I know it’s confusing and people want to believe that we should use all of the 66 books bound in the Bible to form our faith, but it doesn’t work that way. These are the books of the Hebrew Testament, or “Old” Testament, as it was all written before the life of Jesus.
Genesis | Exodus | Leviticus | Numbers | Deuteronomy |
Joshua | Judges | Ruth | 1 Samuel | 2 Samuel |
1Kings | 2Kings | 1Chronicals | 2Chronicals | Esther |
Job | Psalms | Proverbs | Ecclesiastes | Song of Solomon |
Isaiah | Jeremiah | Lamentations | Ezekiel | Daniel |
Hosea | Joel | Obadiah | Jonah | Micah |
Nahum | Habakkuk | Haggai | Zephaniah | Ezra |
Nehemiah | Amos | Zechariah | Malachi |
The first five books, across the top from left to right, are the Law. That means the Law of Moses. That includes the stories of the Commandments and it also includes all of the prescribed punishments for all of the various crimes as outlined in Numbers and Leviticus. The punishment for most small crimes is monetary payment, and for large crimes is usually death. The next several books from Joshua to Esther are mostly the History section, just recounting the ancient history and stories of the people.Then Job-Song of Solomon are the Wisdom Literature, stating the philosophy and practical learning and wisdom of the people that they mean to pass down.The last several books are writings of the Prophets. Individual stories, commentaries, and works of leaders in the faith.In the Hebrew Testament, there is NO WAY to go to Heaven. People have not gained salvation, there is no concept of God’s grace or forgiveness, and one cannot atone for sins by prayer. One must atone by a priestly ritual. If you adhere to the teachings of the Hebrew Testament, if you BELIEVE that you are still under the Law of Moses, and that the punishment for sin is judgement and death, then you do not believe in the atonement and salvation received through the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ************************
Here are the books of the Christian “New” Testament. These books and epistles are written after the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, whom we call the Son of God, and Savior.
Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | Acts |
Romans | 1Corinthians | 2 Corinthians | Galatians | Ephesians |
Philippians | Colossians | 1Thessolonians | 2Thessolonians | 1Timothy |
2Timothy | Titus | Philemon | Hebrews | James |
1Peter | 2Peter | 1John | 2John | 3John |
Jude | Revelations |
Again we see the first five books, in bold, have the actual life events, teaching, and words of Jesus, both before the cross, in the four gospels of Matt-John, and then his appearances to his disciples and teachings after the resurrection, and the direct actions that his disciples took in Acts. These five books include the words and teachings directly from the Son of God, about the fulfillment of The Law (of Moses). He explains to us throughout these gospels that He is the fulfillment and that he has come to satisfy the requirements of the Law, and furthermore, Jesus leaves us a new commandment and only one. In John 15:17 Jesus says “This is my Command to you: love one another.” And that same statement exists in several other places through the gospels.
The next several letters are referred to as the Pauline Corpus – the body of work written by or attributed to, the apostle Paul, usually in the form of letters to churches that he has helped to establish and is in communication with. Paul really outlines our theology and how we are meant to understand what the cross and resurrection of Jesus mean in our lives. He writes about atonement, salvation, and the eventual life eternal in Heaven that Jesus promised to us all, and he writes a lot about how the work of Jesus freed all of humanity from the Law.
If you adhere to the teachings about Jesus, and the things Jesus said and taught and did, and the further explanation of the apostle Paul as he brought the teachings of Jesus to the gentile world, then you accept Jesus’s word for this: He is the fulfillment of the Law, and he has given us a new commandment. Love one another.You can only base your faith on one or the other. The Hebrew Testament and the Christian Testament are different faiths, one is based on Jesus Christ, the other is a fine faith to choose, but it is not based on Jesus Christ.
Teaching | Hebrew Testament | Christian Testament |
Spiritual Leaders | Moses – the Law and first Covenant (circumcision) Prophets – teachings about the Law | Jesus – Fulfillment of the Law and New Commandment Disciples and Paul – Demonstration and Teachings |
Atonement for Sin | Priestly rituals, usually involving animal sacrifice and blood. | Jesus’s sacrifice, death, and resurrection, grace |
Prayer | By priests | Personal |
Relationship to God | Based on Judgement and intervention of priests | “Father”, whom we know through Jesus. Personal. |
Afterlife | None. Sheol, the shadow realm of the dead. | Kingdom of Heaven, many rooms. Together with Jesus. |
Sacraments | None | Baptism and Communion |
To call oneself “Christian” implies that one bases faith on the Christian Testament, and therefore one does not base faith in the Law of the Hebrew Testament.
If one really feels spoken to by the books of the Hebrew Testament, that’s great. It’s important to find a faith that speaks to you and that calls to your spirit as truth. If you feel spoken to by the Hebrew Testament more than the Christian Testament, it might be a good idea to consult with a Rabbi to learn more. Do some discernment. Find your place.
It’s really confusing that we include both sets of Holy Scripture in one book as though it were one faith. I don’t blame anyone for being confused and thinking that we need all 66 books to be followers of Christ. It certainly doesn’t hurt any Christian to be familiar with and study the Hebrew Testament. It’s the history of the people that Jesus belonged to. As a minister ordained to the Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care of people according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I am actually in favor of studying and being familiar with a variety of Holy Scriptures. The Bhagavad-Gita, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Vedas, the Tripitaka, the Quran, all great things for a spiritual person to consider and have some familiarity with. But that doesn’t mean that you can base your own faith on all of them.
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