Have you ever picked up the Bible and wondered, “Where do I even begin? Which parts of the Bible apply to me?” I was once told that the New Testament was all that us Christians need to read. They even went as far as saying that the Old Testament was just history. Just references and laws of the past that have nothing to do with our future. The instruction was to start reading from the Gospels to Jude, neglecting the Old Testament and Revelation. Have you ever heard anything similar? It seemed odd that I was only being told to read parts of the Bible, with the assumption that the Old Testament didn’t apply to me.
Lots of us have grown up with the same few Bible stories as children. Stories like that of Abraham and God’s promise to make him the father of many nations, Joseph and his multicolored coat, or Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. These stories were usually taught as individual narratives within the Old Testament. But what if these stories were more than just anecdotes of the past? What if they have a deeper connection with what’s to come in the future?
Breakdown of the Bible
There are 39 books, 929 chapters, and 23,144 verses in the Old Testament. And 27 books, 260 chapters, and 7,957 verses in the New Testament. Although these numbers can seem overwhelming, it shows that God has been trying tell us something through His word. Is the Bible merely stories and tips on how to live a better life? Or is there a greater purpose? Knowing that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours, it’s safe to say that He has a deeper plan and purpose. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
What is the work that God is doing? Why does He need us to be taught and trained in righteousness? The question, “Which parts of the Bible apply to me?” was mentioned earlier. The answer is: all of them.
Without learning the Bible in its entirety, it can easily be mistaken for a simple religious text, or anecdotes of Israel’s history. Throughout the 66 books of God’s Word, the content within the Bible falls into four general categories: history, instruction, prophecy, and fulfillment. All of this content is necessary to have a complete understanding of this God-breathed Word.
History
When we learn about history, like war, we learn about the causes and actions of those involved. We look at what led up to the war, what happened during, and the impact and fallout after it came to an end. Then we’re able to use this knowledge as warnings and lessons for the future. The history in the Bible has the same purpose. Not only does the Old Testament provide a great deal of history, but it also shows us examples of mistakes that were made. Mistakes that God doesn’t want us to repeat. And from learning about what was done in the past we can know what must be done for the future.
Adam and Eve
In the beginning, God had a plan to dwell with His creation for all eternity. We all know the story of Adam and Eve. Temptation and greed took over because of the craftiness and deception of the serpent. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, though they were given specific instructions by God not to. From that mistake they made, sin entered the world. We can see that when we don’t listen to God, it is considered as sin. So now, we try harder to listen to God and not commit the same sins as those who came before us.
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.”
1 Corinthians 10:11
Have you ever had a loved one, friend, or teacher tell you about an experience during their lives when they did something they regretted? “I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I did,” is a common phrase we hear when we receive wisdom from our elders or mentors. Our loved ones tell us these stories to instill an opportunity for us to be better. And God has done the same by providing history all throughout the Old Testament with the Israelites. And He also does this in the New Testament, where we can see and learn from the mistakes and struggles of the early Christians.
Instruction
As mentioned above, all scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It was given to teach and train us in righteousness. To help us know what steps we must take in order to be with God. Because this is a sinful world and we’re born into it, we have to put effort into becoming more like God, who is holy. Think about it, do you have to teach kids how to be bad? Why does being bad seem to come naturally, but it takes training and discipline for us to learn how to be good?
Thankfully, God has given us instruction all throughout the Old Testament like the Laws of Moses or the Proverbs. In the New Testament, we also see in Paul’s letters to the early Christian churches on how to be more like Christ. All of these instructions teach us how to become more righteous. And by doing that, we’re becoming more like our Father in heaven.
Prophecy and Fulfillment
Furthermore, without all the parts of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, God’s story and plan would be incomplete. The prophecies foretold by God through his prophets in the Old Testament are fulfilled in the New Testament. If we only look at the New Testament, how could we confirm that God spoke and then acted on His promises? How can we prove that Jesus is God’s Son? God promised him hundreds years before Jesus was born. It’s all recorded in the Old Testament as evidence.
From the very beginning of the Bible to the end, you will see a greater plan that God has for His creation. He promised to redeem His people and make a way for them to be saved from their sins. He promised to reconnect and dwell with his people, to restore the earth and to make everything new. And the reason why we can trust that God is alive and working is because what He promised actually happens.
Jesus also prophesied of what is to come when he returns. He told us beforehand so that when it happens, we could recognize it and believe (John 14:29). But we wouldn’t be able to trust his words if he were only speaking on his own, out of his own imagination or desires. Jesus himself lets us know that everything he says comes from his Father (John 14:24). And we know, from looking at the Old Testament, that God has a 100% track record of keeping His word.
So when He says in Revelation 21:6, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End”, we can know and trust that God will carry out and complete everything He has promised.
So, Which Parts of the Bible Apply to Me?
While the Bible isn’t necessarily in a chronological order at all times, there is still a purpose and a connecting storyline throughout. Removing one of the books or a whole testament would make the story, God’s story, plan, and will incomplete. Think of the Bible as a roadmap to salvation. If you take out one piece or skip over a part, you’re going to get lost.
In the end, God has given the full content of the Bible for us to know. Not just the Old Testament, and not just the New Testament. Each book, chapter, and verse fits perfectly together to create a bigger picture, God’s objective throughout it all. This objective is to reconnect with His people. To dwell with our Creator, we must know what our goal is as believers to receive this salvation.
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4
First, we must believe, and then come to a knowledge of the truth, which is God’s word.
So, which parts of the Bible apply to me? All sixty-six books.
Written by Gabriella
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