Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Tiffany Vergon, David Widger
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
"Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free"
During the past generation the Old Testament has commanded equally withthe New the enthusiastic and devoted study of the great body of biblicalscholars throughout the world. Two out of every three graduate studentsin our universities who specialize in the general field of biblicalliterature choose the Old as the special centre of their work. At thesame time the tendency of the rank and file of the Christian churchwithin the past decade has undoubtedly been to neglect the olderTestament. Preachers as a rule select less than a fourth of their textsfrom it; the prevailing courses of Bible study devote proportionatelyless time to it; and teachers and scholars in the great majority ofcases turn to the Old Testament with much less enthusiasm than theydo to the New. Why are these two great currents setting in oppositedirections, and what are the causes of the present popular neglect ofthe Old Testament? If the Old Testament should be relegated to a secondplace in our working canon of the Bible, let us frankly and carefullydefine our reasons. If, on the other hand, the prevailing apathy andneglect are due to ignorance of the real character and value of the OldTestament, let as lose no time in setting ourselves right.
The present volume has been suggested by repeated calls from ministerialbodies, popular assemblies, and groups of college students for addresseson the themes here treated. The aim has been to give in concise, popularform answers to some of the many questions thus raised, with theconviction that they are in the mind of every thoughtful man and womanto-day, and especially on the lips of earnest pastors, missionaries,and Sunday-school teachers. There are indications on every side ofa deepening and far more intelligent interest in the needs andpossibilities of religious education. Its vital importance to the lifeof the Church and the nation is being understood as never before.Earnest and fruitful efforts are being put forth to improve the methodsand courses of instruction. The first essential, however, is a trueunderstanding and appreciation of that Book of Books, which willforever continue to be the chief manual "for teaching, for reproof, forcorrection, for instruction, in righteousness, that the man of Godmay be perfect, completely fitted for every good work." The supremeimportance and practical value of the New Testament are recognized byall, but we usually forget when we quote the familiar words of Paul thathe had in mind simply the Scriptures of the Old Testament.
In divine Providence mighty forces have been quietly at work during thepast century removing false rabbinical traditions and misconceptionsthat had gathered about these ancient Scriptures, while from othersources has come new light to illumine their pages. The result is thatin the Old Testament the Christian world is discerning a new heritage,the beauty and value of which is still only half suspected even byintelligent people. This fact is so significant and yet so littlerecognized that one feels impelled to go out and proclaim it on thehousetops. The Old Testament can never be properly presented from thepulpit or in the class-room while the attitude of preacher and teacheris apathetic and the motive a sense of duty