Is there any explanation for Gods change in character between OT, NT & Now?

[St0ne]

Cold blooded killer to barely there father to seemingly non-existant.

Mabye God died? I've never known of anything to last forever.

 

[hero]

god has always been the same, it us that change to meet him

 

[hero]

in the beginning god had one command and that was not to eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. god has alway been love, but has had to make new ways for us to be with him throughout history because of mans disobedience and pride.

 

[hero]

Cold blooded killer to barely there father to seemingly non-existant.

Mabye God died? I've never known of anything to last forever.

God gave moses the commamanments in order to show how to live and make up for what they had done, but instead of using the knowledge of how to live in doing right they used right to identify wrong. and because again of their pride do what they were told not to.

 

[cardero]

God offers paradise then takes it away then has His son announce that it is on again and is coming soon.



God floods the earth then promises to not do it again but leaves us with they prophesy that He will bring and end to all those who are ruining the earth.



God favors the Jews but has been currently known to switch teams.



God gives Moses 10 commandments than Jesus releases everyone from that Mosaic Law when he arrives.



God, (after many millennium) is a spiritual entity and decides to take on the physical form of Jesus.



God after allowing Satan to exist in heaven hurls the Serpent down to earth.



Is there an explanation for this? God only knows. Evidence of a changing God is just something that we will all have to get used to.

 

[mormonman]

God offers paradise then takes it away then has His son announce that it is on again and is coming soon.



God floods the earth then promises to not do it again but leaves us with they prophesy that He will bring and end to all those who are ruining the earth.



God favors the Jews but has been currently known to switch teams.



God gives Moses 10 commandments than Jesus releases everyone from that Mosaic Law when he arrives.



God, (after many millennium) is a spiritual entity and decides to take on the physical form of Jesus.



God after allowing Satan to exist in heaven hurls the Serpent down to earth.



Is there an explanation for this? God only knows. Evidence of a changing God is just something that we will all have to get used to.

1. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where God takes paradise away. References please.

2. I don't see any change. God promised us that he would never flood the Earth agian. So what. At the end the bad people will be burned w/ fire.

3. God loves the gentiles too.

4.God didn't come down as Christ. Christ is Christ. God is God. They are 2 separate beings.

5. Satan was a spirit child of God that led the rebelion that caused that 1/3 of the host of Heaven to be cast to hell. No change here. God's just doing his job.

Once God became God he is incapable of change. He is perfect.

 

[benjosh]

Cold blooded killer to barely there father to seemingly non-existant.

Mabye God died? I've never known of anything to last forever.

If God has died it is because we have created him in our image.


BenJosh

 

[benjosh]

God favors the Jews but has been currently known to switch teams.



God gives Moses 10 commandments than Jesus releases everyone from that Mosaic Law when he arrives.

Is there an explanation for this? God only knows. Evidence of a changing God is just something that we will all have to get used to.

God gives Moses 10 commandments then Jesus kicked the law up a notch. The ten say do not commit adultery, Jesus says if you lust you commit adultery.


God hasn't changed. The question is if we understand HIs mercy/judgment paradox.

You are saying God is all mercy. Imagine if our civil laws were all mercy. Gangs would rule. Life would be one big drive by. (I almost said drive buy. And, I think that is just as true).

BenJosh

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

God has not changed
It is mans beliefs that have changed.
God sent Jesus to teach the truth to a confused world.
His message is as true today as it always was.
man still tries to twist his message to make things easier for himself.


Terry________________________
Blessed are the pure of heart, they shall behold their God.

 

[jewscout]

HaShem has not changed, only our understanding of Him. Though our finite understanding of the world is growing we still have much to understand about that which is infinite.

 

[Valjean]

SSRIs?

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

It appears to this reader of the Bible that the God of the Old Testament was clearly a war-like, mysogenistic, Judea-centric figure, who advocated on numerous occasions the genocide of opposing tribes.

Then along comes Jesus, and preaches a message of peace, and love, and inclusiveness, opening up the gates of Heaven for the first time to those who were not born Jews.

In the OT, and even up to the time of Jesus, supernatural miracles are commonplace, tho they are nonexistent since the time of the enlightenment. God feared men at the Tower of Babel, God is jealous, and wrathful in several stories from the Old Testament, but becomes a loving and caring God in the New Testament, with the teachings of Jesus.

Nobody with any degree of intelligence and intellectual honesty can really say there is no difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. How did man change in such a way as to allow Gentiles to receive God's grace? How is a different understanding on the part of humans, changing the fact that in the OT Jews were required to follow the Law, while in the New Testament, belief in Jesus became the proving ground for receiving everlasting life?

B.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

A very good book on the topic is Paul's Use of the Old Testament by E. Earle Ellis.

Deut. 6.4-5
4"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.[a] 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might

Leviticus 19:18
"'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

New Testament

1. Matthew 5:43
   [ Love for Enemies ] "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
   Matthew 5:42-44 (in Context) Matthew 5 (Whole Chapter)
2. Matthew 19:19
   Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "
   Matthew 19:18-20 (in Context) Matthew 19 (Whole Chapter)
3. Matthew 22:39
   And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
   Matthew 22:38-40 (in Context) Matthew 22 (Whole Chapter)
4. Mark 12:31
   The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
   Mark 12:30-32 (in Context) Mark 12 (Whole Chapter)
5. Mark 12:33
   To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
   Mark 12:32-34 (in Context) Mark 12 (Whole Chapter)
6. Luke 10:27
   He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "
   Luke 10:26-28 (in Context) Luke 10 (Whole Chapter)
7. Romans 13:9
   The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
   Romans 13:8-10 (in Context) Romans 13 (Whole Chapter)

1. Galatians 5:14
   The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
   Galatians 5:13-15 (in Context) Galatians 5 (Whole Chapter)
2. James 2:8
   If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
   James 2:7-9 (in Context) James 2 (Whole Chapter)

 

[angellous_evangellous]

It appears to this reader of the Bible that the God of the Old Testament was clearly a war-like, mysogenistic, Judea-centric figure, who advocated on numerous occasions the genocide of opposing tribes.

Then along comes Jesus, and preaches a message of peace, and love, and inclusiveness, opening up the gates of Heaven for the first time to those who were not born Jews.

In the OT, and even up to the time of Jesus, supernatural miracles are commonplace, tho they are nonexistent since the time of the enlightenment. God feared men at the Tower of Babel, God is jealous, and wrathful in several stories from the Old Testament, but becomes a loving and caring God in the New Testament, with the teachings of Jesus.

Nobody with any degree of intelligence and intellectual honesty can really say there is no difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. How did man change in such a way as to allow Gentiles to receive God's grace? How is a different understanding on the part of humans, changing the fact that in the OT Jews were required to follow the Law, while in the New Testament, belief in Jesus became the proving ground for receiving everlasting life?

B.

Anyone with any degree of intelligence and intellectual honesty will also see many congruencies between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. God's purposes change, but the theme of redemption and love is present throughout the Hebrew Bible. The Jews today don't follow a vengeful war-god, but the God of Promise, which God has always been, with a redemptive plan for humanity.

 

[jewscout]

Anyone with any degree of intelligence and intellectual honesty will also see many congruencies between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. God's purposes change, but the theme of redemption and love is present throughout the Hebrew Bible. The Jews today don't follow a vengeful war-god, but the God of Promise, which God has always been, with a redemptive plan for humanity.

i agree...when Jesus teaches that loving others is a great commandment, one of the greatest, he is simply reciting Torah.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

i agree...when Jesus teaches that loving others is a great commandment, one of the greatest, he is simply reciting Torah.

Thanks... but this leaves me wondering... the Jews do find a consistant message of redemption and the promise of redemption in biblical intepretation as well as in the festivals and holy days, right?

EDIT: My point is that from the Jewish perspective, the New Testament is not a change in God's character as it is a theological development (like the idea of the Messiah being the Son of G-d).

 

[michel]

HaShem has not changed, only our understanding of Him. Though our finite understanding of the world is growing we still have much to understand about that which is infinite.

I agree; add to that the fact that the O.T was "an innacurate history book", and the fact that Jesus lived on Earth (and it is through his teachings that we understand our faith).

As far as his 'leaving us to it' is concerned, that is his way........we need to learn to have faith in him, and if he kept on appearing, faith would be all too easy.

 

[jewscout]

Thanks... but this leaves me wondering... the Jews do find a consistant message of redemption and the promise of redemption in biblical intepretation as well as in the festivals and holy days, right?

EDIT: My point is that from the Jewish perspective, the New Testament is not a change in God's character as it is a theological development (like the idea of the Messiah being the Son of G-d).

there is a message of redemption in the torah and Judaism, yes.

He is a G-d of redemption and salvation, however the manner in which this will occur is different in the 2 faiths.

there are greater differences between how the 2 faiths view G-d, and whether you see it as in the scripture or theological development is up for debate.
to me it's an apples and oranges thing...it's different but we are still looking at fruit.
i hope that makes some sense.

 

[jewscout]

I agree; add to that the fact that the O.T was "an innacurate history book", and the fact that Jesus lived on Earth (and it is through his teachings that we understand our faith).

As far as his 'leaving us to it' is concerned, that is his way........we need to learn to have faith in him, and if he kept on appearing, faith would be all too easy.

well i don't view the Torah as being so much a history book as it is meant as a guide to live a life of holiness and closeness to HaShem.

i mean the Artscoll Chumash blows through supposedly around 2000 years from Adam to Abraham in like 50 pages...that's some pretty bad historical work if that's its purpose.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

there is a message of redemption in the torah and Judaism, yes.

He is a G-d of redemption and salvation, however the manner in which this will occur is different in the 2 faiths.

there are greater differences between how the 2 faiths view G-d, and whether you see it as in the scripture or theological development is up for debate.
to me it's an apples and oranges thing...it's different but we are still looking at fruit.
i hope that makes some sense.

It makes sense. We certianly have our differences, but I am confident that Jews today do not see themselves as following a war-mongering G-d as described in the OP, but a loving G-d who is generally in character a G-d similar to the NT: loving, caring, etc.