Re-gaining an appreciation of the Old Testament

Marcion of Sinope lived in the second century during some of the most formative years of the early church. The son of a bishop, he was also active in the church as a teacher in the region of Asia Minor. In 144 A.D., Marcion parted ways with the Christian community by starting his own movement, and by doing so, encouraged thousands through his teachings to better appreciate the Bible.

There was just one problem.

In 144 A.D., Marcion was excommunicated from the Church for heresy. What was his crime? Marcion taught his followers to reject the Old Testament entirely. His reason? Marcion thought that the Old Testament represented a god different from the New Testament. One cannot have two gods. Thus, Marcion and his followers read only selective books from the Bible and rejected the 39 books of the Old Testament entirely!

Is the cult of Marcionism still alive and active in our churches? It has become apparent to me over the last seven years of teaching Old Testament Survey that students come to my class with an under appreciation for the text and history of the Old Testament. This stems from the fact that most of their exposure to the Bible, through teaching and preaching, has come largely from the New Testament. For many of my students, the stories of the Old Testament have served as illustration material and have rarely been allowed to speak theologically. This situation falls dangerously close to what the followers of Marcion practiced in the second century.

So what can pastors and teachers do to help their congregations and classrooms grow in their appreciation for the entire Bible?  Read more