Old Testament ( all of it )

  • Thread starter Thread starter OSN
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
O

OSN

Guest
I put in ( all of it ) because , that is my main issue with the entire old testament, the entire book.

Now I do understand that the Old Testament is the prelude to Jesus and the promise of His coming into the world to save the world. It is every thing else… that I have never grasped and do not feel I ever will, and or ever accept. So… as a Catholic, I don’t know how to come to terms with this. I can either continue to just completely ignore the old testament or try to learn to accept it as being , I guess the term is, Divinely Inspired.

Are there any Catholics here who have any issues with the old testament in a negative view, if so, have you managed to come to some acceptable term with it ? An how ? Or do you just brush it aside ?
 
I’m the complete opposite. I have a deep love for the Old Testament, partly because it’s where I began my journey in Scripture. Is there anything in particular that’s troubling you about it?
 
Try not to think about it as a whole. Start with Genesis and Exodus. Sample the Wisdom books. Read summaries of the History and Prophetic books. Read the more well known stories first. This way it’s not so overwhelming.
 
I am a cradle catholic, so I have trouble seeing things with in the faith from a " new perspective " . Or " fresh " . Aside from the story of David, and that link of David to Jesus, and as I stated promise of Christ to come in the New Testatment. I have become rather cynical of everything else in the Old Testament.

An that is what is leading to me believe I will have a very hard time changing that point of view. Which I guess the questioning can create a sort of rabbit hole. Part of me already feels like I am in too deep of rabbit hole to ever get out of, but I am sort of trying to not create a convoluted topic and probing to see if anyone else is in the same boat as me.
 
I mean my point of view is cynical towards most of the Old Testament.
 
You say you are a cradle Catholic. At every Mass there are OT readings and Psalms that are connected to the Gospel reading. This hasn’t helped you relate better to the OT?
 
Yes I attend mass every Sunday and Holy Days of obligation , I know that the first two readings come from the old testament and that the Gospel is from the New Testament. Funny thing though, took me years to realize that the psalms that are sung, was an actual part of the bible. But correct neither help me relate to the old testament in any way. I do understand that the old testament readings lead into and relate to the Gospel , but honestly, if the mass completely left out the old testament, I wouldn’t miss it any.

My world revolves around the New Testament . An I am sort of seeing that it might not be a bad thing, it isn’t so much I have this deep seated hate towards the O.T…
 
Last edited:
There are 46 different books in the OT. Perhaps you could give some specific examples of why you have trouble with it.
 
I would rather not give examples , and I do realize there are 46 books. I am just keeping things generic and feel I have expressed exactly where I am at in a general manner. I just don’t want this to become an argument of any sort so I feel keeping things as generic as possible will help me in that. An yes, all 46 books is what I am talking about. As I stated, I have no issue with the fact that it is a prelude to the coming of Christ, and the story of David, so I set those two aspects in a positive light.
 
I don’t know if this will help you, but I’ll offer it anyway. My favorite book in the entire Bible is actually Ecclesiastes. It sounds the most like how I was before, during, and after my conversion. To me, Ecclesiastes is not a nihilistic book. It is a process from nihilism to hope. It shows that not all is lost nor vain, because of God. If that’s not a Christian message, I don’t know what else to say.
 
Last edited:
I think I know where you’re coming from if you mean that you have a hard time with it because it’s not “real” in an historical sense and therefore can be hard to know what to embrace and what to set aside.
The Old Testament God spent a lot of time smiting and punishing and setting forth rules for making you worthy of his love where the New Testament God seems to contradict that pretty fundamentally.
How does one then resolve the messages as parts of the same faith?
If it’s worth anything to you, here’s why I love it.
I think of the Old Testament as a dramatic retelling of mans relationship to God from our creation and the evolution of our relationship with Him until our eventual near-departure from His embrace.
It’s not THE history of God and Man’s relationship as the backstory to our Salvation, but it is A history.
There are fact interlaced with metaphors with poems and complete departures from any story at all. Kind of like how Sesame Street had a through-line in every episode, but was interspersed with bits that had nothing whatsoever to do with the plot, but were just there to teach you something.

I don’t believe the Old Testament is to be thought of like Star Trek where continuity and strict adherence to logic or chronology are important.

Just because I don’t believe that there was ever a point in history where the entire Earth was flooded and two of every living thing fit in a single boat, doesn’t mean I can’t take away the point AND appreciate the beauty and majesty and gravity of the story.

Our Holy Church’s embrace of the Old Testament tells me that I am safe to take it as it comes. I don’t have to believe it’s true to believe it’s the truth.

And yes, I’m aware that I compared our Holy Bible to both Sesame Street and Star Trek.
 
Gtsuns, I really appreciate your reply, you hit everything square on the head; with the first part; and this last part,
Our Holy Church’s embrace of the Old Testament tells me that I am safe to take it as it comes. I don’t have to believe it’s true to believe it’s the truth.
Click to expand...
Really put things into a better perspective for me, and I will definitely come back to your reply when I need a reminder. An bonus points for incorporating Star Trek and Sesame Street.

Peace and major thanks.
 
I have hundreds of books on the Bible and theological ideas. I would recommend the 2018 book by Brant and Pietre entitled “Catholic Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament.” This has been recommended by Al Kresta on EWTN as the best guide in a generation.

I have read it, cover to cover, just over 1000 pages. It is outstanding.

Having seen what it has to offer, I would suggest reading and studying one book of the Bible at a time. Their book will give you an over view of the book and at that point you could jump into the actual reading of the text. Then, they offer a lot of very good insights into almost every book, things that I had not seen before. Read their book and the Bible side by side.

I would separately recommend a trilogy of books by Dr. Taylor Marshall on the authenticity of the Catholic faith, based on scripture. The Crucified Rabbi, Catholic Perspectives on Paul, and The Eternal City ( explains why Rome is the appropriate location for the center of the Church, based on prophecy). These are about 200+ pages each and are very insightful in tying the Old Testament and the New Testament together.

In the Crucified Rabbi, Marshall points out the significant development in the trial of Jesus before Pilate when the “chief priests” proclaim to Pilate that they have no king but Caesar. If I’m not misinterpreting him, he’s saying that is the moment of the end of Biblical Judaism when these priests turn away from God as king to a declaration that the man in Rome is their king – blasphemy and idolatry at once (stated in the gospel of John).

In the books I have mentioned, there is a lot to soak up and put yourself on a firm basis.
 
Last edited:
The New Testament books refer repeatedly to the Old Testament. Sometimes the quotations are introduced by a formula such as “Moses taught,” “The prophet says,” or “It is written,” and sometimes not. The total number of such allusions and quotations amounts to over two hundred. If there hadn’t been an Old Testament, there would certainly never have been a New Testament.
 
Right now I am finishing up the book of JOB. It amazes me how such an ancient book (some believe Moses actually edited some of it,) but whatever, the debate between Job and his “friends” is amazing in its theology of GOD. All of it is perfectly consonant with Christianity.

Even reading the Historical Books, I continue to be amazed at HOW MUCH of it still applies to us as Christians and as individuals.
 
Last edited:
I would encourage you to maybe start with a book like Scott Hahn’s “A Father Who Keeps His Promises” or John Bergsma’s “Bible Basics for Catholic.” Both give a great, readable summary of the Old Testament and how it fits in with the New Testament. I think it’s a lot easier to understand and approach the Old Testament when we have a grasp of the basics.

A video study like Jeff Cavins’ “Bible Timeline” is also great, but more time consuming and expensive.
 
The second reading at Sunday Mass is from the Letters/Epistles of the NT. The first reading and the Psalm are from the OT.
 
Last edited:
When I was a “baby Catholic” (came into the Church in my teens from an unchurched background), I thought the OT wasn’t so important, that it was pretty much irrelevant because Jesus Christ had come, and therefore I focused on the NT.

Talk about having my head… ahem, in the sand. (I could phrase that more strongly.)

The OT is a fascinating book with some pretty outstanding stories, and it would be well worth reading on that level, even if one were not a believer. The NT does not so much tell stories as it provides instruction. Two totally different books.

Read BOTH. That is what I did, in their entirety, while in college. I read word for word, took notes, and it took me 3 1/2 years. I don’t regret it.

I am teaching my son (grade 6) from the Baltimore Catechism this year, but next year I intend for us to start Bible study (TAN Story of the Bible series), and we will definitely start with the OT.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top