The Hebrew Scriptures, commonly referred to by Christians as the "Old Testament," are truly the foundation of the Judeo-Christian beliefs about God--His Nature and Essence, and also of the universe, man, and the world in which we live. It is also the record of God's chosen people, the Children of Israel, and their often wilfully-defiant relationship with Him.
The New Testament, the multiple narratives of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, and the ministries of His apostles subsequent to the Ascension, is the record of the development of a rag-tag Jewish sect into a truly world religion. After many months of effort, and less-than-spectacular results, trying to convince his fellow Jews of the messianic role of Jesus, Paul is challenged to take the message to the Gentiles . . . and achieves success beyond his wildest dreams. But not without great personal sacrifice--indeed, he pays the ultimate price--following in the footsteps of his Lord and Savior.
The Old Testament is the foundation; the New Testament is the superstructure. A foundation is of no value unless a building be built upon it. A building is impossible unless there be a foundation. So the Old Testament and New Testament are essential to one another. As Augustine said:
The Old Testament and New Testament constitute a divine library, one sublime unity, origins in past to issues in future, processes between, connecting two eternities (20).
Amid perhaps 10,000 separate events contained in its pages, the Bible stands as the declaration of a singular purpose throughout the ages: God's desire and intent "to redeem a wrecked and ruined world" (Mears, 20).
The first two books, Genesis and Exodus, are truly the core. In the creation narratives in Genesis 1 and 2, we have the record of God's first activity in His relationship with mankind. The unfolding sequence of events that culminates in the return of the Children of Israel to the border ...