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If God never changes, then why is the Old Testament God different than the New Testament Jesus?

E

ecman51`

Member
  • Would Jesus have turned some woman into a pillar of salt? Sent a flood? Killed first born sons of the Egyptians? Honored laws found in the Book of Deuteronomy?
It is like two different Gods existed during two different time periods. Yet, like I said, it says (somewhere) in the Bible that God is an unchanging God. And God is a "just" God. Sure glad I wasn't living in the Old Testament times.

And figure THIS one: Why would God, in the beginning, have sentenced all of mankind to death, just because Adam and Eve chose to believe the snake, rather than God? I wouldn't have disobeyed God!!! How could anyone but a fool believe some snake, over your very creator?
 
A

Absolute Zero

fon memories
My personal belief is that christans peverted the text when it was translated and added stuff like omnibenbnavlance and stuff like satan is evil and he makes you do bad stuff booooo inorder to a control the masss at the time,pre christans stupidely miss or took out of conetext what was.meant to be and wanted it to be a about good and evil so that the masses could aligin themselves with the church for money etc ala reformation and martin luthors laws on paymeants of sin.
 
Pegg

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
ecman51` said:
  • Would Jesus have turned some woman into a pillar of salt? Sent a flood? Killed first born sons of the Egyptians? Honored laws found in the Book of Deuteronomy?
It is like two different Gods existed during two different time periods. Yet, like I said, it says (somewhere) in the Bible that God is an unchanging God. And God is a "just" God. Sure glad I wasn't living in the Old Testament times.
Click to expand...

the mosaic law was only given to the descendents of Abraham and they accepted the terms given to them. Those laws did not apply to all the nations, God did not demand such justice from the nations beside Israel...that implies that those laws of justice must have been for a certain purpose.

and the fact that they did not apply to anyone (even Gods servants) before the law was given shows that God really has not changed at all. He didnt demand all mankind live and die by those laws back then, just as he doesnt today....thats why Christians did not impose the mosaic law on Christs followers. The same God who gave them to Israel, did not give them to anyone else.
 
abinormal

abinormal

Member
My only thought is that the bible was written by man, and man is imperfect. I was a christian, a born-again, jumped through the hoops, and I did believe, I truly did. My issues arose when I began reading the bible word for word. There were all those good things I'd been taught, but the things I hadn't heard from friends or preachers, bible studies, were also there.

I just couldn't have blind (dumb) faith, that is how I see it, I was "supposed" to believe all the good stuff they wanted to fill my head with, but ignore the rest? I don't think so, I couldn't.

I am lost in a way now, I am heart-broken, as someone that's been lied to by omission. The worse part is the way christians turned their backs on me, or dummy up when I asked one, too, many questions. That's how I see it. I am not angry at other christians because I think they are only doing what I did, pass on the "good" news of what the bible says, but they don't read it all themselves. Maybe I'm wrong, but that is where I am today.
 
abinormal

abinormal

Member
well yes, but as you know, christian teaching is that all those authors were inspired by the holy spirit. I wanted to also add that there is some fear attached to the change in my beliefs, or lack of beliefs, and that is the part where christians talk about the holy spirit being removed from a person. Solomon was said to have lost the Spirit of God, not in those words, but I think it said "died apart" from God. Saul (not Paul) but King before David was said to have lost the Holy Spirit, or it was taken from him.

So of course, I think of that too. Call me brain-washed, but I'm just struggling about this in many ways because of those "years" of teaching. Is anyone reading this could maybe help me talk about it? Christians aren't very willing, I mean they'll talk to me to a point, and then, well, I told you above what happens:(
 
Moni_Gail

Moni_Gail

ELIGE MAGISTRUM
The OT was written by keen monotheists. Everything that occurred was due to God, the good and the bad. Furthermore, The cultural context within which they were written were vastly different; even the genres evolved over such a long period. For myself, the concepts of original sin and the exodus never did sit well with me. The worst part about the exodus was God hardening the pharaoh's heart. It implies that had he not, the pharaoh would have complied immediately. However, the exodus is a conflict myth, a genre or literary device. In the exodus, the pharaoh represents a foreign god; a god that Yahweh defeats in a cosmic battle via the misery of this god's people - the Egyptians. As to Genesis, it too is another genre - it is etiological, it explains why agriculture was so difficult and our own mortality.

In the second creation myth (Genesis 2), which is the oldest version, there was no sin (the honor of the first sin belongs solely to Cain), there was no punishment in the garden. Adam and Eve were created to till the land. They were cast out of the garden to do the job they were made for and to avoid them eating from the tree of life and gaining immortality. This tale explains why we don't live forever. Furthermore, their life was so bound up in agriculture that their metaphors reflect this way of life. Creation itself is one agricultural metaphor, but this myth also explains the burden and hardship of agriculture - barren lands.

Eating the fruit of good and evil (by the way, this saying is the same as our "A to Z") represents their maturation. The first thing they notice is their nudity, their budding sexuality. There is no curse of pain in childbirth, simply an explanation that it is painful. The only thing cursed in this instance is the serpent. At its core, this tale it explains why things are the way they are. For example, pain in childbirth, mortality, our fear of snakes, the hardship of agriculture, and so on.

I always find myself wondering why we don't give the ancient Hebrews credit for having an imagination and telling stories that spoke to the mysteries of life. When we speak of Native religions, we rarely assume that they take it literally and appreciate the metaphors. Why must the Hebrews be any different?
 
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