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To: Dr. Crane [eaglechristianchurch.com]

Subject: Is the God of the Old Testament Different than the God of the New Testament?

---Original Message---

Isn’t there a conflict between the harsh and cruel God of the Old Testament and the loving God we read about in the New Testament?

Reply:

The same loving God is spoken of in both the Old and New Testament. The Psalmist writes that “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalms 145:8–9). Furthermore, God says in Malachi, “I the Lord do not change” (3:6).

While it is true that the Old Testament contains more stories of God’s judgment (cf. the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Sons of Korah, etc.) than the New Testament, God is said to be both loving and holy throughout the Bible.

You might ponder two points. First, the Old Testament covers a period of about four thousand years; the New Testament covers less than one hundred. Second, God is as serious about sin in the New Testament as he was in the past. The New Testament tells of a time when God’s judgment will come upon all who have not accepted Christ. Using the Old Testament account of the flood, Peter writes, “They deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word . . . the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and the destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:5–7).