Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with a population of around one to two billion people globally. If you know about Christianity, you must know that Holy Bible is the Holy Book of Christianity and Christians.
There are two versions of the Bible: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Both versions of the Bible are often confused with one another due to the presence of many similarities. But it should be noted that both versions have a varied number of differences.
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Key Differences –
Old Testament –
- Old Testament is the first version of the Holy Bible.
- The Old Testament was written during 1200 – 165 B.C.
- Old Testament comprises thirty – nine books written by twenty – three authors.
- Old Testament is written in Aramaic and Hebrew languages.
- In Old Testament, God may seem less loving than in New Testament.
New Testament –
- New Testament is the second version of the Holy Bible.
- The New Testament was written during 50 – 100 A.D.
- New Testament comprises twenty–seven books written by eight authors.
- New Testament is written in the Greek language.
- In New Testament, God may seem more loving than in Old Testament.
Comparison Between Old Testament And New Testament
| Parameter | Old Testament | New Testament |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The very first version of the Holy Bible. | The second version of the Holy Bible. |
| Time Frame | It was written during 1200 – 165 B.C. | It was written during 50 – 100 A.D. |
| Language | It uses Hebrew and Aramaic languages. | It uses the Greek language. |
| No. of Books | It comprises of 39 books. | It comprises of 27 books. |
| No. of Authors | It is written by 24 different authors. | It is written by 8 different authors. |
| Authors | The authors are mainly Jewish Prophets. | The authors are mainly Jewish and Non – Jewish people. |
| God | It sees God in only one form. | It sees God in three different divine forms, i.e., God the father, God the son, and God the holy spirit. |
| Glimpses of God | It shows God’s wrath more than God’s love. | It shows God’s love more than God’s wrath. |
| Forgiveness | In order to be forgiven, the person seeking forgiveness has to bring a Lamb as an animal sacrifice. In his inability to do so, he can not be granted forgiveness. | It shows God’s love towards people seeking forgiveness. It does not require any form of animal sacrifice to be forgiven. It tells the people that people committing crimes can be forgiven. |
| Mainly talks about | It mainly revolves around the creation of the world, Jews, the Exodus of Israelis, and the Ten commandments sent to Moses by God. | It mainly revolves around the life and teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Main people | Adam, Abraham, David, Moses, and Isaiah are the main people in Old Testament. | Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, and John are the main people in New Testament. |
Major Differences Between Old Testament And New Testament
To understand the differences between Old Testament and New Testament, it is essential to first understand what Christianity is.
What exactly is Christianity?
Christianity is an Abrahamic Religion and the largest religion in the world, with followers of around Two to three billion people worldwide.
Jesus Christ is considered the founder of Christianity. Christianity revolves around the life and teachings of Lord Jesus Christ.
Christians believe in God and consider him above all and everything. Christians worship in Churches, Chapels, Basilicas, and Cathedrals. Holy Bible is the holy book of Christians.
What exactly is Old Testament?
Old Testament is the first version of the Bible which was written during 1200 – 165 B.C. This first version of the Bible talks about God and Israelis. It tells its followers how the world was created and about the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses.
In the Old Testament, we get to see God’s wrath more than God’s love. It shows God’s disgust when someone commits sin and asks him to bring a lamb for sacrifice. It also tells the world about the arrival of Jesus Christ on Earth.
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Features of the Old Testament –
- The first version of the Bible.
- Comprises 39 books written by 24 authors.
- Use of Aramaic and Hebrew languages.
- Mainly talks about the Creation of the world.
- Tells us about the exodus of people of Israelis and the given of ten commandments to Moses by God.
- Tells the reasons behind the search for Messiah Jews.
- Gives a piece of deep information about the Jews and Jewish culture.
- Talks about how a sacrifice of an animal has to be done in order to be forgiven.
- In Old Testament, we get to see God’s anger more than God’s love.
- It only considers one Lord as God.
- Tells about the arrival of the Messenger of God (Jesus) soon as its end.
What exactly is New Testament?
New Testament is the second version of the Holy Bible which was written during 50 – 100 A.D. This version of the Bible talks about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. New Testament shows God’s love more than God’s wrath.
Unlike Old Testament, New Testament shows God forgiving Sinners without any animal sacrifice. It also tells the people how salvation can be achieved with God’s help. New Law and New Covenant are the other names of the New Testament.
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Features of the New Testament –
- The second version of the Bible.
- Comprises 27 books written by eight authors.
- Use of Greek language.
- Mainly talks about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
- Tells us about how commandments were granted by means of salvation.
- Tells us how the sinners can be forgiven without any animal sacrifice.
- In New Testament, we get to see God’s love more than God’s wrath.
- Instead of seeing One Lord, it believes in Holy Trinity.
- Talks about how Jesus will save the world at its end.
- Also known as the New Law and New Covenant.
Contrast Between Old Testament And New Testament
Version
- Old Testament – The very first version of the Holy Bible is known as the Old Testament.
- New Testament – The second version of the Holy Bible, which came after the Old Testament, is known as the New Testament.
Number Of Books
- Old Testament – There are a total of 39 books in the Old Testament.
- New Testament – There are a total of 27 books in the New Testament.
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Books in Old and New Testament –
Old Testament
| Genesis | Ecclesiastes |
| Exodus | Song of Solomon |
| Leviticus | Isaiah |
| Numbers | Jeremiah |
| Deuteronomy | Lamentations |
| Joshua | Ezekiel |
| Judges | Daniel |
| Ruth | Hosea |
| 1 Samuel | Joel |
| 2 Samuel | Amos |
| 1 Kings | Obadiah |
| 2 Kings | Jonah |
| 1 Chronicles | Micah |
| 2 Chronicles | Nahum |
| Ezra | Habakkuk |
| Nehemiah | Zephaniah |
| Esther | Haggai |
| Job | Zechariah |
| Psalms | Malachi |
| Proverbs |
New Testament
| Matthew | 1 Timothy |
| Mark | 2 Timothy |
| Luke | Titus |
| John | Philemon |
| Acts of the Apostles | Hebrews |
| Romans | James |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 Peter |
| 2 Corinthians | 2 Peter |
| Galatians | 1 John |
| Ephesians | 2 John |
| Philippians | 3 John |
| Colossians | Jude |
| 1 Thessalonians | Revelation |
| 2 Thessalonians |
Authors
- Old Testament – Old Testament is mainly written by Jewish Prophets.
- New Testament – New Testament is mainly written by Jewish and Non – Jewish people.
Number Of Authors
- Old Testament – A total of 27 authors make up the 39 books of the Old Testament.
- New Testament – A total of 8 authors make up the 27 books of the New Testament.
Language
- Old Testament – Aramaic and Hebrew are the two languages used in the Old Testament.
- New Testament – Greek is the only language used in the New Testament.
Vocabulary
- Old Testament – A vocabulary of 5,800 words from the Old Testament.
- New Testament – A vocabulary of 4,800 words from the New Testament.
Main Character
- Old Testament – Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Isaiah are the main people of the Old Testament.
- New Testament – Jesus, Peter, James, John, and Paul are the main people of the New Testament.
Mainly Talks About
- Old Testament – The creation of the world, the ten commandments send to Moses by God, and the exodus of the people of Israel, are the main things that Old Testament talks about.
- New Testament – The life and teachings of Jesus Christ, mentioned in the Gospels, Salvation, are the main things that New Testament talks about.
God’s Love And Wrath
- Old Testament – We get to see God’s wrath more than his love in the Old Testament.
- New Testament – We get to see God’s love more than his wrath in the New Testament.
Sees God As
- Old Testament – Old Testament sees God as only one Lord.
- New Testament – New Testament sees God in three divine forms, i.e., God as the Father, God as the Son, and God as the Holy Spirit. It is also known as Holy Trinity.
Forgiveness
- Old Testament – Old Testament talks about animal sacrifice in order to be forgiven. It says the person seeking forgiveness must bring a lamb as a sacrifice to God. If he can not do so, he can never be forgiven.
- New Testament – In New Testament, we get to see God’s love even towards sinners who are seeking forgiveness. It talks about people who have committed sins can be forgiven without any animal sacrifice.
Jewish Culture
- Old Testament – There is a detailed description of Jews and Jewish culture in the Old Testament.
- New Testament – There is a very minimal description of Jews and Jewish culture in the New Testament.
Gospels
- Old Testament – There is no mention of the Gospels in the Old Testament.
- New Testament – There is a mention of the Gospels on a large note in the New Testament.
What Are The Gospels?
Gospels are one of the books of the New Testament which show the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. “The Truth” is the meaning of the word Gospel.
Ending
- Old Testament – Old Testament talks about the arrival of the messenger of God (Jesus) to Earth as its ending.
- New Testament – New Testament talks about how the world will be saved from Jesus as its ending.
Conclusion
Old Testament and New Testament are two parts of the Holy Bible. Due to being a part of one book, these terms are often confused and used interchangeably.
Both books are similar yet different. The Old Testament is the first version of the Holy Bible, written before the New Testament. New Testament is the second version of the Holy Bible, written after the Old Testament.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is meant by Old Testament?
Old Testament refers to the first version of the Holy Bible. It tells the followers how the world was created, Jewish Culture, the People of Israel, and the Ten Commandments sent to Moses by God.
The first version of the Holy Bible ends with telling its followers about the arrival of the messenger of God in the form of Jesus. Old Testament comprises 39 books written by 24 authors.
Q2. What is meant by New Testament?
New Testament refers to the second version of the Holy Bible. It revolves around the life and teachings of Lord Jesus Christ.
The second version of the Holy Bible ends by telling its followers about how Jesus saved the world. New Testament comprises 27 books written by eight authors.
Q3. What are the major differences between Old Testament and New Testament?
The significant differences between the Old Testament and New Testament are following –
1. Old Testament is the very first version of the Holy Bible, whereas the New Testament is the second version of the Holy Bible.
2. A total of 39 books make the Old Testament, while a total of 27 books make the New Testament.
3. Old Testament is mainly written by Jewish Prophets, whereas New Testament is written by both Jewish and Non-Jewish people.
4. A person seeking forgiveness must bring a dead lamb as a sacrifice to God in the Old Testament, while a person seeking forgiveness just has to feel repent in order to be forgiven by God in the New Testament.
5. The Old Testament shows us God’s wrath more than God’s love, whereas the New Testament shows us God’s love more than God’s wrath.
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