Why read the Old Testament

Many people trying to evangalize and prosylatize give away copies of the New Testament claiming that they are doing it so people can know Jesus. When new Christians come to the beginnings of their faith, they are often told to read the Bible starting from the Gospel of John. There is a problem with this.

While men run around claiming that the best way to know Jesus is to read the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus told people the way to know Him is to know the first five books of the Old Testament (John 5:46). Who should we believe, men or Jesus?

While men run around proclaiming the that the Old Testament is old and done away with, Jesus said nothing in the Word of God is done away with, not even after heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33). Who should we believe, men or Jesus?

To me, this is a very simple matter. Jesus, being the Word of God (John 1:1), is smarter than men. I will follow His guidance rather than men's. So when Jesus said the way to know Him is to know those first five books of the Old Testament, I will read them. I will not consider them old and done away with any more than I would consider Jesus old and done away with.

But Paul said....

But Paul said...

But Paul said...

Oh, the rallying cry of many a Christian.

First and foremost, Paul was a man, not the Word of God like Jesus was. Second, Paul said all scripture is good (2 Timothy 3:16). In his day there was no New Testament. He had to have been referring to the part of the Bible that modern day Christians keep trying to throw out as old.

You want to know Jesus? Follow His advice and read the Old Testament, specifically those first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. They are not blank pages that God has erased. There are treasures in there He hid just for you to discover. Go find them.