What is the main difference between Old Testament and New Testament?
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Frank S. answered • 01/19/21
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In many ways they are very different - the Old Testament is written in two languages (Hebrew and Aramaic), is much longer (39 books), and focuses primarily on the nation of Israel - but for those who have studied both, there is a beautiful symmetry between the two showing that there are more similarities than differences.
From the very first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, there is a promise of a Coming One who will crush the head of the serpent and bring things back to the way they were in Eden (Gen. 3:15). After that promise, there is an expectation of this Savior, this Messiah, to the point where the Talmud declares: "All of the prophets, all of them, did not prophesy except for the days of Messiah." So, when one reads the New Testament, although written in a different language (Greek) and much shorter (27 books), there is the idea that the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament has finally come in the New Testament, thus fulfilling much of what was written beforehand. In point of fact, the New Testament quotes the Old Testament over 400 hundred times; not including allusions, comparisons, and indirect references.
If one were to not take the two as connected, then it's simplistic enough to say the Old Testament is for those who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah and the New Testament is for those who do (and those who do accept the OT as well).
Old is in Hebrew, New in Greek
both though have some Aramaic.
Jews accept only the Old, not the New. Christians accept both. Muslims believe both are corrupted.
The Old is longer. 39 books, to New's 27, although Jews group the Old into 22, Christians group the Old into 39 books.
The deity of the Old appears more into fire & brimstone justice, while the diety of the New seems more merciful
The Old is more into the Law, the New not so much
They have a red letter edition of the New. But nothing comparable for the Old
Rachel V. answered • 03/16/21
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The Old and New Testament have one story with two perspectives. The story is the story of Redemption through Jesus Christ. And the two perspectives are before Jesus came and after He came.
the Old Testament says that a Messiah is coming. The New, that the Messiah has come.
Another major difference is the difference between the law and grace. In the Old Testament, the law was there to show us that we needed a Saviour. Because no one on the planet can keep the whole law—no matter how good you are. The law also required the sacrifice of animals—namely lambs—which was a picture of Jesus who would come as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. In the New Testament, the Bible shows that we are no longer under the law but under grace. Instead of needing a priest to get to God for us, we as Christians have direct access to God through Jesus Christ.
Fawzy S. answered • 01/08/21
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The Old Testament is the Jew Bible, but the New Testament is the teaching of Jesus. Both Old and Testaments formulate the Christian Bible.
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Sorita D.
How the Hebrew Scriptures, as part of the inspired Word of God, were copied, preserved as to textual integrity, and transmitted down to this day.The original documents in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages were recorded by God’s human secretaries, from Moses in 1513 B.C.E. down to shortly after 443 B.C.E. The 39 divinely inspired books from Genesis to Malachi, according to the common arrangement today, constitute the major portion of the Bible.The importance of the Hebrew Scriptures cannot be overemphasized, for without their law code, history, and prophecies, much in the Christian Greek Scriptures would be doubtful in meaning. (Lu 24:27, 44) “For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction.” “Now these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived.” Without the Hebrew Scriptures we would be lacking many details about man’s origin, the cause of death, and the Edenic promise that the Serpent’s head will be crushed by the seed of the woman. Without the Hebrew Scriptures we would not know many details about such things as the Noachian Flood, why blood is sacred, God’s covenant with Abraham, how Jehovah fought for his covenant people, and the history of the pictorial theocratic kingdom.--- The Fountain of Greek Manuscripts. The 27 canonical books of the Christian Scriptures were written in the common Greek of the day. However, the book of Matthew was apparently written first in Biblical Hebrew, to serve the Jewish people. The fourth-century Bible translator Jerome states this, saying that it was later translated into Greek. Matthew himself probably made this translation—having been a Roman civil servant, a tax collector, he without doubt knew Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.—Mark 2:14-17.When it came time to combine these books of the Christian Greek Scriptures into a single volume, they were not assembled in the order in which they were written. Rather, they were put in a logical arrangement according to subject matter, which can be classified as (1) the five historical books of the Gospels and Acts, (2) the 21 letters, and (3) the Revelation. The four Gospels (the word “Gospel” meaning “good news”), written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, give us a fourfold historical account of the life and activity of Jesus, each account being an independent report. The first three of these are sometimes called synoptic (meaning “like view”) because they have a relatively similar approach to Jesus’ ministry in comparison with John’s Gospel, yet each reflects individualism on the part of the writer. John’s Gospel fills in certain details omitted by the other three. The Acts of Apostles then follows in logical sequence, carrying the history of the Christian congregation as established at Pentecost on down nearly 30 years after the death of Jesus. The congregation’s inner workings, its problems, its public preaching, its other privileges, and its hopes are dealt with in the 21 letters that follow the historical section. Paul is named as the writer of 13 letters. The letter to the Hebrews is also generally ascribed to Paul. Following these writings is a group of letters, most of which were written to all the congregations in general, by James, Peter, John, and Jude. Lastly, as a delightful climax to the whole Bible, is the Revelation with its preview of profound events of the future.04/13/21