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This 3-part series about the ‘Old Testament God’ was first posted in August 2012, These posts are worth revisiting since the message is still and ever will be relevant, particularly to those with open minds, with eyes ready to see and ears willing to hear a different ‘truth’ from what they’ve heard before. For the strongly convicted Christ-centered believer, these posts will be difficult to chew and digest but as it is with free will, everyone has a choice to swallow or spit out . . . however, we hope you will read through and process and give another ‘truth’ different from what you’ve been taught, a chance. Always a good thing to do for seekers after the One True God, that is, if they’re REALLY seeking!
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Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God? This is the title of a book by Alden Thompson, a Christian pastor.
Neither title nor content come as a surprise to us Sinaites who, since we have reread and reviewed and finally understood the original Hebrew Scriptures, found ourselves bowing down in awe of and reverence to the God of Israel, the God of Creation, the self-revealing God of Sinai, the God of the nations, of both Jew and gentile. That God of the Christian ‘Old Testament’—-YHWH– we have discovered, is nothing like the God imagined by those ignorant of Him. And that included us once upon a time.
Now why should the average NT-focused Christian ignore reading the foundational portion of our Christian Bible? Is that the normal thing to do for readers starting to leaf through any other book? Do we jump to the conclusion of a mystery book first before reading the first few chapters to get a grip on the plot, and where all the significant characters are introduced? Why do Christians treat their 2-part Bible any differently? Why do they neglect such a basic prerequisite of reading any book that lays the groundwork for a sequel, that occupies 2/3 of the version of the Bible that Christians carry?
Part of the answer is because Christian pastors and teachers themselves barely go there and therefore do not lead their flock there; not only because of the general perception that after all—
- the OT is for Jews,
- the OT laws are passe,
- but also because the OT scriptures are difficult to process
and besides, the OT God comes through as a strange deity compared to the gentle all so human Jesus, 2nd Person of the NT Trinitarian Godhead.
But why should we speak for Christian pastors, let them speak for themselves.
First, here are complete endorsements of this book by Christian pastors; you will notice that one thread runs through the comments—ignorance of the very crucial Part I of the Christian Bible.
[Reformat and highlights mine].
Arthur Patrick, Honorary Senior Research Fellow Avondale College, Australia:
By the end of the 19th century, biblical scholars were posing so many important questions about the Old Testament that most conservative Christians were retreating from effective dialogue. By 1970s the questions were still there, and too important to ignore. Alden Thompson undertook Old Testament and Judaic Studies at St. Andrews in Scotland and then, with a newly-minted PhD, committed himself to offering answers that ordinary Christians could appreciate. The outcome has been a fascinating, fruitful career. Since 1988, Thompson’s early book Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God? has been a reliable reference for Christians who are determined to understand the best insights of biblical scholarship and cherish a high view of Scripture. Yes, there is a dark side to Scripture, but with Thompson’s searchlight we discern “the grandeur and nearness of God, his holiness and his friendliness.” In nearly 40 years of ministry and teaching, I have been trying to “listen” to congregants and students, and “hear” the Word of God. What I had thought was a gap in between pew and academy was actually a chasm. Thompson’s book helps bridge that chasm. His writing is reliably informed, honest, and accessible. A new edition will win another generation of readers by reason of Thompson’s deep understanding of Scripture, his transparency, and winsomeness.
Peggy Corbett, teacher British Columbia, Canada:
When Martin Luther read the Book of Romans, his discovery of a loving God turned the world upside down. Love like that is powerful and life changing. But how did Paul come to know the God that captured Luther’s heart? On what Scriptures did he base his interpretations? None other than the Old Testament, the only Scriptures available at the time. For many contemporary believers, however, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures is the “persona non grata” of the Christian faith. We know he exists but few delight in a relationship with him. The blood, death, and slaughter found int he Old Testament narratives baffle us. [This book] guides us through some of the most difficult passages, and points us to the gracious God Paul discovered following his life-changing experience on the road to Damascus. Thompson is a good tour guide for this journey through the Old Testament. He writes with a mind of an informed scholar but with the heart of a pastor carefully guiding God’s sheep toward the good news about God. This book is a tour de force that will challenge what you thought about the Old Testament and introduces you to a loving savior.
Tito Correa, pastor, Oslo Norway Doctoral candidate, University of Cambridge, UK:
For nearly 2000 years, Christians have struggled with much of the Old Testament because its portrayal of God seems to contrast so drastically with the gentle, loving, compassionate Jesus of the New Testament. Thus we read the first testament selectively, ignoring or misinterpreting the challenging portions in order to make sense of our belief that Scripture in its totality is the Word of God. Thompson helps us out of this quandary by giving us a glimpse into the world of Hebrew scripture as well as into the minds of the recipients and authors. He helps us to see a God who works in context and yet who is at the same time just, loving and kind. One cannot help but not be afraid of the Old Testament God after reading this work.
Pedrito U. Maynard-Reid, Walla Walla University, aughor of Complete Evangelism: The Luke-Acts Model; Diverse Worship: African-American, Caribbean and Hispanic Perspectives:
It is well known that many Christians never or seldom read the Old Testament. Many of the stories remind them too much of values that are the direct opposite of those presented by Jesus in The New Testament. How can one harmonize the avenging God in the Old Testament who bade his followers kill unbelievers, with the words of Jesus who commends everyone to love their enemies? How is it possible to construct such opposing statements, and still attribute them to the same God? What greater justification does one need for simply discarding the whole idea of the Christian God and all of Christianity? Before those valid questions can be fully answered, however, some basic questions need to be addressed:
- What kind of book is the Bible?
- Who were the writers?
- What was their background and why did they write?
These and many other questions are answered in [this book]. For me the book was a real eye-opener, the best book I know on the topic. I always recommend it to others when discussions of God in the Old Testament occur. In my own experience the book came as a rescue to me. I grew up as a Christian, became a pastor and later worked in Christian radio and TV in Norway. I had, of course, read my Bible. But when I started hearing what the Old Testament actually said, I was appalled. In many of the stories God appeared to me as a primitive Viking god, like the mythical Tor and Odin, in no way similar to the much more thought-provoking and reflective Jesus. And to make matters worse, this Jesus claimed to be the god of the Old Testament. Suddenly I confronted a scary thought: It doesn’t matter at all what the book says, because religious people will always be “clever” enough to interpret it to fit their own views, or they’ll just take the stand that God is God and can do whatever he wants without questions from humans. Both views scared the wits out of me. Could the atheists be right when they say that if you want to prevent people from becoming Christians, just give them the Old Testament and let them read it alone? Yes, I also read the beautiful stories that describe God as full of love and patience. But I would then suddenly confront him as a blood-thirsty, avenging being a God to fear for the wrong reasons, as one fears a psychopath. One moment he is the most loving and sympathetic person, but in the next he is mercilessly cruel. To some degree I can understand those who have grown up as Christians who simply say that they trust God and will wait until they get to heaven to get answers to these hard questions. But what about people who do not have the same natural ties to Christianity and who view that faith as only one of many options in the religious market? [This] is an important book. For some it might be crucial reading. To me it was an answer to my prayers when I needed it most.
Yngvar Borresen, pastor, Norway:
[This book] squarely and honestly confronts the particular problems which conservative Christians will face if they wish to actually read and understand the Old Testament, rather than to simply be content with the “toned-down” version too often prevalent in this community. Thompson certainly succeeds in his aim “to show that it is possible to stand within a conservative Christian tradition and still be able to read the Old Testament for the purpose of discovering its most likely original meaning.” It is unlikely that the argument of the book will be convincing to non-Christians, but this is not the audience addressed. Nevertheless, the book would be of considerable value to first-year undergraduate students of theology and religious studies whatever their own religious or non-religious background. The problems dealt with are real ones for any serious reader of the OT.
Peter Hayman, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh:
A helpful resource for me as I wrestled with the theological issues when ministering in an ‘Old Testament,’ cross-cultural situation. An important book for all who take seriously the authority of Scripture and God’s reputation.
Ray Roennfeldt, President, Avondale College, Australia:
For 2 decades, my copy has been used, referenced, loaned out, and given away time and time again. It’s the most helpful book I have for helping people understand the God of the Old Testament.
Llewellyn Edwards, Seventh-day Adventist pastor, church administrator, Egypt:
I could not solve some heavy biblical passages until this book found me. Now I know that God is my personal Friend who will use a radical touch to reach those far from him.
Alin Apostol, former student of Thompson’s, pastor and leader of a 100-voice male chorus, Romania: Thompson finds God’s compassion and wisdom in the most perplexing Old Testament stories. He teaches us to be faithful to the Bible ‘as it reads’ and to be confident in the God who inspired it.
John McLarty, pastor, author, editor, Washington State, USA:
In simple language, the book addresses the question: Why is the Old Testament God so different from the God revealed in Jesus Christ? Thompson shows that God has never changed — and that’s why he goes to such lengths to reach people who do.
Kristen Falch Jakobsen, translator of the Norwegian edition, Norway:
With openness, honesty and without glossing over the troubling parts, the author addresses the sharp contrast between the story of Jesus and the stories in Jesus’ Bible. The reader will be richly rewarded with an entirely new view of the God of the Old Testament.
Nils Detlefsen, hish school teacher, Switzerland:
Thompson leads his readers into the very heart of difficult terrain. His balanced, faithful, and courageous exploration ultimately makes it possible for us to read all of the Old Testament with anticipation rather than fear.
Paul Dybdahl, Biblical Studies, Walla Walla University:
This book was published in Russia at just the right moment and has attracted both atheists and believers. The question of “extremism” in Scripture has tiggered heated discussions and awkward silence at the same time and we had no good answers. [This book] brings us back to the Bible’s message.
Andrei Bogoslovsky, EXMO Publishers, Russia:
I’ve appreciated how this book deals openly and frankly with those situations and stories which, to our “New Testament mind,” appear most objectionable. Especially helpful were the discussions of how God meets people at the level of their barbaric customs, but always in order to lead them to higher ground.
Lasse Stolen, pastor, publisher of Norwegian edition, Norway:
The book helps us understand the Old Testament within the context of its own culture. The author’s clear style will be appreciated not only by serious Bible students, but also by those who may have dismissed the Old Testament for the New. This work brings the testaments together.
To be continued in “Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God?” 2
NSB@S6K
