As we wrap this series up with part 3, there are at least five
reasons why I reject the notion that the God of the Old Testament and the
God of the New Testament are different in nature. I saved the best reason for
last, having to do with the nature of God.
First, any tension created between the God of the Old and the New
is nothing more than eisegesis or reading something into Scripture that is not supported
by the context of revelation as a whole. A telltale sign of eisegesis is that it
generates conflicts and contradictions with other portions of Scripture. We can
practically back up any idea from Scripture if we want to take a word, a verse,
a passage, a chapter, or a book out of its immediate context or out of context
with the principles of Scripture. Context is the sovereign of hermeneutics or
the art and science of the interpretation of Scripture.
A clear case of this can be made of those making a distinction
between God in the OT and the NT. What motivates someone to do this? In the case of
wrath versus love, I believe one of the motivations is a personal aversion to
accountability to God for sin bias, in my opinion. Such a position tends to see
a duality between the holiness and lovingkindness of God and forces the idea of
a distinction in the nature of God. Examples cited would be the mass killings
resulting from the global flood (Genesis 6-8), the destruction of the cities of
the plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19), deaths of the firstborn sons in Egypt (Ex 11-12), killings of the Canaanites (Num 21:2-3; Deut
20:17; Josh 6:17, 21, and the annihilation of the Amalekites (1 Sam 15).
So it is easy to see as we move into the New Testament
revelation that the idea of eternal punishment of all unbelievers is considered absurd and unthinkable to those who
only see God as a God of love (Jn 3:16), who not only loves mankind but He will
also save the pinnacle of His creation from destruction. Think about it;
according to this theology, you can have your sin and go to heaven, too! It’s
the best of both worlds! To arrive at that conclusion, however, could only
happen if the teachings of Scripture and the nature of God are completely taken
out of the context of biblical revelation. For a better understanding of this,
I recommend reading Dr. Paul Coulter’s article on “Old Testament Mass Killings” b.
Second, all Scripture
is authoritative and profitable (2 Tim 3:15-17). This
may sound like Captain Obvious, but both Testaments come from the same Author who is both holy and love (2
Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21)! Why would God present Himself as a God of
anger in one section and then portray Himself as a loving God in another unless you
see God as evolving somehow which is theologically warped to the hilt! God is eternal, infinite, and immutable. Scripture is viewed as
a unified whole and spiritually organic (Jn 8:58; Heb 4:12; 2 Tim 3:16).
Third, Paul declared the value of reading the OT (Rom 15:4; 1
Cor 10:6, 11). Now that is an interesting thought! Though we are no longer
under the old covenant, the moral laws of God transcend all and are still in force.
Paul was forever battling the Judaizers who were attempting to force circumcision,
Sabbath-keeping, observing the times and the seasons, and dietary laws into
Christianity as a mode or proof of salvation. For
any thinking that the OT is not important or relevant today because of the dominating
themes of the law of Moses and God’s supposed “anger issues,” in the OT, we only
have to read what Paul said in the above passages. In addition, Paul described
all of Scripture (primarily the OT but inclusive of any NT writing in
circulation at the time of writing 2 Timothy but ultimately including all NT
writings) as “given by inspiration” or literally, God-breathed (Gk, theopneustos,
contrast Titus 1:14).
The “sacred writings” (2
Tim 3:15-17, NASB) are indispensable to our spiritual welfare. These
writings were written to teach or instruct us to endure and be encouraged that
we might have hope (Rom 15:4). “Hope”
in the NT never carries the idea of uncertainty but positive expectation or anticipation. In addition “whatever was written in earlier
times” (Rom 15:4, NASB), provides us with admonitions or warnings about the
dangers of sin and disobedience (1 Cor 10:6, 11). I cannot stress how vital it
is that we read and learn from the Scriptures to persevere and stay encouraged so that we might keep on having hope. There is an old Russian proverb that says
that the last to die is hope. People’s hope dies when they stray from the
encouragement of the Scriptures. Let’s look at some of the spiritual benefits
surfacing from these three passages.
1.
Leads to salvation, “able
to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15).
2.
“Profitable (useful,
advantageous) for doctrine” (or teaching, 2 Tim 3:16). It provides a body of truth
to know the mind of God of those things that are necessary for life and
godliness.
3.
“Profitable (useful,
advantageous) for reproof” (2 Tim 3:16). It rebukes unscriptural belief and
behavior that is displeasing to God.
4.
“Profitable (useful,
advantageous) for correction” (or straightening up, 2 Tim 3:16). Restoring
something to its proper condition, from spiritual error to godliness.
5.
“Profitable (useful,
advantageous) for instruction (or training) in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16),
educating, training, and disciplining in godly behavior.
6.
“That the man of God
(spiritual leaders and followers) may be complete (mature),
thoroughly equipped (furnished) for every good work (for the challenges ahead
of us and godly living), 2 Tim 3:17.
7.
“For whatever things were
written before (primarily OT, inclusive of NT written and to be written) were
written for our learning (or instructions)” Rom 15.4.
8.
“That we through the
patience and comfort of the Scriptures (OT & NT) might have hope” (Rom
15:4).
9.
There is a plethora of
examples of the dangers of sin and disobedience that serve as a warning to all
of us in the OT as well as the New. It is not rocket science; obedience brings
blessings and disobedience brings trouble upon us (1 Cor 10: 6, 11).
Fourth God’s response in holiness is directly the result of sin
and rebellion, not because He is capricious and ill-tempered in nature (Psa
7:11; 145:8).
Fifth, the most cogent reason why the God of the two Testaments is
One and the same is based on the theological truth of the immutability of God. All of God’s attributes are eternal, infinite, and immutable. In
other words, God is by His very nature eternally unchanging or unchangeable
without limitations (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8; Jas 1:17).
It would be a grave
mistake to underestimate God’s attitude toward sin as a believer or an
unbeliever. Consider this; the world was destroyed by a global flood based on
the revelation the antediluvian civilization had at the time concerning God
from general revelation (Rom 1:18, 19, 20), but this was the spiritual scene of
that day (Gn 6:5).
If they died with only
general revelation (creation) available to them and the preaching of Noah (2
Pet 2:5), do you think it will go easier on the lost that have access to the
full revelation of God today both general (creation) and special revelation (Genesis
through Revelation, 66 books)? Wrath resulted in ancient times from man’s disobedience before the flood and after; one, in particular, gave the ancient world a real problem: idolatry and its attendant
vices.
If God is not the same in the OT and the NT then He would be a
liar (Mal 3:6). God is not a man that He should lie (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29;
Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18). God is reliable and unchangeable. Therefore, it can only
be concluded that God is One and the same in both the Old and New Testaments.
We should never forget that we are engaged in an ancient
spiritual warfare (Eph 6:12) that is as ugly as any physical warfare, deadly,
and unending on this side of eternity. Things are not always going to be to our
liking in this war with all the volleys of flaming arrows from the evil one
(Eph 6:16). This conflict can be seen from the earliest of times to the end of
times.
Consider examples of the wrath of God in the OT and visualize
the wrath of God coming down the pike according to John in the book
of Revelation. Only those who truly fear God tremble and are thankful that
the saints living in the Church Age (Pentecost to Rapture) will not experience
God’s wrath! Eschatologically speaking, we are living in a time of grace prior
to when God’s wrath will be poured out upon the earth, not by flood but by fire
(Dan 12:2; Mt 24:21-22; described in detail in Revelation 6-19). The next big
event is the rapture of the dead and the living in Christ; it could happen at
any moment!
The God of hesed in the OT is One and the same as
the God of agape in the NT. Isn’t this one of the most challenging things in
being like Christ for all believers: a life of consistent holiness and love!
Given the eternal, infinite, and immutable nature of God, the God of the two
Testaments is One and the same. Jesus is the express image of God’s Person
(Heb 1:3; Jn 10:30), the great I Am (Ex 3:14; Jn 8:58), Yahweh. <><
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| End of Series |
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