I have wrestled with many theological challenges, but one that has been especially perplexing is this: How can God seemingly support so much violence in the Old Testament while Christ—the perfect representation of God—taught and practiced nonviolence in the New Testament? To put the matter simply: Is God violent or nonviolent?
I know some may reply, “The book of Revelation is the most violent book in the Bible and that is in the New Testament.”
That may be true, but it is also a book filled with images and symbols, leading to many different interpretations, so I don’t want to put too much weight on it. If I have to put weight on something in the New Testament, I think I should place it on the historical life of Jesus. After all, we have four Gospels so the contents of Scripture point us in that direction.
If I am forced to choose between a violent depiction of God in the Old Testament and Christ praying for his enemies from the cross, as a Christian, I need to go with the latter picture. Loving enemies is what God is really like.
How else can we approach this issue?
Do we say God didn’t really command and support warfare in the Old Testament?
Do we claim that Christ was actually violent?
Do we assert that Christ will be violent in the future?
Do we highlight the different contexts—an ancient political kingdom (OT) verses the worldwide people of God (NT)?
I have grappled with these questions and more in the following posts:
- The Problem of Violence in Scripture
- Herem Warfare in the Old Testament
- “Totally Destroyed”
- Was Christ Nonviolent?
- Did God Kill His Son?
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.