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Why did early Christians adopt the Hebrew Scriptures as the Old Testament?
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Christianity
Christ as Ruler, with the Apostles and Evangelists (represented by the beasts). The female figures are believed to be either Santa Pudenziana and Santa PrĆ”xedes or symbols of the Jewish and Gentile churches. Mosaic in the apse of Santa Pudenziana basilica, Rome, 401ā417 ce.
Early Christians adopted the Hebrew Scriptures as the Old Testament because they viewed their faith as the natural extension and fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. By incorporating these texts, the early church sought to legitimize the gospel of Jesus Christ by presenting him as the Messiah foretold by the prophets.12
The adoption of these scriptures was foundational to Christian identity for several reasons:
- Prophetic Fulfillment: The early church operated on the conviction that Jesus was the figure described in the Hebrew prophecies. They utilized the Septuagintāa Greek translation of the Hebrew Bibleāto locate and interpret these prophecies as being fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.32
- Scriptural Authority: Christians inherited the Hebrew Bible as the Word of God, viewing it as a record of God's interaction with his people at a stage of history that preceded the new covenant.4
- Orthodox Identity: The inclusion of the Old Testament served as a crucial defense against heretical movements, such as that of Marcion of Pontus, who rejected the Hebrew Scriptures. Orthodox theologians insisted that the gospel could only be understood as the fulfillment of the history of creation and redemption established in the Old Testament.4