The Bible is separated into numerous books; however, the main classification refers to the Old and New Testaments. Despite being the parts of a single entity, the Testaments, in many ways, differ from one another, reflecting the way Christian people lived during different ages. Consequently, the application of the “compare and contrast” method will allow identifying these differences in the lives of contemporary Christians.
In order to make the subject as transparent as possible, there is a need first to identify what is meant by “compare,” “contrast,” and “contemporary.” Sopiah defines the “compare and contrast” method as a tool to elaborate on ways in which subjects can be similar or different (20). In this context, “to compare” represents a generalized approach aimed at the identification of specific features of the given subjects. It involves assessing them in terms of certain criteria and summarizing the findings. Then, “to contrast” would mean analyzing the findings and determining the similarities and differences. It is essential to not only focus on how the subjects are similar or different but support the conclusions with meaningful arguments regarding the subjects as well.
In the framework of the Old and New Testaments and Christian life, “contemporary” plays a crucial distinguishing role. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “contemporary” can be understood dually. Its first meaning implies something “marked by characteristics of the present period” (Merriam-Webster 1.1). Thus, it would require comparison and contrast to what is present at the moment in Christian society. In turn, the second meaning implies something “happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time” (1.2). Therefore, it emphasizes the Christian life at the time of the Testaments’ creation.
The Old Testament is considered the basis of the present-day Judeo-Christian faith. Apart from various real-life stories, it talks about the world’s creation history, the Israelites’ exodus, and the Ten Commandments (Stuhlmacher). In addition, several books of the Old Testament foretell the arrival of the Messiah and the world’s end. The function of this text was to teach people through people’s experiences throughout history (Stuhlmacher). Overall, the grandiosity and epic of contained stories manifest God’s power and showcase how small and insignificant a single person can be. In many ways, the Old Testament resembles the God-fearing nature of people of that time who attempted to understand the world around them but lacked the tools and knowledge, thus seeking guidance from above.
In turn, the New Testament is rather grounded – it focuses on the Christian church and the life and teachings of Jesus. Its stories are narrated through gospels, emphasizing the importance of Jesus’s sacrifice (Stuhlmacher). Due to it being written in Greek, the Christians could carry Jesus’s message beyond the Jewish world, making a huge impact on human history and society. Compared to the Old Testament, the New one contains revolutionary inclusivity concerning race, class, gender, and sexuality (Stuhlmacher). Other differences in terms of “less-demanding” rituals, such as baptism instead of circumcision and repentance instead of lamb sacrifice, indicate the civilized changes in Christian lives. Ultimately, the function of the New Testament was to inspire people to follow Jesus’s example more closely.
The trends mentioned in the New Testament continue to influence Christian society even today. Tolerance and forgiveness are the key virtues that are greatly valued in contemporary Christian practice. Moreover, the rituals, gospels, and parables presented in the New Testament are still preserved as well. However, modern society would not allow any violence depicted in many stories of both Testaments, making a substantial distinction between contemporary and past Christian lives.
The comparison of the three instances of “contemporary” Christian societies yielded significant differences. People contemporary to the Old Testament were the most God-fearing and were more concerned with the world outside human society. Contemporaries of the New Testament shifted their focus inward, accentuating the example of Jesus in everyday lives. This tendency and values continued to influence Christian society and manifested in the modern state of inclusivity, tolerance, forgiveness, and non-violence.
Works Cited
“Contemporary.” Merriam-Webster. Web.
Stuhlmacher, Peter. Biblical theology of the New Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2018.
Sopiah, Siti. “Writing Compare and Contrast Essay: An Error Analysis in Punctuation (A Case Study at Nasional Pasim University, Bandung).” Jurnal Sastra-Studi Ilmiah Sastra, vol. 9, no.1, 2019, pp. 19-28. Web.