What Do We Do with the Old Testament?

Last updated on: December 10, 2019 at 7:00 am by Kelley Mathews

What Do We Do with the Old Testament? 2019-12-09T10:45:50-06:00 Kelley Mathews

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Dr. Carmen Imes

In my experience as a Bible teacher at church, I’ve seen a trend toward New Testament teaching over Old Testament, which has led to some level of biblical illiteracy. How can your book help illuminate the importance and relevance of the Old Testament to the average church-goer?

Carmen: It is impossible to read the New Testament well without a good grasp of the Old Testament. Understanding the Old Testament helps us to enter the New Testament story with a new set of lenses so that we can fully appreciate who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish. Our view of Jesus has been largely shaped by modern, Western needs and priorities (e.g., alleviating my personal sense of guilt, giving me hope, determining my eternal destiny). These are quite foreign to the world of the Old Testament, where the major concerns are more communal and tangible (e.g., covenant faithfulness, reconciliation with God, the quest for wisdom, and the fulfillment of God’s promises of land, descendants, and blessing to Abraham and the throne for David). I hope that my book will connect readers to this story in a way that will inform not only their reading of the New Testament, but also illuminate how they are meant to participate in this grand story.

How does your concept affect Christian discipleship and life as the people of God?

Carmen: Christians need to rediscover that following Jesus is not just personal. It connects us to a faith community with very public consequences. What we do matters, not just for us, but for all those around us. Who we are is rooted in God’s words to Israel at Sinai. We are his “treasured possession” and a “kingdom of priests,” covenant titles that Peter applies to Gentile believers in 1 Peter 2:9-10. That means we bear his name among the nations.

Who is your main audience?

Carmen: Bearing God’s Name is suitable as supplementary reading for undergraduates or seminary students, but it also works well for individuals or church small groups. Each chapter includes discussion questions, suggested Bible passages to read, and QR codes that link to videos from The Bible Project. I’ve already heard from a wide range of readers—from teenagers to seminary professors—who say that they thoroughly enjoyed reading it and found it helpful.

How can folks find your book?

It’s available directly from InterVarsity Press or on Amazon. Christian Audio is also producing an audiobook.

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