View of God in the New Testament - Term Paper Example

Why the New View (Topic: The New Testament View of God) The Books of the Old Testament were more of a compilation of laws, of Jewish histories, of prophecies, of wars, famines, pestillences, of homicides, genocides, and to most people, a questionable, distant, and almost always angry God. A prophecy of a coming Messiah was long awaited for centuries and centuries in the case of the Israelites (Which the Israelites are still waiting even until today). He was said to reconcile God with the broken human race when Adam have committed the first rebellion that carried on from generations to generations. The promise of a coming Messiah was awaited hoping that He would free people from the bondage of exile, and of subordination. But God had other plans of freedom in mind. It had been some two thousand years ago when a man named Jesus changed human history on earth. He was born in a carpenter’s household, in a manger, by a virgin. He was the prophecied Messiah as the Christian community holds upon. He is known for turning water into wine, for calming the storm and for producing food enough to feed the five thousand. He did not deny the case of Him being God himself—in human form. And with Jesus’ claims, was sentenced to die. He died the most shameful death a man could ever have during their time, a death on a cross. The story does not end there. After three days in the tomb, Jesus is resurrected back to life, he shows up to his disciples, he still eats with them, serves them food, and preached some more. It’s theological significance marked the victory of the human race against death, against sin, against bondage, and everything else in between. He is soon then raised up into heaven after forty days upon his death and resurrectionand is presently seated at the right hand of God, the Father. The whole story can be of two natures. (1) This person named Jesus was a total lunatic who claimed He was God, a make believe story fanatics have made up to appease their fear of the afterlife—as some would say, or, (2) He changed the eternal destiny for each and every human being’s soul by purchasing with his own life and blood, as how prophecies foretold. “He has healed the blind, made the lame walk, raised the dead, and preached the good news to the poor.” (Mark) Though the question arises, why is this story still relevant to any of the estimated 7 billion people on earth in the 21st century, including me? And what would this mean for the daily habitual routine of an average American? The story may have been told a trillion times. Some may have been twisted by some, improvised by many, and forgotten by a million, yet, its claims of being the most historical shifting event have ever offered in the Spiritual sense. It turned around, again in theological aspects, how people would and/or could actually relate and describe a divine. This story of Jesus actually changed the way the whole world can and/or will ever have to relate with the God who was viewed as a distant, angry God hundreds, and even thousands of years before the coming of Jesus Christ. The event gave being to the blueprint of the idea of a God to realting to a sinful human being. In Jesus, a fullness of how a God would walk, talk, act, weep, speak, and mourn was revealed. Jesus was, as described in the Bible, “is the image of an invisible God, the firstborn over all creation...”. It was a revelation of a diety made tangible and can be grasped. In the study of His life, He is presented as the mediator between man and God, making Him equal with God, at the same time, a full human being. He is presented as the Incarnate Person of the Trinity that stands in mankind’s place, this means that when God looks at the human race, He sees the person Jesus Christ instead. The doctrine of the God in the New Testament was a God shown in the person of Jesus Christ who was the sacrificial Lamb that paid the debt of mankind’s sin. This makes the whole difference as far as the Old and the New Testaments are concerned. Jesus is the mark that draws the line. In him we find being. We see a God, in the person of Jesus Christ communicating with prostitutes, sinners, and tax collectors alike. We see a God eating and drinking with them. We see a God who gets angry. During Jesus’ life, we see a God who takes time alone in the dark of the morning to spend time with God, the Father. We see a God and how He treated His mother, the Virgin Mary. We see Jesus in full glory as of a God, and yet of full servant humility as that of the lowest of men. We see a God who took a human being’s form to experience being human himself, and at the end, to purchase the human race that He may own it once again. This change in view of the God in the New Testament changes the way we live and believe. From believing a God that is out to get after us when we mess up, as it drives us to live in fear, the person of Jesus introduces a fresh beginning for every human being. The theology of the cross offers a new perspective in dealing with our consciences, in our everyday choices, and in relating to God in prayer, meditation, confession, and the like in the light of the life of Jesus Christ. In his being, there is no condemnation, shame and guilt since it was paid for two thousand years ago. As St. Paul exhorts, the fear of the bondage of the law, and of sin, and of death has been stripped away when Jesus became victorious against the power of darkness after he paid for the penalty of sin and everything that had come with it. Jesus is what sets it from the Old Testament view of God. The apostle St. Paul writes and expounds in his New Testament letters the person and identity of Jesus Christ and the theological aspects it has covered, which would have to be another topic to discuss. St. Paul’s letters explained how the grace that Jesus has shown should become the aim of every single follower that God himself will finish in his follower’s lives. His apprehension to declaring the freedom that we have availed in Christ be our drive to serve and share the love that Christ has demonstrated for us. That those who have not heard about such good news of a diety coming to introduce Himself to His creation in love be shared, whatever race, tribe or cultural background they may come from. The Old Testament’s exclusivity of God to the Jews was extended to the Gentiles through Jesus. This includes us who are not of the Israelite descent. This brings us to conclude that the whole story of the Bible was to prepare the way for the Risen and victorious work and continuing work of Jesus Christ. We, as Christians are to spread Christ to all the nations baptizing them, and teaching them the commands Jesus has taught his earlier disciples. That God’s eternal kingdom life may be present even while at this earth, and until the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.# References: Dr. Michael Feazzel. “Articles of the Old Testament: Obeying God”. You Are Included Series. Grace Communion International. Date Retrieved: Oct. 2011. www.gci.org. 2011. Joseph Tkach, Ph.D., Jr. “New Covenant in a Nutshell”. Articles About Covenant Series. Grace Communion International. Date Retrieved: Oct. 2011. www.gci.org. 2011. Dennis Fisher. “The Great Pandemic”. Our Daily Bread. July-Dec. Vol. 14-B. RBC Ministries. Manila (2002). Tim Finlay. “The Dead Sea Scrolls”. The Christian Odyssey. Grace Communion International. October 2007. Geza Vermes. “The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English”. pp 45-54. Penguin Classics. 2004 The Holy Bible. 1 Cor. 1:15; Phil. 2:6; Mt. 11:4-10; Romans; Galatians. New International Version. Zondervan (2010). Read More