Survey Results: Old Testament vs. New Testament

A few weeks ago, I conducted an online survey asking for your thoughts about the Old and New Testaments. Here are the results.

Which is most important—the Old Testament, the New Testament, or are they equally important?

• 75.8% of respondents said that the Old and New Testaments are equally important.

• The remaining 24.2% said that the New Testament is most important.

• No respondents said that the Old Testament is most important.

Which should the Church prioritize in its teachings—the Old Testament, the New Testament, or an even mix of both?

• 62.9% answered that the Church should prioritize an even mix of both the Old and New Testaments.

• 37.1% answered that the New Testament should be prioritized.

• No respondents said that the Old Testament should be prioritized.

Is the Old Testament still relevant today? (NOTE: This question was added after several responses were already recorded; therefore, the first 6 respondents did not answer this question.)

• 89.2% answered yes or “other” with an affirmative explanation.

• 5.4% answered no or “other” with a negative explanation.

• 5.4% answered “other” and explained that some parts are relevant but others are not.

Some Interesting Findings:

• Answers between Questions #1 and #2 were consistent with only 80.7% of responses.

  • 59.7% said that the Old and New Testaments are equally important AND should be equally prioritized in the Church’s teachings.

  • 21.0% said that the New Testament is both most important and should be prioritized in the Church’s teachings.

• 16.1% said that the Old and New Testaments are equally important BUT the Church should prioritize teaching the New Testament.

• 3.2% said that the New Testament is most important, BUT the Church should prioritize the Old and New Testaments equally.

• 3.2% of responses also answered that the Old and New Testaments are equally important (half of these also said that the Old and New Testaments should be equally prioritized in the Church’s teaching, while the other half gave priority to the New Testament), BUT said that the Old Testament is not still relevant today.

The results are skewed toward the New Testament. Although the majority stated that they view the Old and New Testaments as equal, a significant portion gave greater value/emphasis to the New Testament, whereas no one gave greater value/emphasis to the Old Testament. I am not surprised with these results because they seem to be consistent with attitudes within my own faith background—the churches of Christ—and I believe most respondents come from the same faith background, based on the fact that my audience is primarily church of Christ-based and most who told me they completed the survey are members of the churches of Christ.