I have one more note about my study habits: I study the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Both are equally important and I throw aside all notions that the Old Testament is no longer relevant. Where else did the New Testament teachers get their knowledge from? and where else were they teaching from?
Jesus said to the people around Him a number of times, "Have ye not read [...]?" All of His teachings and parables are based on Old Testament scriptures. Paul also says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17)." Paul didn't consider what he was writing to be "scripture". He was writing letters to his friends and the churches that he was placed in stewardship of. His letters instructed those people how they should live according to the true meaning of the Old Testament scriptures.
Again he writes, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)." The word "dividing" here is (G3718) "orthotomeo"; this is the only place it is used in the scriptures. It is an action word meaning "cut a straight path"; that is to say, use the scriptures to live a righteous life, a true life, by living assuredly for God and for Jesus Christ - without weeble-wobbling or waffering. Live genuinely, be yourself, be assured that God made you the way He wanted you, and live to be good to each other. That's how I read it. It doesn't mean that the Old Testament should be lopped off from the New to me.
But why should it mean that? God says in the Old Testament, "I am the Lord, I change not (Malachi 3:6);" and this is echoed by Paul in the New Testament when he writes, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8)." So it would seem to me that both Old and New Testaments go hand in hand. It would be like plugging your ears to two-thirds of God's instruction to us, and plugging my ears is something that I aim to stay away from. I aim to see the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth - to cut a straight path to it - and God does help me. God bless.
