I have a theory; What do you think?

Question

This may be a bit controversial, but please try to have an open mind here. I have a theory for explaining the dramatic difference between the nature of the God of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ.
The God of the Old Testament was merciful, but when He got mad He GOT MAD. Many people died by God's wrath and that seemed to be the only way He knew of to reign His wayward people in. The enemies of God were utterly destroyed-- men, women and children.
Then shift to the Gospels in the New Testament. We have Jesus, the Son of God, preaching compassion and forgiveness above all else, even to the point of overturning large portions of the harsh Moseic Law. His followers, after his death, went and ministered to the Gentiles (non-Jews, as opposed to conquering and destroying them.
And Jesus was human. He was God, but still human. He was subjected to everything we are (hunger, temptation, grief).
When Jesus walked, God learned what it meant to be human. Any thoughts here?

Answer 1

"This may be a bit controversial, but please try to have an open mind here. I have a theory for explaining the dramatic difference between the nature of the God of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ."

Cool, let's see what you have. I might want to say that I do not see a difference, just to let you know. ( ;

"The God of the Old Testament was merciful, but when He got mad He GOT MAD. Many people died by God's wrath and that seemed to be the only way He knew of to reign His wayward people in."

I find that maybe not as Jesus walked, but after, there wa still judgement for sin manifesting on the Earth. Certain people in the book of Acts were judged by God for certain sins. I can't go into them now, but there were three instances that I can renmember. I hate to sound so dogmatic, but I read the whole Bible trying not to allow any stone to lay where I find it. It's probably impossible to look everywhere and know everything about it, but it keeps me busy! I do find a compassionate God in the OT.

"The enemies of God were utterly destroyed-- men, women and children."

God was trying to teach them something, and it's for us to learn those lessons. I think that the main one is that God owns it all. It's all his. But there are other lessons to learn as well that I don't want to get into right now.

"Then shift to the Gospels in the New Testament. We have Jesus, the Son of God, preaching compassion and forgiveness above all else, even to the point of overturning large portions of the harsh Moseic Law."

God did that in the OT as well. Remember someone saying, God never changes? Well Jesus is God and he was a human representative of God. He said, " If you've seen me, you have seen the Father." Again, I could go into more, but time restricts.
I just want to touch on one thing here; that a part of the expectations that the Pharisees had were based upon the Talmud, not the Law of Moses.

"His followers, after his death, went and ministered to the Gentiles (non-Jews, as opposed to conquering and destroying them."

Jesus also did that in John 4, where he stayed with them for two days after taking with the Samaritan woman next to Jacob's well. I'm only saying that to link it to John 3, where it says, " For God so loved the world . . ."

"And Jesus was human. He was God, but still human. He was subjected to everything we are (hunger, temptation, grief)."

I find that that's true too. I wonder what that felt like? Tempted, but without sin.

"When Jesus walked, God learned what it meant to be human."

God didn't need to learn. He is not like a Dr. Frankenstein who didn't know what his creation might do. God knows everything.
So I would differ from your theory at that point.

Answer 2

If god needed to learn what being human was like, then he wasn't omniscient to begin with. This argument, by necessity, turns him into a limited and only moderately well-informed being rather than an all-powerful smiter.

Jesus turns up in the bible because the authorities realised that people were reacting less to empty threats of lightning and turning-into-salt and what have you. So rather than have people lose respect for a god that just didn't seem to be around any more, the new testament provides both - something to be scared of to appeal to the lower cranial instincts, and someone to aspire to for the higher thinkers.

Answer 3

You're not the first to put forward this theory - Philip Yancey speculates about this is one of his books (can't remember which, sorry - I've got it somewhere).

I don't think I actually agree with it, mainly because it imposes a limitation on God that I don't believe fits with His omniscience.

I think the reason for the difference is that once Jesus came and died for us, the price for our sin had been paid and therefore He was no longer constrained by justice - Christ had freed the Father to reach out in mercy and grace.

What do you think? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Answer 4

The Bible is clear that God has infinite mercy and love, but also the sword of righteousness. It seems like a lot of people want God to be just the love part, without justice, even wrath, so they disregard the OT. Interesting question.

Answer 5

God is not ignorant.

Jesus took the responsibility and died for our unrighteousness. God spoke about Jesus at his baptism and said 'this is my son with whom Im well pleased' which means if we accept Jesus, he is our mediator and stands in the gap where man had previously fallen short of the law. In short Jesus made a way for us all to be united with God our Father not through the law (which no man ever lived up to except Jesus himself) but through His sacrifice. Therefore we can be all accepted by God should we accept Him, Jewish or not.

Answer 6

I think you migh want to read a little more of the Bible .

Jesus condemns entire cities to dreadful deaths and to the eternal torment of hell because they didn’t care for his preaching. Matthew 11:20

Families will be torn apart because of Jesus. “Brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death." Matthew 10:21

Jesus criticizes the Jews for not killing their disobedient children according to Old Testament law. Mark 7:9

Answer 7

That does make sense. In fact, that's the theory my father goes by. He often compares humans to animals and god to humans. It's easy to get mad at a dog for chewing up a shoe or a cat for scratching up the sofa. But that's because we don't know what it is to be a cat or dog. Upon putting oneself in the dog or cat's place, though, it's easy to see that the dog may be feeling insecure so chewing makes him feel at ease. He didn't know the shoe was important as something else. It becomes easy to see that the cat scratched because her claws needed to be exfoliated and were becoming sore. She doesn't see a scratched up sofa as any uglier or functional than a new one.

As nice as that theory is, though, I can see one major flaw in the parallel. Humans didn't create dogs and cats. We have merely domesticated and observed them. God created humans. If God created humans, then he also created how we think and work. Hence, he would know what we are capable and not capable of. If humans did create dogs and cats, I doubt we would have created a dog who did not understand that shoes are not to be chewed up or a cat who needed to scratch at all. If we did create them with these flaws, then we would be cruel to be angry at them and/or punish them when they messed up.

Answer 8

Interesting theory.
However, "God learned" goes against my grain.
Here's another idea.
Man believed he could regain God's favor by works.
Be just, be righteous, etc. and God would be obliged to return man to paradise.
God said: "O.K., let's see where a system based strictly on justice leads us."
Biblical history shows its a harsh way to live.
Ephesians 2:5-9 explains a better basis for getting back to paradise:
"...by undeserved kindness YOU have been saved and this not owing to YOU, it is God’s gift. No, it is not owing to works, in order that no man should have ground for boasting.. . ."
Israelite history had as its purpose that it is better to rely on undeserved kindness, than to proceed to try and show ourselves just.

Answer 9

that, OR, the morals of society were changing, people got more civilised, and stoning people and such wasn't tenable any more. To preserve christianity, the new testament was bolted on.

I wish they would do another addendum to solve the issues that have arisen in the past 2000 years like acceptance of homosexuality, equality of women and such.

As it stands, the bible is never going to change but society changes all the time.

Answer 10

Interesting theory. It shows you are thinking and that is always good.About God learning, hmmmm --God is all powerful and all knowing, but I guess you could call it learning, he has granted free will to men, the learning is to discover what we imperfect humans do with our Blessings.

Actually, we are the ones learning until, ---if---we ever get it right.

Thanks be to God!