Bible talk: Old and New Testaments

(photo source)

in celebration of national bible week, i shall be sharing some of the lessons from my high 1 cle classes at xavier school last year, particularly about the sacred scriptures.
 
The Old Testament
The Old Testament is a collection of inspired books which present the story of God’s original covenant/agreement with His chosen people and the many consequences of this covenant on their lives not only as individuals but especially as a nation. “Old” should be understood as original when referring to the Old Testament. These books bear witness to God’s loving plan of salvation for man as manifested in the history of the chosen people, the Israelites. The Old Testament was deliberately so oriented that it should prepare for and declare in prophecy the coming of Christ, the Redeemer of all men. The 46 books of the Old Testament are divided as follows: the Pentateuch/Torah/Law; the Historical Books; the Wisdom Books and the Prophetic Books 

The New Testament
The New Testament deals with the new covenant of God’s people with Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son who became man to save humankind from sin. The New Testament is a collection of inspired books about the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the life of the early Church. The New Testament fulfills what has been prophesied in the OT about the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth of God’s revelation, the central figure in God’s plan of salvation. He is the Word Incarnate, the Unique Word of the Sacred Scriptures. The 27 books of the New Testament include: the 4 Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles or letters to the Christians and the Book of Revelation.

The Old Testament and the New Testament are distinct, yet closely linked. We are to read each one in light of the other. The Old Testament should be read in the light of Christ in the New Testament. St. Augustine used to say that: "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed/unveiled in the New." What he meant is that Jesus showed us how the things that God says and does in the Old Testament pointed to what He says and does in the New. In turn, what Jesus says and does in the New Testament sheds light on the promises and events we read about in the Old Testament.

Tomorrow: The Scriptures and Liturgy