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Bible Questions and Spiritual Discussion
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Old Testament/New Testament questions
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Thank you DAB. I'm following along in Exodus and I had all these questions about why the Mosaic law seemed so harsh (death penalty for dishonoring mother and father, eye for an eye, etc...) compared to the New Testament (i.e. Jesus saying whoever is without sin can cast the first stone).
A quick Google leaves me more confused. Some say that Jesus changed the rules, so to speak. And yet in the New Testament Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Can anyone point me to an article that can help clarify? If I'm supposed to live as if the bible is true, I can't quite wrap my head around how many people would have to be put to death because of this law or that law.
Also, the descriptions of the tabernacle seem, uh, quite extravagant compared to the radical simplicity of Jesus. I tread lightly here, because who am I to tell the Creator of the Universe how we should worship him? If it's gold, and purple and scarlet He wants, of course. But I'm having difficulty reconciling it with Jesus' lack of materialism.
Help,
From a new believer.
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Essley 02/16/2012 13:01 |
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Lanny Carlson
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02/16/2012 16:40 |
Essley,
Welcome to the family!
You raise some very good questions,
which I've addressed in other threads many times over the years,
and will attempt to address here.
As Christians, I think we always have to read the Old Testament
in the light of the New Testament.
And that means that sometimes we have to recognize the Old Testament
as a reflection of the time and culture in which it was written,
and as a step in the emerging understanding of God.
In other words,
it isn't God who has changed,
but our understanding of God which has evolved and grown.
In a discussion of the first chapter of John,
I cited William Barclay on this very issue:
As William Barclay says, "God has always been like Jesus."
[The Daily Study Bible Series:The Gospel of John, Vol. 1, p. 38)
And this truth has profound implications for how we deal with the problems
many here encounter when reading the Old Testament.
As Barclay says,
"We may well ask,
'What then about some of the things that we read in the Old Testament?
What about the passages that speak about commandments of God
to wipe out whole cities and to destroy men, women and children?
What about the anger and the destructiveness and the jealousy of God
that we sometimes read of in the older parts of Scripture?'
The answer is this - it is not God who has changed;
it is men's knowledge of him that has changed.
Men wrote these things because they did not know any better;
that was the stage which their knowledge of God had reached...
It was only when Jesus came that they saw fully and completely
what God has always been like." (p. 38)
Yes, Jesus said he didn't come to "abolish the law,"
but he certainly abolished wrong understandings about the law!
"You have heard that it was said,'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'"
And indeed that's what the law said.
But its INTENT was to be a LIMITATION on revenge.
In ancient times, if someone harmed someone in your tribe,
you would attack and destroy the other tribe!
But "revenge" was to be equitable.
And Jesus takes it a step further, saying,
"But I say unto you, 'Turn the other cheek.'"
His followers were not to retaliate at all!
As for the tabernacle,
I had never thought of the description as anything but boring!
But you raise the materialism issue,
and I think you're right -
Jesus was not materialistic.
I suppose in the Old Testament the idea was to honor God with the best you had,
and we see that in the sacrificial system as well.
But the prophets made it clear that giving our best
doesn't mean sacrifice but justice and mercy.
Again, the Old Testament describes a "faith in progress,"
and needs to be read in that light.
I hope this is helpful.
Grace and Peace,
Lanny
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Tom B
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02/16/2012 16:42 |
Nice post Lanny! Thanks.
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Saint Grogan
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02/17/2012 02:35 |
Are you a Universalist, Lanny? Do you believe that everyone will eventually get into Heaven?
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Lanny Carlson
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02/17/2012 06:13 |
Grogan,
Essley began this thread,
asking about problems between the Old and New Testaments.
If you want to discuss a completely different topic, fine,
but I would respectfully ask that you start a new thread.
Thank you.
Grace and Peace,
Lanny
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Craig from Illinois
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02/17/2012 07:34 |
Those are good questions Essley. I sweat bullets when I am asked to teach young adults/teens about biblical concepts that are wrapped around cultural norms of an ancient culture. Worshiping at the temple and sacrificing animals, ark of the covenant, columns of smoke and fire, etc... very difficult to put into our Western cultural context. Those other points that Lanny cites are right up there too!
And Grogan, was that necessary? Lanny gave a good reply with cited sources. There are no hints of Universalism in the reply. Where did that question come from? It's like you're trying to discredit everything Lanny writes.
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Craig from Illinois
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02/17/2012 07:37 |
I should clarify that "I sweat bullets" when I consider the great divide between our culture and the ancient Jewish culture. I can recite the standard children's Bible stories, but deeper thought and application opens up a Pandora's box of questions and outcomes.
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Essley
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02/17/2012 11:55 |
Thanks Lanny, this was helpful as a starting point. I don't think I will ever understand it, but your answer was a good place to start on the journey for me.
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