Reading the bible from beginning to end is a must. Until I did that, I felt like the bible contradicted itself and was full of injustice (from what I'd hear atheists quoting). Romans 11 makes it very clear that converted gentiles (us, the "goyim", the rest of the nations) are in the process of joining into a remnant of Israel. True Israelites live by Torah.
One thing no one can deny is that Jesus is our focus and the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) detail how He lived by Torah in spirit and in truth—as originally intended by the Father, not the way the Pharisees ended up abusing his law. He totally rejected man-made traditions that contradicted his Father's words; he did everything to glorify the Father and carry out his will
Carrying out the Father's will is what he taught his apostles to do. The verse I have quoted in my sig (Acts 24) is Paul speaking:
Quote:
Acts 24:14 (NIV)
14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,
This is after Jesus died, resurrected and ascended. People read the epistles (Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, etc...) and think that Paul taught against the law, but he didn't. Paul made it very clear: no one is
justified by keeping the law; but, people read that and think "oh ok, so we're free to live in contradiction to it". No /)_-'. Sustaining the community in working-order is what we should continue to do. The "world" and Our Father define that differently. So I think the Old Testament is vital information for all believers (let alone the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled). The OT is the explanation for things that are said in the new (i.e. why jesus has to sacrifice himself). Sometimes the New elaborates on the Old ( i.e. New Heavens and New Earth prophecies; the after-life, sheol and hell). You can't separate them.
edit: another big difference between the OT & NT: the Holy Spirit was not a promise given to
everyone under the old covenant. Yeshua said we could only receive it after he died and resurrected (Jn 16:7). By the time we get to Jn 20:22 he's giving the Holy Spirit to his apostles (after he resurrected). Then throughout the Book of Acts we see the various ways it came upon people to permanently dwell in them. The common thread through all of them though, is that they repented of their sins/sinful lifestyles, some had to ask for it in prayer (Acts 8:15), just like he tells us to do in Lk 11:13. It is the seal that marks us as his (Eph 4:30) and enables us to walk in his ways (Eze 36:27).
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