Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

134 / CORNERSTONE CURRICULUM STUDENT WORKBOOK

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Are We Using the Right Book in the Wrong Way? One of the ongoing issues and problems associated with the mastery of the OT is its misuse by so many interpreters, both conservative and liberal. The OT is such a diverse library of literature that many OT scholars no longer seek to provide us with a coherent, unified OT theology. In place of a single unity, it is seen as a heavily edited (redacted) text that covers many centuries, dozens of authors, and one which provides no consistent or unified message for the interpreter. Even for many evangelical Christians, the Bible remains a closed book. Used primarily for devotional readings in the Psalms and Proverbs, large portions of the OT remain unpreached and unread by many evangelicals. What is the reason that these dear saints who love the Bible give for their systematic neglect of the OT? It is simply too hard to understand and use. For them it is seldom referred to because it is unintelligible, filled with difficult passages, and too heavily concentrated in portions of ceremonial law and/or symbolism and imagery. Frankly, for the new or growing Christian it is easier to focus on the NT and read the Epistles, and, if one is so bold, go to the Gospels and read the words of the Lord. But, in terms of understanding and desirability, many Christians testify that the OT is not an integral part of their spiritual journeys. What do you make of this situation, and how does the neglect of the OT play itself out in your experience? Is the God of the OT the Same God as the God of the New? In a day of tolerance, political correctness, and overall squeamish feelings about anything that smacks of judgment or punishment, the OT is a much maligned book. Admittedly, it is filled with many stories which cover all the dark shadows of human existence, and include graphic portrayals of murder, rape, violence, war, and tragedy. Examples of tough judgment are given in many of the stories, and those of certain beliefs and lifestyles are not only morally condemned, but in graphic detail we see them judged by the community and the Lord. The statements of God against a number of modern lifestyle choices makes the OT especially the lightning rod for much debate and discussion. Some liberal Christians have gone so far as to denounce the OT as the product of a primitive culture whose theological and moral ideas were more a reflection of their era and environment than what we as “reasoned and tolerant Christians” would find acceptable. What should we make of these modern attempts to drive a wedge between the God of the OT and the God of the NT, as revealed in the person of Jesus of Nazareth? What is the continuity between the two? Should we admit, even a little, that there might be a difference between the God of the OT and the God of the NT? Explain.

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