Are There Two Gods In The Bible?

Last week's blog accented that God does not punish by sending hurricanes.

But perceptive readers pointed out that the Bible is filled with references to an angry, punitive God, nevertheless - especially the God of the Old Testament.  The opening verses of 1 Samuel 15 give one, of many examples:

"...This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys...’”  (I Samuel 15:1-3).

This clearly was Samuel's understanding of God's wishes and command.  But we must remember, that Samuel did not have the full clarity of Christ.  So, though Samuel's words are divine, inspired -- yes, the Word of God -- they must be understood in the context of the full Word of God -- especially the Word Made Flesh (John 1:14) -- Jesus.

Everyone interprets the Bible through a lens, technically call hermeneutics.  For some, the lens is a historical/theological tradition such as the Reformed or Wesleyan faith.  For others, the lens is the opinion/perspective of a favorite preacher or church leader such as Al Mohler or Brian McLaren. For still others, the lens is pure bias, assumption, or prejudice, such as sexism, racism or ageism.

But for me the best, and only lens is Jesus.   Technically called progressive or unfolding revelation, this hermeneutic approach, in the words of Myron Augsburger, purports:

"...that God met man where he was and in a process of revelation He unfolded a disclosure of Himself.  This means that God carried man forward in perception until the revelation was complete in Christ.  In the Old Testament, God progressively reveals Himself, until in 'the fullness of time..." [Galatians 4:4] God sent forth his son.  In Christ, we do not have another prophet saying things about God, but God Himself now stands among men.  The 'hidden One' becomes known, and man can say, 'Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." [Matthew 16:16].  Of this great truth, Paul says, 'In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." [Colossians 2:9]. Christ is the goal and the culmination of revelation..."   Myron Augsburger.  Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Scottdale:  Herald Press, 1968, p. 10-11

And so, though the Old Testament is the divine, inspired Word of God -- it is not the Word of God in 'all it's fullness.'  The Word of God in 'all its fullness' is only in Jesus.

And so a radical assertion, in two parts:  1) There are not two God's in the Bible; 2) But...There are more than two interpretations/understandings of God, in the Bible, depending on one's proximity to Jesus.   

This is especially true of the Old Testament (OT).  Though very much a part of God's inspired revelation and salvation history -- the OT is best viewed as a series of contributory chapters to that history.  The definitive chapters of salvation history, however, are the latter chapters, staring, dominated, and 'Lorded-Over,' by Jesus.  

Please hear me:  the contributory chapters are vital, making a 'divine downpayment' on the Gospel, with 'flashes' of Jesus in every chapter (see:  Tim Keller.  Preaching.  New York:  Viking, 2015, pp. 70-92). Thus, Jesus notes: "I have not come to abolish the law or the prophets [e.g. OT]..." (Matthew 5:17, Phillips).  Rather Jesus clarifies:  "...I have...come...to complete them. (Matthew 5:17, Phillips, emphasis added). 

Translator J.B. Phillip's headlines this pericope of scripture, in an illuminating way:  "Christ’s Authority Surpasses That Of The Law."  Or, putting it another way:  Christ's Authority Completes Or Fulfills The Law.  Though the Law, e.g. OT, is a pivotal component of salvation history, it is not complete or fulfilled salvation history.  It is only part of the story.  The whole story is Jesus!  For as Paul reminds us in Romans 8:

"...the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  (Romans 8:2-4, emphasis added)

And so, as Myron Augsburger clarifies: 

"...The so-called contradictions (between the Old Testament and the New Testament) disappear when one sees levels of God's self-disclosure. The different levels in the unfolding of the divine will are steps to a high level of perception.  Matters which appear sub-Christian in the Old Testament are to be understood as levels in human experience in which God had not as yet perfected the knowledge of His will.  Of this Paul says, "At the time of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent."  [Acts 17:30].  In Christ, the full will of God is personified.  One has said:  'The New Testament is in the Old contained, and the Old is in the New explained.'  To express this another way, and all that was said about God before Jesus Christ was said better by Him and all that is said since Jesus Christ is said best through Him..."  Myron Augsburger.  Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Scottdale:  Herald Press, 1968, p. 11-12.

And so, yes, scriptures portraying a vengeful, violent, war-like God are confusing and troubling.  But viewed through the lens of Jesus they are best seen as scriptures not yet fully aware (e.g. Acts 17:30) of God's true and complete self.  In otherwords, they are 'good faith' efforts to understand the workings of the Divine, that are not yet fully developed.  This is not to devalue them, but to see them in their God-ordained role, as valued parts, chapters of an ongoing story, that does not stop with the 39 'chapters' (books) of the OT -- but continues -- to completion -- in 'the chapters of Christ.'  Thus, in the words of N.T. Wright we, like the early Christians:

"...cannot enter into a cavalier process of setting aside bits of the Old Testament which [we find] unwelcome -- but -- through a deep-seated sense -- [work] out theologically and practically [a core reality] that all of scripture [has] been summed up in Jesus Christ...and that now God's project of new covenant and new creation has begun, necessarily taking a new mode.  John sums it up in a sentence which has often teased commentators.  'The law' he writes, was given through Moses -- grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (1:17)..." (emphasis added.  N.T. Wright.  Scripture and the Authority of God.  New York:  Harper One, 2013, pp. 55-56.)

For some, this smacks of heresy, violating the divine, inspired nature of God's Word.  But if God crafted His Word intentionally as an unfolding story -- then an unfolding picture of His salvation history, and His very being -- is not heresy -- but -- an honoring of His original intent and scriptural design.  

Frankly, I wish God had made the Word incarnate, flesh, from the beginning.  Then we could have  clearly seen God, and had no excuse for an underdeveloped portrayal of the Divine.  That is not to say, folks would not have still misrepresented God.  But, at least, there would have been no rational reason for ignorance -- and an even better chance -- for accuracy and clarity.  But this did not occur. And so, in sum:  though the Word was present from the beginning (John 1:1-5) God chose not to make the Word flesh, from the beginning -- thus leaving room for varied portrayals of the Divine.  

The way forward?  Two steps:  1) Accept God's intent and design for scripture, as indeed inspired and divine, but also unfolding, developing over time, the fullness of God's character and work; 2) View all of Scripture, including the OT, through the clarifying lens of Jesus. Only Jesus represents God's Character and Work comprehended, complete -- finished! 

Taking those two steps forward, empowers us to separate the 'wheat from the chaff' -- discerning, interpreting -- what truly is the Truth -- and controlling lifestyle -- of the One True God.