "The New Testament is latent in the Old; the Old Testament becomes patent in the New." It is also important to read the whole NT, not the cut version that Protestants have. Why? Because Purgatory, Intercession of the Saints, and Praying for the Dead are indisputable....shows why Luther took them as well as NT books out.

As far as Atheists are concerned, think of this quote from G.K. Chesterton:

"If there were no God, there would be no Atheists". God bless

(P.S. For Atheists, refer them to Aristotle's Proof of God's Existence, and St. Thomas Aquinas' ratification on this with Catholicism....both completely reveal the Truth that is written in all mens hearts)

-- Andrew Staupe (stau0085@umn.edu), April 17, 2004.


Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. As Catholics, we can't take a fundamentalist approach to every passage in the old and new testament, we view it in the context in which it was written.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant between God and his people. It would be hard to know or hard to understand what Jesus means to us in our time, if we didn't have the background and history of the Old Testament to lay the groundwork to what he gave us.

-- Leon (pookieboy@hotmail.com), April 18, 2004.


Leon,

Right on brother

-- Andrew Staupe (stau0085@umn.edu), April 18, 2004.


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