Did GOD command the believers in the Old Testament to KILL THE APOSTATE ?

Question

"If anyone secretly entices you--even if it is your brother, your father's son or your mother's son, or your own son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your most intimate friend-- saying, "Let us go worship other gods" you must not yield to or heed any such persons. Show them no pity or compassion and do not shield them. But you shall surely KILL them; your own hand shall be first against them to execute them, and then the hand of all the people. Stone them to death for trying to turn you away from the Lord your God." (Deut 13:6-10)

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Answer 1

Kind of.

At the time, Israel was a theocracy. There is no difference between religious and civil law. There is no freedom of religion.

God is saying that proselytizing for a false religion is a crime subject to capital punishment. This was the law and justice of the time, not murder.

It is also inferred in the passage that an apostate can live if when they leave the religion of Judaism then they also leave the people of Israel and not stick around and spread sedition.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Absolutely yes.

And any person who has actually read the Old Testament knows that any other answer is simply untrue.

+++How could the God of the Universe be so cruel and blood thirsty?+++

So the question then is how could the god of the Old Testament, the "jealous god", the "vengeful god" YHWH be so cruel and so petty?

How could a deity capable of creating all galaxies, all planets and all life seem at once to have such character faults?

+++What did Jesus think?+++

Jesus asked exactly the same questions and in fact provided specific answers.

Jesus founded the Nazarenes, also known as the gnostics.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/nazarenes/nazarenes_0010.htm

Jesus believed the god of the old testament was not god, but satan, the ultimate deceiver pretending to be god.

This of course makes perfect sense, for any god that commands its followers to kill, has to be twisted and evil.

However, the Sadducee High Priests with Paul of Tarsus created the parasite religion called christianity to deceive even those who thought they follow Jesus.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/founders_christianity/founders_christianity_0000.htm

So which god do you think the Vatican worships? The universe, or the "jealous god" of the Old Testament?

Answer 3

The Old Testament was written to point us to the Answer which fulfills ALL of the legallities needed for righteousness. We can never be righteous enough to meet the requirements of a Holy God. Hence, the Old Testament was written to highlight that--we just cannot live up to the standard. The Father God knew this and prepared His Son to come to die for us. The Lord Jesus met ALL the requirements of the law for us through His death. The New Testament points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are no longer under the Law when we receive his gift of grace, having our sins washed and putting on HIS righteousness. And the New Testament reminds us, "By grace we are saved, that not of ourselves. It is a GIFT of God, so that no one shall boast." Eph. 2:8-9 Remember, a gift has to be received.