In the second century AD, the church father Marcion argued that the Old Testament scriptures were no longer authoritative, having been superseded by the New Testament. He therefore removed the entire Old Testament from his canon as well as any New Testament writings that supported an abiding relevance of the Old Testament for New Testament believers. He even went so far as to claim that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament were two different beings.

Needless to say, Marcion’s teachings and his canon were declared heretical. Fortunately, we as modern believers are in no danger of slipping into the error of Marcion… or are we?

As Southern Baptists, we are justifiably proud of our commitment to the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. Our adherence to a verbal/plenary view of inspiration affirms that God inspired every (“plenary” or “full”) word (“verbal”) of Scripture, not simply its ideas or concepts. The Conservative Resurgence sought to maintain the inerrancy, inspiration, and authority of the Bible, and we owe a great debt to those who fought valiantly to uphold these principles.

Yet, all too often, our practice does not accord with our principles. Over 75% of the “Wonderful Words of Life” fall within the pages of the Old Testament. But when was the last time you heard a sermon from the Old Testament? Or for that matter, when was the last time you read the Old Testament, apart from Psalms or Proverbs? All too often, in both our churches and our personal study, we have become functional Marcionites, ignoring ¾ of the text we so steadfastly defend.

While statistics alone should lead us to recognize the importance of the Old Testament, the witness of the New Testament also demands we give greater attention to this forgotten ¾ of our Bible. Jesus declared that He came not to “abolish the Law or the Prophets…but to fulfill them” (Mt. 5:17). When asked to defend himself against the charge of blasphemy, Stephen demonstrated from the Old Testament that it was his accusers who were the true blasphemers (Acts 6:8-7:53).

Paul recognized the relevance of the Old Testament when he urged the church at Corinth to remember the stories from Israel’s history that “were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:1-11). Even the cryptic language and symbolism of Revelation share more in common with the Old Testament than with today’s headlines. Simply put, the testimony of the New Testament is unanimous in its claim that it stands upon the foundation of the Old, both chronologically and theologically.

So what does this statistical majority and theological testimony mean for our churches, church plants, small groups, and Sunday schools? It means we have an obligation to read, study, teach, and preach the Old Testament. It must be given at least equal treatment with the New Testament, perhaps even greater treatment because of our unfamiliarity with it. After all, how can we understand the full implications of Jesus’ life, Paul’s teachings, or the consummation of the age without understanding the writings they claim were being fulfilled?

Whatever our theological disposition, as Southern Baptists we take pride in being “people of the book.” If we truly want to be people of the book, and to lead our churches to be the same, we must reject the practice of ¼-inspiration and devote ourselves to the consistent practice of reading, studying, teaching, and preaching the Old Testament as the Word of God.

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