What is the Old Testament?

• A. The second part of the Christian Bible
• B. A collection of Paul's letters
• C. The New Testament exclusively
• D. The first part of the Christian Bible, consisting of the sacred writings of the Jewish people

Answer: (D)

Understanding what the Old Testament is helps you see its place in the Bible. It is the first part of the Christian Bible and contains the sacred writings of the Jewish people, spanning genres like law, history, poetry, and prophecy from Genesis to Malachi. These books lay the foundation for God’s creation, human sin, the covenant with Israel, and expectations that point forward to the Messiah. The other options point to parts of the Bible that come after Jesus’ life and teaching: the New Testament focuses on Jesus and the early church, Paul’s letters are a subset of the New Testament writings, and calling the New Testament exclusively the Bible misses the distinct collection that precedes it. So the correct description is that the Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, consisting of the sacred writings of the Jewish people.