Undeception

I’d like to point out a new contribution to the recent conversation in the blogosphere on the topic of the OT vs. NT depictions of God’s disposition — and not just because my blog is referenced! Arni makes some excellent statements, including the following:

Jesus not only preaches non-violence and lives non-violently when there was ample opportunity to do the opposite – he lays his life down in solidarity with those who suffer at the hands of violent power. Jesus is love and God is love, not violence.

Luther said somewhere that Jesus is the sun of the Bible. It is thus in the light of Jesus that the Bible should be read. Just like when the sun rises over a landscape, not all parts of the Bible receive as much light as other parts. There are mountains and valleys, the former receiving more light than the former.

via A “solution” to divine violence: Jesus as the sun of the Bible

I used to have a knee-jerk reaction to Christocentric interpretations of Scripture under the mistaken assumption that they all read Christ into the OT where he was not yet revealed and thus inaccurately portray the original meaning of the OT. But now I see the wisdom and importance of the type of Christocentrism that allows his testimony and example to stand in judgment over the views of God seen in various places in the Old Testament.

Please read and lend your contribution to the discussion!