History of the Old Testament

Jesus read the Bible.

Well, sort of…

From Eden to Exile

The Bible used by Jesus (what He often called “the Law and the Prophets”) is what Christians today call the “Old Testament.”

These books were compiled over centuries and generations, making up the foundational story of the Jewish people.

Much of the Old Testament originated orally, meaning one generation spoke and passed on the stories to the next.

Then, around the time of Israelite exile in Babylon, the Old Testament began to take written form, developing into what we know today.

These works drew upon the long, miraculous, and storied history of the Israelite people. A story that began with the creation of the world and came to a halt with the words of the prophet Malachi after exile.

By Jesus’ time, this vast collection of stories, poems, law codes, records, and more, became absolutely inseparable from Jewish identity.

Jesus Himself made the important claim that these scriptures found their fulfillment in Him.

That fulfillment would make these 39 books important for a whole new kind of people - Christians.

Birth of the “Old Testament”

The Hebrew scriptures were accepted by the newly formed Christians because of their relevance to Jesus’ ministry.

In other words, Jesus saw these scriptures as authoritative, so His followers did, too.

Since these scriptures were fulfilled in Jesus and the New Covenant He established, they came to be known as the “Old” Testament of God’s plan. 

But did that make them any less important?

Absolutely not. Because it was by these Old Testament scriptures that the stage was set for what Jesus did. Understanding their special relationship to Him was positively vital for the Church.

And, in many ways, that was the easy part.

It’s what came next that proved a little more complicated.

We’ll turn to that tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter