Old God/New God

I wonder what the reader might think if I were to say "I don't worship that "Old God" but I worship the "New God." I hope there might be some concern about a Christian making this statement and then again, I am not so sure since I have witnessed this statement taking a slightly different form among those I grew up with in the church. It has been a common thing to hear those of my fellowship claim "I am not under the "Old Testament" but under the "New Testament." As I examine what is said in this statement, it seems too much like my opening statement and I am prompted to ask "what changed?"


13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13 NIV

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17

I used to make the statement about not living under the Old Testament used above because I was trained to understand the Bible in two parts; the old law/covenant and the New Testament/covenant. When we discuss many of the traditions held for years in my fellowship, justification for believing or reasoning came from what is said (I should say left unsaid) in the New Testament and "we are not under the Old Law" became the immediate answer to any questions about something being commanded or used/mentioned in the Old Testament.

This blog was almost called "The Bible (Man's Version of God's Word" because of the reasoning that has taken place in my fellowship concerning the Old and New Testament. First, I see a big difference in the Old Covenant and the New Covenant (if you really want label them in this way) and the Old and New Testament. One of the most important things I have to consider up front is how this designation, defining a level of importance relative to God' word, has any authority at all (for those of you needing authority of God for every held belief), and also the fact that the New Testament did not exist when Paul wrote the comments to Timothy quoted above.

There is much more to the Old Testament than the law of Moses and much more to the New Testament than the message of Jesus coming into the world to forgive our sin. Timothy is told "from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" and Paul is talking about scripture we now have in our bibles labeled "Old Testament." This scripture, the Word of God is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus and since the beginning of my training in Sunday school, I have been taught how it was the Old and we are under the NEW! How many times have I had professing Christians tell me, as FACT, we don't have any authority from the Old Testament. They have been pretty slick in their terminology because if they were to say we have nothing to learn from the Old Testament, we might as well rip it from our bibles.

At this point, I can remember more than one in my fellowship who have often stated, "how many times does God need to say something for it to be true? For me, if He says it once, that is good enough!" This is true enough for those things REPEATED in the New Testament but just bring up anything not meeting our tradition and, you guessed it "we are not under the Old Testament and under the New Testament (some times they will slip and say law) God does not give us instruction in the activity.

23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:23-24 NIV

Paul told Timothy that ALL scripture was God-breathed and useful "so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" and the Hebrews passage above reminds us that we are to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. It seems obvious the scripture (Word of God) used to meet the needs of those living during the first century was the Old Testament. Yes, they were no longer under the Law of Moses, but they did use the scripture to define their life unto righteousness.

I mentioned earlier the possible title of this blog and yes, if men had not come along many years later and decided to label God's Word (the Scriptures) Old and New, we would only have scripture and the arguments prevailing through my fellowship for so many years would not be uttered without being severely refuted as nonsense. I have stated more than once we have "man-created" doctrine and though I will not even begin to suggest we are responsible for adding titles of Old and New to God's Word, I will state I am in agreement with the apostle Paul and ALL scripture is from God and useful for instructing us about God and His will for us in creation.

In conclusion, God's will for the lives of His people has never changed. He has always desired a loving people choosing to live a righteous life. God's plan from the beginning encounter with Adam in the garden until now has never changed. Jesus would be our source of salvation, forgiving all sin. God's Word, the scripture we have abused for too long begins (in my bible) at Genesis and ends with Revelation and MEN not God are the ones who want to define some scripture less valuable than the rest to our training.

I could say there is an Old God and a New God just like men have said there is an Old Testament and a New Testament but our scripture is either of God or not and if we say from God (like I do), then God says much more to us than my fellowship has accepted in the past. I had someone ask me just the other day why I did not believe in what the bible says and my answer is simple. I absolutely believe in everything the bible says! What I don't believe is what so many have told me the bible says which can't be found!