Chapter 1

Looking at the Old Testament and New Testament Together

The Bible is one book but is also a collection of 66 books. It contains the consistent message of God to mankind. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” From this verse, we can see that the words of the Bible came from God – “God-breathed” – and that it is good for guiding us through teaching, confrontation, correction, and training. In other words, it is not just a book to make us “feel good” but has the purpose of shaping and molding us into the person that God wants us to be.

The Structure

We know the Bible as one book, but it does have different parts. The two major parts are the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains 39 books written in Hebrew. Everything in the Old Testament contains stories and events that happened before Jesus came to the earth.

The New Testament contains 27 books written mainly in the 1st-century language of Koine Greek (the common spoken and written language of the early Roman empire). The New Testament tells the story of Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the history of how the church got started in the Book of Acts, and the rest is written to early Christians and specific churches to help them live their lives in a new faith called Christianity.

The Author

The Bible has one author – God. God used 40 different men of diverse backgrounds over a period of 1500 years to record His message. He used a man named Moses, who was a shepherd by vocation but had been raised in the culture and royalty of Egypt. Another was Joshua, who was mentored by Moses but became a military leader and overseer of a nation in infancy. There were men from various backgrounds, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezra, who became prophets and were chosen to share the message of warning and encouragement to the people of Israel. In the New Testament, we have a Jewish man named Matthew, who worked as a tax collector for Rome. Luke, who was a physician, but used his gift of communication to write down an orderly account of all that he had seen and heard. We also have John, a fisherman and a common laborer among the people, and Paul, a religious leader who turned evangelist and supported himself as a tent maker. The above list is not all-inclusive, but it shows us that God used a variety of men from all walks of life to share His message throughout the ages.

It is amazing that over the course of time and through quite a diverse group of writers, God’s message throughout the Bible is understandable and intentional and has a purpose. God wants His children, whom He created, to live a life on earth that will bring them to live in heaven with Him for eternity.

Why Study the Old and New?

Why take the time to study the Bible—the Old and New Testaments together? The Bible records the past, speaks to the present, and projects the future. The Old and New Testaments work together to give mankind God’s complete message. If we just study the New Testament without knowing the background that comes from the Old Testament, then there are many gaps in the New Testament message.

Jesus wants His followers to understand the Old Testament writings. When appearing to the disciples after His resurrection, He said this to them: “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44,45). We sometimes forget that the Bible for the New Testament Christians was the Old Testament scriptures. The Old Testament presents the story of the work of God in the lives of His people before Jesus, but it is an incomplete story. The Old Testament story finds completion in the New Testament story. Yet, just as the New Testament story completes the Old Testament, it also points to a future that has yet to be fulfilled. So, for us to be a part of God’s story, we need to understand God’s story – the Old and New Testament. Let’s begin that journey together.

Chapter 1 – Study Guide Looking at the Old Testament and New Testament Together

Pray for God’s guidance and insight as you study His Word.  He knows your heart and what you need to learn.

Focus Your Mind and Heart

Take some time and reflect on the Bible and what it has meant to your life.  Be honest, be real. 

• Why do some see the Bible just as a book of “neat” stories?
• What are some reasons that you or others don’t always turn to God’s Word first?   
• How is the Bible relevant to your life today?
• How will you let God change your heart and mind through the study of His Word?

What are some questions that you would add to the ones above?

Examine the Word

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

The above verse is a powerful verse.  What is meant by the following phrases? Give some examples of what you mean.

All Scripture –

God Breathed –

Useful for teaching –

Useful for rebuking –

Useful for correcting –

Useful for training in righteousness –

Pop Quiz – On a separate piece of paper write out as many of the books of the Bible you can remember and try to put them in the proper order.  Old Testament first, then the New Testament.

            How did you do?

            Why is it helpful to know what the books of the Bible are?

Have you ever wondered about how the people in the day of Jesus interpreted and applied the Old Testament stories to their life? Can you think of any examples in the New Testament where an Old Testament story was used to make a life application lesson?

Observations you made when thinking about the Bible:

Take a Look at Your Life

The message of the Bible is consistent from the beginning to the end. Why is that important to you?

If the Bible was full of contradictions and inconsistencies, what would that do to your opinion about the Bible?

How much time do you spend in the Word of God each week?

Apply it to Your Life

List three things you can do to make the Word of God more real in your life.

            1 –

            2 –

            3 –

Set a goal of increasing the time you spend in the word each day.  Find a consistent time and place that works for your schedule. 

What are some areas that you “waste time” in that could be converted to time in the Word?