In a world filled with fast answers and quick summaries, many Christians find themselves asking: Why should we study the Old Testament? Isn’t the New Testament enough? After all, that’s where we read about Jesus, grace, salvation, and the early Church.
But to ignore the Old Testament is to misunderstand the Bible’s full
message. The Old Testament is not outdated, irrelevant, or inferior. In fact,
it lays the very foundation for everything we believe as followers of
Christ. It points to Jesus, reveals God’s character, and equips us for the kind
of faith that endures.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- Why Christians read the Old
Testament
- What Jesus taught about it
- Whether we should take it
literally
- And 10 powerful reasons
why it’s still essential for believers today.
Why Do Christians
Read the Old Testament?
Christians read the Old Testament because it is the first part of
God’s inspired Word. It tells the story of creation, the fall of man, God’s
covenant with Israel, and the unfolding of His redemptive plan.
Everything that happens in the New Testament builds on the themes,
prophecies, and promises of the Old Testament. Without it, we wouldn’t
understand:
- Why we need a Savior
- What sin is
- How God deals with His people
- The purpose of the law
- The meaning of sacrifice
- The hope of a coming Messiah
Christians don’t read the Old Testament out of obligation. We read it to know
God more deeply.
Why Should
Christians Follow the Old Testament?
While believers are no longer under the Mosaic Law in the same way Israel
was, the Old Testament still holds spiritual, moral, and prophetic authority.
Jesus Himself said He didn’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
This means He completed its purpose, not that it’s irrelevant.
The Old Testament continues to teach us:
- Moral principles that apply to
life today
- Wisdom for daily decision-making
- Prophetic patterns fulfilled in
Christ
- Powerful stories of faith,
failure, and redemption
To follow the Old Testament is to follow the full story of God,
not just the final chapter.
Why Did Jesus Quote
the Old Testament?
Jesus quoted the Old Testament constantly. From His teaching in the
synagogues to His responses to Satan during temptation, He showed deep
reverence for Scripture.
Why?
Because Jesus saw the Old Testament as:
- Authoritative: It carried the weight of truth.
- Inspired: Every word was breathed by God.
- About Him: He told His disciples, “These
are the Scriptures that testify about me.”
Even on the cross, Jesus quoted from Psalms. He lived, taught, and died
in full alignment with the Old Testament.
If Jesus valued it so deeply, shouldn’t we?
What Is the Main
Purpose of the Old Testament?
The Old Testament’s main purpose is to:
- Reveal who God is – His holiness, mercy, justice,
and love.
- Show humanity’s need for
redemption – through the law and stories of broken people.
- Set the stage for the coming of
Christ – through prophecy, typology, and covenant.
- Demonstrate God’s covenant
faithfulness – even when His people failed.
- Offer wisdom for life – through Proverbs, Psalms, and
narratives that shape godly thinking.
It’s not just history. It’s holy revelation.
Should Christians
Take the Old Testament Literally?
Yes - and with discernment.
Some parts of the Old Testament are historical narrative. Others are
poetic, prophetic, or symbolic. Christians should read it as it was intended:
- Literally, when describing real events
(like creation, the Exodus, the life of David)
- Symbolically, when using metaphor or
prophetic imagery (like Daniel’s visions or Psalm poetry)
- Typologically, seeing how people and events
foreshadow Christ (like Moses, Joseph, the Passover lamb)
The key is not to dismiss it as outdated or too complicated. Instead, ask
the Holy Spirit for wisdom to understand and apply it faithfully.
What Does the Old
Testament Teach Us About God?
More than any other book, the Old Testament teaches us about:
- God as Creator – powerful, purposeful, and good
- God as Covenant Keeper – faithful even when people fail
- God as Judge – holy and just in dealing with
sin
- God as Deliverer – rescuing His people time and
again
- God as Father – deeply loving and protective
- God as Redeemer – setting the stage for the
coming Savior
If you want to know God deeply, you need the Old Testament.
Why Is the Old
Testament Important Today?
In today’s world of cultural confusion and spiritual compromise, the Old
Testament stands as a moral anchor and spiritual compass.
Here’s why it matters now more than ever:
- It confronts sin and idolatry
- It calls us to obedience and
holiness
- It points us to the cross
- It shows God’s sovereignty over
nations
- It strengthens our endurance in
hard times
- It equips us with spiritual
discernment
The Old Testament isn’t just about the past. It speaks prophetically and
powerfully into our present.
10 Reasons Why We
Should Study the Old Testament
Let’s break down 10 practical, spiritual, and theological reasons every
Christian should engage with the Old Testament.
1. It Was Jesus’ Bible
Before the New Testament was written, Jesus and the apostles quoted,
studied, and taught from the Old Testament. If it was good enough for Jesus, it
should be essential for us.
2. It Points to the Gospel
Every major theme—sacrifice, covenant, redemption, kingdom—leads to
Jesus. The gospel doesn’t begin in Matthew; it begins in Genesis.
3. It Shapes Our Understanding of Sin
and Grace
The Old Testament shows how sin infects individuals, families, and
nations. But it also reveals how grace breaks in through promise, mercy, and
deliverance.
4. It Teaches God’s Character
Through its pages, we discover a God who is righteous, patient, just,
loving, and holy. These are not abstract ideas—they are demonstrated through
action.
5. It Contains Prophetic Insight
From Isaiah to Malachi, we find hundreds of prophecies about the
Messiah, many fulfilled in Jesus, others pointing to His return.
6. It Prepares Us to Understand the
New Testament
Without the Old Testament, we wouldn’t understand the background of
Jesus’ teachings, the purpose of the cross, or the mission of the church.
7. It Builds Spiritual Maturity
The wisdom of Proverbs, the prayers of David, the endurance of Job, these
aren’t just stories. They’re spiritual mentors for our daily walk.
8. It Reveals the Big Story of the
Bible
Creation, fall, redemption, restoration, the Old Testament lays the
framework for the grand narrative of Scripture.
9. It Equips Us for Spiritual Battle
The Psalms teach us how to pray through pain. The prophets teach us to
stand firm in dark times. The law teaches us how to walk in holiness.
10. It Deepens Our Worship
When you see how faithful God has been throughout generations, you can’t
help but respond with praise, awe, and trust.
The Significance of
the Old Testament in Relation to the New
The Old and New Testaments are not opposites. They’re two acts in one
divine drama.
- The Old is promise; the
New is fulfillment.
- The Old is shadow; the New
is substance.
- The Old is expectation;
the New is realization.
Without the Old, the New would be impossible to understand. The sacrifice
of Christ only makes sense in light of Leviticus. The title “Son of David” only
makes sense if you’ve read 1 Samuel. The cross only becomes glorious when
you’ve seen the lamb in Exodus.
What About
Catholics and the Old Testament?
The Old Testament is vital to Catholics and Protestants alike. It’s part
of the full canon of Scripture. Catholic teaching includes Old Testament
readings in every Mass and holds the stories of Abraham, Moses, and the
prophets in high regard.
The themes of covenant, sacrifice, and holiness, woven throughout the Old
Testament, form the doctrinal foundations of Christian theology in all
traditions.
Why Do People
Search “Old Testament PDF”?
Because the hunger is real. Many people are looking for downloadable,
easy-to-read, well-structured content that helps them:
- Understand Old Testament books in
summary
- Study prophecies and fulfillments
- See how the OT points to Christ
- Learn how to teach or preach it
Whether it’s for sermons, Bible studies, or personal growth, people want easy
access to in-depth truth.
How Is the New
Testament the Fulfillment of the Old?
The New Testament completes what the Old began:
- Jesus is the second Adam,
obeying where the first failed
- Jesus is the true Israel,
perfectly faithful to the covenant
- Jesus is the better Moses,
delivering from sin
- Jesus is the true Temple,
where we meet God
- Jesus is the final Sacrifice,
making atonement once for all
- Jesus is the promised Messiah,
born of a virgin, healing the broken, rising from the grave
To understand Christ fully is to see Him through the lens of the Old
Testament.
Final Thoughts:
Don’t Neglect the Old Testament
In an age of short attention spans and New Testament-only theology, we
must return to the full counsel of God’s Word. The Old Testament is not less
Christian—it is foundational to Christianity.
Reading and studying the Old Testament:
- Grounds you in truth
- Expands your knowledge of God
- Builds spiritual depth
- Strengthens your faith
- Prepares you for kingdom impact
So don’t avoid it. Don’t overlook it. Don’t skip to the end of the story.
Start at the beginning—and watch your faith come alive.
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