A young relative expressed frustration about trying to read the Old Testament. It's all in the Bible, so it's all important. But we're under the new covenant. And what do we do with all of those stories? How do we apply those to our lives? I shared with her how I approach the Old Testament. There are three key realizations.
There are lies in the Bible. And it's still inerrant.
The Bible is not just one book. It is a collection of books, and those books are different kinds of literature, different genres. Each has its own characteristics, its own rules, and if we don't pay attention to them, we can confuse ourselves and misunderstand the scriptures.
I'm a nerd. Always have been, always will be. After college my nerdiness shifted some of its focus from science and science fiction to the scriptures. Yep, you can nerd out on the Bible. I haven't learned any esoteric secrets, but lately I've come to realize that a lot of what's rattling around in my head isn't exactly common knowledge, either, so we're going to start a series we'll call Bible 101. Some of the facts I'll share may only be interesting; others may have apologetic value or help us interpret the scriptures. Let's dive in by looking at things in our Bible that aren't actually in the inspired text.
Many Christians today want to "unhitch" the church from the Old Testament. Then there are those who say we cannot fully understand the New Testament without the Old. I'm firmly in the second camp. Let's walk through an OT passage that really illuminates the teaching of the apostles.
God sent his Son to die for our sins. That's one of the most basic statements of the gospel story. And many today respond by declaring the cross "divine child abuse". How can we respond to that?
