Anyone who considers himself a Christian, must constantly be educated in religious terms, to make pilgrimages, reading spiritual books, and study the Bible.This book consists of 2 parts - is Old and New Testament (the Gospel).They combined a whole history of events, starting from the creation of the world God and ending the spread of Christianity throughout the land of the Son of God by the apostles after his Ascension into heaven.
two values of the Old Testament
the Old Testament - is part of the Bible, which describes the life of the Jewish people.That is why this book is considered to be common to the representatives of Christianity and Judaism.The collected literally on particles and from different sources, the Old Testament is a unique product of its kind, created in the period from XIII to I century BC
first time the word "covenant" sounded from the lips of Moses, through whom the Lord gave the people 10 upland Commandments inscribed on the tablets.Thus, God made a covenant with his people (the contract), for which they are observing its mandate to receive from Him mercy and love.
In summary, we note that the expression "Old Testament" - a term that can be interpreted as part of the Bible, as the agreement of the Lord and his people.
What is the difference Testaments
Those who only became interested in Christianity and begin to study the Bible, often the question arises, on what basis it was divided into two parts.First of all, you must know that the Old Testament - a biography of the Jewish people and the ways of salvation through numerous prophets before the coming of the Son of God on earth.
events of the first part of the Bible seem to be quite severe, and the actions of some of its characters - unworthy, contrary to the foundations of modern Christianity.Numerous sacrifices, fratricide, the Last of the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah - this is an incomplete list of what we can find on the pages of the Old Testament.
People once abandoning paradise disobedience themselves earned her a sentence of death, disease and cruelty.But in spite of the sins of mankind, God the Father is very gracious and genuinely loves their children.That is why He sent His Son to earth - Jesus Christ, who would later atone for man's sins and open the gates of Eden.
coming of the Lord on Earth have a new covenant between Him and the people, in which those who lead a pious life, the appropriate Christian morality, go to heaven after his death.Significantly mitigated the laws of the Christian life, it becomes the main principle of love of neighbor.
As the Bible, Jesus Christ opened the gates of heaven for people.In Old Testament times, even the righteous and pious people after his death, found themselves in hell because of sin ancestors - Adam and Eve.Therefore, we can say that the New Testament - is the key to eternal salvation.
structure of the Old Testament
The first part, called the Torah consists of a number of books written by the prophet Moses.These include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Besides the Torah in the Old Testament part of the Book of the Prophets, which are enclosed plots of historical and prophetic character.
In Scripture there are 13 books, among which there are both philosophical reflections (eg, the Book of Job) and poems about love and others.
All of the above mentioned components of the Old Testament canon.The remaining part of the first book of the Bible says Orthodox edifying, but not recognized by canon.
Torah.Meaning
As already mentioned, the Torah - the Old Testament is, rather, the Five Books of Moses, which is a hand-written scrolls.In addition, the Bible called the Torah separate God's laws.The information given by the Lord to the prophet were not only written in the scrolls, but passed down orally.Thus, there is not only written but also oral Torah, which had an impact on the moral foundations of humanity.
first pages of the Old Testament
«In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ..." That's what opens the story of the Old Testament.From the first pages we learn of the creation of God the world around us - the sky and the earth, moon, sun and stars, the oceans and seas, animals, birds and humans in six days.
created Adam in the image and likeness, God creates a woman and be named her Eve."Be fruitful and multiply" - the Lord commanded her children.Give people everything they need for the eternal salvation, God forbids them to approach the Tree of Knowledge and eat its fruit.Seduction forbidden apple to Adam and Eve should paradise.The first humans were made available to sin and death.This is covered in the first three chapters of Genesis.
Life on Earth: Cain and Abel
When Adam and Eve were on the ground, they began to be born children, the first of which were Cain and Abel.The first brother was engaged in the ground, while the second pass of the herd.Abel was a humble and faithful, often in prayer and trust in the mercy of God.
Cain was callous and cruel heart, having no fear of God.Sacrifice the Lord accepted Abel and his brother rejected the second lamb.Cain, embittered, nursed a grudge.He called Abel into a field and killed him there.Lord, seeing not only the actions, but knowing and thoughts of men, Cain warned of a possible misfortune, urged him to overcome the evil intentions which were the embryo of indelible blood sin.But the elder brother, blinded by envy and hatred, committed the sin of fratricide.For this God cursed Cain.
New Foundation
After the murder of Abel and Cain's banishment of the Old Testament story continues.God gave Adam and Eve another son - Seth, from which the good and pious offspring.His name means "the base" that can be interpreted as the foundation of the new humanity.After all, this kind of happened the sons of God, as the Scripture says, and the kind of "accursed" - the sons of men.After the descendants of Cain and Abel began to marry each other, the people on the ground became increasingly corrupt.This lasted until until there was only one righteous Noah and his family.Lord, can not tolerate the serious human sins, he decides to clear the ground and sends a flood.God warned Noah of his intention, and commands him to build an ark in which the righteous have to take on a pair of the animals can not survive in water.
Flood lasted for one hundred and fifty days, after which water is gradually began to enter into its bed.On the newfound site Noah brings a sacrifice to God for their salvation.In response, the Lord gives him promise never to arrange Flood and points to the rainbow, which to this day symbolizes the vow given by God.
Noah's family.Babel
Noah had three sons, who after the flood, along with their wives were living with him.Together with his father, they began to cultivate the land and engaged in the erection of the vineyards.Once Noah tried wine and fell asleep naked, for the first time to experience the full force of an intoxicating intoxicating drink.As such, it has found the son of Ham, who spoke about what he saw his brothers, thereby showing disrespect to his father.Shem and Japheth, in contrast, were quick to cover the naked body of a parent.When Noah woke up and learned what had happened, he cursed Ham and his entire family, condemning them to perpetual subjugation descendants of brothers.
So there were three tribes - simity, iafity and Hamitic.Latest decided in any cost allow yourself from the burden of submission and conceived to build a tower that reaches to the heavens, in order to elevate themselves.Lord learned of this plan, divided Khamitov, giving them different languages.Thus, people are not able to agree among themselves and to realize his plan.Place the unfinished tower called Babylon.
type of Christ
Among the many stories of the Old Testament highlights the story of Abraham's sacrifice.He was a godly descendant of Shem, a believer in God.At the time, all over the earth spread idolatry, and people have forgotten the fear of God.For the righteous life of Abraham and his wife Sarah, has long been desperate to have children, the Trinity visited their tent.At that time the righteous are in a very advanced age.But as it pleased the Lord all through the year in the family of Abraham's son Isaac was born.They loved their child immensely.And God saw the attitude of parents to his son, he decided to make sure in the true faith and love of the righteous.God asked Abraham to bring Isaac to sacrifice him.The just knew that God always wants only good, so he went to the mountain, taking the logs for the bonfire and his infant son.The Lord saw Abraham's devotion, asked him to slaughter a ram caught in the bushes instead of the sole beloved offspring.So righteous showed his fear of the Lord, for which he was awarded numerous offspring, from which he later left the Saviour.
This biblical story anticipates the story of bringing the great sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of men.Like Abraham, God did not spare his son for the redemption of the human race.This story also describes the Bible (New Testament).It significantly changes the coming of Christ life and consciousness of people, their relationship to each other.
Moses.The commandments of God
Famous biblical prophet Moses, who saved the Jewish people from Egyptian oppression, became a mediator between the people of the world and the Lord, who gave the 10 Commandments.Inscribed on two tablets, they expressed man's relationship to God and neighbor.These commandments must respect those who want to be closer to the Lord.
Before taking these sacred tablets, Moses fasted for 40 days and nights while on Mount Sinai.After receiving the commandments, the people of Israel entered into a covenant with God, in which people have to live in accordance with God's law.
Ark of the Covenant
to store the tablets of stone, God commanded Moses to create the Ark of the Covenant.What is it and how it looks, it is of interest to many.First of all, a symbol of the union of the Lord with the Jews.Casket produced from acacia wood and overlaid with gold.In Old Testament times, it was kept in the Tabernacle (the portable temple), which God commanded his people to build.Currently, the whereabouts of the ark known.According to one version, the casket disappeared during the reign of ungodly Manasseh.The priests, wanting to protect the shrine from desecration great monarch, took her out of the tabernacle, and sent to one of the Egyptian temples.Since then, the Ark of the Covenant have not just traveled, even becoming the subject of Jewish worship.It is believed that the last refuge of the casket was one of the churches of Ethiopia.
New Testament.Changes
With the birth of Jesus Christ opened a new page of the Bible.Gospel - is the New Testament of God.The Lord came to earth simple poor man commits unprecedented miracles - healing the lepers, raise the dead.For all the benefits that Christ gives to people, they brutally crucified him on the cross, calling risible King of the Jews.But God came to earth to be resurrected, and to atone for the sins of men, to give people a new law, the main principles of which - mercy and compassion.
Thus, the Old and New Testaments together one main idea: despite all the faults, the Lord is able to forgive the man if he would bring genuine repentance, as did the thief hung on the cross next to the Son of God.
