The Old Testament, 'What a load of rubbish'

Recently I spoke to a member of a local church, I found what he said quite shocking in some ways. He believed that the church 'needed to make some changes' which I couldn't disagree with, but he then got down to specifics. 'We need to change our services' he said, 'the readings from the Old Testament, what a load of rubbish!' 

Others may not speak in such stark terms but deep down may feel the same. Several well-known Christian leaders have sparked controversy in recent years by suggesting that the Old Testament is not really God's revelation to us but a record of people in conversation with God. That it is not 'true' but shows mankind's interaction with the Devine, therefore there may be errors or misunderstanding in the Scriptures 

I have been seeking to look at my own view of the Old Testament and trying to define what I think of some of the challenging details that are found from Genesis and Malachi. My default position for years has been to believe that all of the Bible is God's word, that it is reliable, trustworthy, true and reveals the Gospel from first page to last. There is much I don't understand, that challenges my mind and heart, that raise more questions than it answers. But I always come back to asking the question, 'How did Jesus view the Old Testament?'

As a disciple of Jesus, a learner, a follower, an apprentice; I want to have the same attitude to the Old Testament that he did

When Jesus was born, he fulfilled the Old Testament 

As Jesus was growing up, he would have learned the Old Testament 

When Jesus went into the synagogue p, he read the Old Testament 

When Jesus was baptised, he heard God his father referenced the Old Testament 

When Jesus approached Jerusalem, the crowds shouted the Old Testament 

When he was on the cross, he quoted the Old Testament 

After Jesus rose from the dead, he explained the Old Testament 

This approach does not seem to answer all my questions, but it does root me in a person I can trust. It does seem to be a place of security from which I can search for deeper understanding 

The Old Testament is full of the revelation of Christ, as these two verses indicate. I think therefore that I will stick to this approach 

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life

John 5:39

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself

Luke 24:27

The Old Testament, a load of rubbish? That is not what Jesus thought