Explain God's apparent change from the Old Testament to the New Testament

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hampsterisk

Guest
#1
I am trying to understand more about how God operates. In my quest I realize that God appears to undergo a dramatic changes from killing thousands of people while delivering the children of Israel, to the miraculous miracles of Jesus, to the time of Paul and present day Christianity. God's change in actions suggests a change in personality, but "God is the same yesterday and today and forevermore".

How do you explain the apparent change in God's personality over time?
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,707
3,650
113
#2
I am trying to understand more about how God operates. In my quest I realize that God appears to undergo a dramatic changes from killing thousands of people while delivering the children of Israel, to the miraculous miracles of Jesus, to the time of Paul and present day Christianity. God's change in actions suggests a change in personality, but "God is the same yesterday and today and forevermore".

How do you explain the apparent change in God's personality over time?
Same God. The OT was mainly a theocracy where God used Israel as the instrument of judgment. In the NT He is using His Son who has called all to repent as there will be coming a Day of judgment where He will judge through His Son...and many will also perish. Meanwhile the program is...

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
(2Co 5:18-21)

while it is today...

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
(Heb 3:7-8)

Same God, we are in the days of His long-suffering.
 
J

jimmydiggs

Guest
#3
God didn't change. People just like to think that. God's still gonna kill alot of people. Ever read revelation? People also totally misunderstand Jesus alot. He didn't drive around galilee in a cabriolet drinking decaf talking about his feelings and listening to teenage chick music. Yet a lot of people seem to think so.
 

Mo0448

Senior Member
Jun 10, 2013
1,209
15
38
#4
Hello & welcome It is not a "change" as you perceive it to be for God does not change he is still the same. At the very heart of this question lies a fundamental misunderstanding of what both the Old and New Testaments reveal about the nature of God. The fact that the Bible is God’s progressive revelation of Himself to us through historical events and through His relationship with people throughout history might contribute to misconceptions about what God is like in the Old Testament as compared to the New Testament. However, when one reads both the Old and the New Testaments, it becomes evident that God is not different from one testament to another and that God’s wrath and His love are revealed in both testaments.

For example, throughout the Old Testament, God is declared to be a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 4:31; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5, 15; 108:4; 145:8; Joel 2:13). Yet in the New Testament, God’s loving-kindness and mercy are manifested even more fully through the fact that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Throughout the Old Testament, we also see God dealing with Israel the same way a loving father deals with a child. When they willfully sinned against Him and began to worship idols, God would punish them. Yet, each time He would deliver them once they had repented of their idolatry. This is much the same way God deals with Christians in the New Testament. For example, Hebrews 12:6 tells us that “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

In a similar way, throughout the Old Testament we see God’s judgment and wrath poured out on sin. Likewise, in the New Testament we see that the wrath of God is still “being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). So, clearly, God is no different in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament. God by His very nature is immutable (unchanging). While we might see one aspect of His nature revealed in certain passages of Scripture more than other aspects, God Himself does not change.

As we read and study the Bible, it becomes clear that God is the same in the Old and New Testaments. Even though the Bible is 66 individual books written on two (or possibly three) continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years by more than 40 authors, it remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. In it we see how a loving, merciful, and just God deals with sinful men in all kinds of situations. Truly, the Bible is God’s love letter to mankind. God’s love for His creation, especially for mankind, is evident all through Scripture. Throughout the Bible we see God lovingly and mercifully calling people into a special relationship with Himself, not because they deserve it, but because He is a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth. Yet we also see a holy and righteous God who is the Judge of all those who disobey His Word and refuse to worship Him, turning instead to worship gods of their own creation (Romans chapter 1).

Because of God’s righteous and holy character, all sin—past, present, and future—must be judged. Yet God in His infinite love has provided a payment for sin and a way of reconciliation so that sinful man can escape His wrath. We see this wonderful truth in verses like 1 John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” In the Old Testament, God provided a sacrificial system whereby atonement could be made for sin. However, this sacrificial system was only temporary and merely looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ who would die on the cross to make a complete substitutionary atonement for sin. The Savior who was promised in the Old Testament is fully revealed in the New Testament. Only envisioned in the Old Testament, the ultimate expression of God’s love, the sending of His Son Jesus Christ, is revealed in all its glory in the New Testament. Both the Old and the New Testaments were given “to make us wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). When we study the Testaments closely, it is evident that God “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

I did not write the above for the record, while everything here is what evidently I agree with. Another thought though is that God was looking for anyone that would be committed to him and we see he found that in Abraham! And God promised him to bless the world through his lineage and also promised that future generation a place to live a land with "milk & honey". We notice though that it is not that God was siding with Israel and not with anyone else because through Abraham's lineage Jesus was born and through that EVERYONE in the world was blessed as God had promised.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,371
2,448
113
#6
God didn't change. People just like to think that. God's still gonna kill alot of people. Ever read revelation? People also totally misunderstand Jesus alot. He didn't drive around galilee in a cabriolet drinking decaf talking about his feelings and listening to teenage chick music. Yet a lot of people seem to think so.
Alright, this really made me laugh.
If we're going to debate and argue, then somebody has to be responsible for saying something funny.

: )
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#7
There is no change.
Acts 5
[SUP]5 [/SUP]When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.[SUP]6 [/SUP]Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. [SUP]8 [/SUP]Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
[SUP]10 [/SUP]At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. [SUP]11 [/SUP]Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

-------

Rev 2

[SUP]21 [/SUP]And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.[SUP][a][/SUP] [SUP]22 [/SUP]Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their[SUP][b][/SUP] deeds. [SUP]23 [/SUP]I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

----------

1 Cor 10

[SUP]6 [/SUP]Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. [SUP]7 [/SUP]And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”[SUP][a][/SUP] [SUP]8 [/SUP]Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; [SUP]9 [/SUP]nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; [SUP]10 [/SUP]nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. [SUP]11 [/SUP]Now all[SUP][b][/SUP] these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.






 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#8
More Acts 12
[SUP]22 [/SUP]And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” [SUP]23 [/SUP]Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]But the word of God grew and multiplied
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#9
1 Cor 11

[SUP]27 [/SUP]Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[SUP][d][/SUP] of the Lord. [SUP]28 [/SUP]But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [SUP]29 [/SUP]For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[SUP][e][/SUP] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[SUP][f][/SUP] body. [SUP]30 [/SUP]For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. [SUP]31 [/SUP]For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. [SUP]32 [/SUP]But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
 
K

Kerry

Guest
#10
You need to understand dispensations, it will clear up a lot of things. Although God does not change, He has dealt with man differently at different times. This is clearly evident in the bible.
 
K

Kaleb2

Guest
#11
Easy to explain ...the Old Testament was under the carnal law of sacrifice or the Levitical Law. It was never meant to bring for forth life. Under that law if one sinned they either had to report to the Levitical Priest for an atonement sacrifice of an animal or they had to die (in the case of homosexuality or adultery). As Christ is the complete and perfect atonement for the Nation of Israel. He brought forth not only the Law but, mercy and Truth (John 1:17). Thru him we don't have to but put to death right away but we have a grace period to get Right or righteous. In essence there is no change of personality just a revealing of the mystery pertaining to the old covenant.
 
K

Kerry

Guest
#12
Easy to explain ...the Old Testament was under the carnal law of sacrifice or the Levitical Law. It was never meant to bring for forth life. Under that law if one sinned they either had to report to the Levitical Priest for an atonement sacrifice of an animal or they had to die (in the case of homosexuality or adultery). As Christ is the complete and perfect atonement for the Nation of Israel. He brought forth not only the Law but, mercy and Truth (John 1:17). Thru him we don't have to but put to death right away but we have a grace period to get Right or righteous. In essence there is no change of personality just a revealing of the mystery pertaining to the old covenant.
The old testament is a shadow and type of the new. Everything in the old testament points to the new. The ultimate climax being Christ and Him crucified. With out it, we have no hope.
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,707
3,650
113
#13
"God's change in actions suggests a change in personality,*"

There is the problem. One does not necessarily foloow the other.
 
K

Kerry

Guest
#14
Crossnote, ask Him and he will freely give. Please ask. you are so close. my dear sister.
 
N

nathan3

Guest
#15
I am trying to understand more about how God operates. In my quest I realize that God appears to undergo a dramatic changes from killing thousands of people while delivering the children of Israel, to the miraculous miracles of Jesus, to the time of Paul and present day Christianity. God's change in actions suggests a change in personality, but "God is the same yesterday and today and forevermore".

How do you explain the apparent change in God's personality over time?
It seems like there is a change, only to the casual reader.

Those that do study the Bible. know what is written there. They know the reasons why something was done.


All i can say is take the time, to actually read what is happening there. try to understand . just don't read over things.
 

Agricola

Senior Member
Dec 10, 2012
2,638
88
48
#17
Yet again this is pandering to athiests and is designed to deflate the athiest attacks by saying "God has changed" and "God is not like that anymore" and some how we can understand God and measure Gods thinking and morals based on our "enlightened" and "superior" modern day thinking, when clearly we can not.

People refuse to beleive God judges and punishes today, but God does. I have even seen it and experienced it personally.
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
21,237
6,530
113
#18
Anyone who does not see Yeshua, Jesus, in what has been named the Old Testament still has the veil of Moses between their vantage point and the Holy of Holies. No amount of elaboration on anyone's part can help those who do not see. There are Jews to this day who cannot see the grace of Yahweh, God, in the OT writings. Yahweh has not changed, and He will not change.

I am trying to understand more about how God operates. In my quest I realize that God appears to undergo a dramatic changes from killing thousands of people while delivering the children of Israel, to the miraculous miracles of Jesus, to the time of Paul and present day Christianity. God's change in actions suggests a change in personality, but "God is the same yesterday and today and forevermore".

How do you explain the apparent change in God's personality over time?
 
E

enoch1nine

Guest
#20
I am trying to understand more about how God operates. In my quest I realize that God appears to undergo a dramatic changes from killing thousands of people while delivering the children of Israel, to the miraculous miracles of Jesus, to the time of Paul and present day Christianity. God's change in actions suggests a change in personality, but "God is the same yesterday and today and forevermore".

How do you explain the apparent change in God's personality over time?
There's only one way to explain it since God indeed doesn't change.
That is, people are reading the old testament as a historical record instead of an artistic expression of salvation.
Same way people are reading Revelation as a prophecy of doom instead of an artistic expression of salvation.
God tells us in several places in both old and new testaments that His witness and instructions are parables with secrets between the lines.