How could Jesus be God when Jesus was kind, but the God of the old testament was a mean murderous character?

Answer 1

They're probably two different entities. They're probably both gods, one kind and one murderous.

Either that, or the old testament god just got a bad rap, because he had crappy writers to write his story, and the new testament one got good writers.

Makes sense, because if I were Moses, and I were commanded to carry down a bunch of rocks inscribed with God's word, I'd have a bad attitude about a god who wrote on rocks, too, and I wouldn't represent him as a very kind person when I wrote about him.

Jesus never made anyone carry around a bunch of rocks.

Answer 2

Glad you asked!

It turns out, the answer is in your bible. If you'll look at the book of Mathew, you'll find out he's still got a little bit of that characteristic anger of the Lord; remember he cursed a fig tree for no good reason, just because he didn't like the way it looked. Also, remember he said "I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword. I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already". And, he gave Augustine everything he needed to unite the religions of Rome, an act which lead to more deaths than all the ones God could have possibly caused in the old testament.

It's a little odd that he reccomends violating the law (by encouraging castration, Mathew 19:11-12, which directly violates Deutoronomy 23:1-3), but he still says that the people who encourage the good 'ol "Kill your family and entire village" laws will be called "Great" in heaven (Deutoronomy 13:6-8 for the "kill your family" rule, and Mathew 5:17-20 where Jesus mentions supporting it). Maybe he meant that, when he got back to heaven, he would call himself least among men, because he broke the law of Moses and encouraged other people to do so. But then, if he was God, I guess he would really just be calling himself that name, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

One thing's for sure, though; despite reccomending people "turn the other cheek" when being beaten or tortured, Jesus has caused more death, pain, and suffering then you'll find anywhere in the Old Testament, including Judges.

If anyone could be God, he's probably the one.

EDIT: Sabrina H brought up another great point! It turns out there's a whole chapter of the bible devoted specifically to showing God killing people in the old testament who didn't deserve it! Ask, and ye shall recieve. Please read Judges 18:1-29, a story I like to call "The Massacre of the Peaceful, Unsuspecting, Unarmed People in Order to Take their Stuff"

EDIT 2: yahweh_is_the_lord brings up another good point! I'm starring this question for all the light it's shedding upon the Good Book. It turns out, of all the Murders commited in the Book of Judges (a few hundred thousand, keep in mind that there were fewer people to kill back then), it turns out only a handful of those were people that were subject to God's law (Judges 20:1-48). Everyone else killed was not part of the covenant, and whatever reason God had for wanting them dead, it wasn't because they had broken God's law

Answer 3

God does not change; he changes not. The triune God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What confuses people is that the gospel has been so watered down by traitors and cowards that the true gospel of a Holy and Just and Kind God is turned into a god that people can deal with. Jesus for example spoke more of Hell than everyone else put together. Jesus poured curses upon curses on the Pharasees who would not turned from their wicked ways. God of the Old Testament time and again showed mercy to the wicked people who betrayed Him, which is why Jeremiah and Jonah and such had such a hard time reconciling how a God Just and Holy God can promise to save those wicked ones. Read the whole bible, folks and don't just trust the tv "evangelists."

Answer 4

These papers will you give you the BEST answer of all. Click the link below and then scroll down to the links for each.

86. Early Evolution of Religion

87. The Ghost Cults

88. Fetishes, Charms, and Magic

89. Sin, Sacrifice, and Atonement

90. Shamanism - Medicine Men and
Priests

91. The Evolution of Prayer

92. The Later Evolution of Religion

93. Machiventa Melchizedek

94. The Melchizedek Teachings in the
Orient

95. The Melchizedek Teachings in the
Levant

96. Yahweh - God of the Hebrews

97. Evolution of the God Concept among
the Hebrews

98. Melchizedek Teachings in the
Occident

99. Social Problems of Religion

100. Religion in Human Experience

101. The Real Nature of Religion

Answer 5

I believe they're two different people/spirits, whatever, because they're completely different from each other. I prefer the old testament God myself because he is stern and to the point as I am.

God gave humans a big break by leaving our fate up to Jesus, if the old testament God I like showed up in the world today things would get interesting around here in a hurry.

Answer 6

In the Old Testament: You see Him as murderous, I see Him as an enforcer of His Laws, which the people kept breaking. Unlike our nations government, He knows how to run His Kingdom -- Reward the law abiding citizens and 'actually' punish the law breakers.

In the New Testament: Jesus the Christ, is salvation from the wrath, that will come to those who do not obey His Laws.

Answer 7

God isnt murderous. God is loving,being concerned,surprising and the explanation why he did those issues via fact people have been sinning too plenty or being too disrespectful.God and Jesus are father and son and are comparable to united as a million.

Answer 8

Where do you get your ideas about "the OT God" and Jesus? Certainly not the Bible.

The God of the OT says, "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Exodus 20:5-6).

And of Jesus, the NT says, "and [men] said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb [Jesus]!

Neither God of the OT nor Jesus MURDERED anyone! But God (and Jesus) PUNISHES those who do and practice evil. And besides, Jesus IS the God of the OT!!! They are one and the same person!

And Jesus said, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him" (John 14:7).

Get your facts straight before you go blindly babbling the blunder of incensed Atheists.

Answer 9

Jesus is God's son and was created in the likeness of God, Jesus was human and God is a Holy Spirit..at least thats what my religion has instructed me

Answer 10

you must worship the God inside of you. there is no other god.Jesus came to earth to teach us that, but the church of that time confused the people after they murdered Jesus the god of the church is the devil 2 thes 2verse3 ,4 John 8 verse 44 Jesus is God , we become God when we exept Jesus john 17 verse 21 john 10 verse 33,34,35,36