Introduction

Welcome to this series on defending the Bible. As Christians, we’re called to practice discernment and to be ready with a thoughtful explanation for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). We should examine the Scriptures to confirm the truth (Acts 17:11) and not be led astray by false doctrine (1 John 4:1). However, if we’re going to build our lives on the Word of God, we should be confident that it is reliable.

Our goal is to explore why the Scriptures are trustworthy and how they provide a solid foundation for faith. The goal of arguments concerning the Bible's reliability is not to force belief, but to demonstrate that faith in Jesus and confidence in the Bible are rational.

Icebreaker

"What passages of Scripture do you tend to avoid?"

The Lesson of the Temple

We saw in the session two weeks ago that the sacrifices and temple system given to Israel were designed to show the physical cost of spiritual rebellion. The blood and the fire taught a visceral lesson: Evil and Death cannot coexist with the presence of the living God without being addressed.

I presented the Gospel story though the view of the cross. But I wanted to take a deeper look at God's judgment in this lesson.

1. The "Two Gods" Theory

Many people point to a perceived contrast between the Old Testament, which features divine commands for war, many laws, lots of judgment, with that of the New Testament, which emphasizes grace and "loving your neighbor." The idea is that the Old Testament reveals a harsh God of wrath while the New Testament reveals a different God of love.

Historically, this perceived contradiction is not new. In the early days of the church, it manifested as a specific false doctrine that sought to divide the nature of the Creator. It was called Marcionism, was an early Christian heresy named after Marcion of Sinope. It argued that the God of the Old Testament (the God of the Jews) was a separate, lesser, or even evil deity, while the God of the New Testament (the God of Jesus) was the true God of love.

QUESTION of the : "Why is God so different in Old Testament then from the New Testament?"

To move beyond this dilemma, we must understand that the Bible presents a single, unchanging vision of God’s nature, often expressed through the powerful and consistent imagery of fire.

Before We Talk About OT Passages Lets Talk About Gods Justice

I live in a culture that often confuses 'love' with 'niceness.' Because of this, many people I talk to look at the violence and judgment in the Old Testament and conclude that God is evil, or at least dangerously unpredictable.

There is a profound irony in how our culture views God, and it exposes a deep contradiction in the human heart.

On one hand, people look at the Old Testament—with its wars, floods, and divine wrath—and label God a moral monster. They say, "How can a loving God be so violent?" We hate Him when He judges.

But then, almost in the same breath, we walk into a Philosophy 101 class and ask the classic "Problem of Evil" question: "If God is good, why doesn't He destroy evil? If He doesn't stop suffering, He must not be all-powerful or He must not be good."

Do you see the trap we set for Him?

• When God moves swiftly to destroy evil (as in the Old Testament), we call Him evil.
• When God delays judgment to allow for free will and repentance, we call Him impotent or uncaring

We cannot have it both ways. We demand that God stop the evil in the world, but we are offended when He actually takes the sword to do it. Our issue isn't really with God's morality; it is with His authority. We struggle with judgment because we want God to be harsh against our enemies, but we want Him to be a pacifist regarding our own hearts.

Question: Why do we have such a hard time with God judging us?

We want God to eliminate "evil," but we usually define evil as "what other people do". But if God were to answer the prayer to "destroy all evil" right this second, who among us would be left standing?

We fail to see that judgment is the necessary response of a Holy God to oppression and sin. As theologian Miroslav Volf noted, God is wrathful because He is love. He actively opposes that which destroys His creation and His people. But we must realize: A God who is not angry at sin is a God who does not care about the victims of sin.

Question: "How does God’s judgement toward sin actually provide comfort to someone who has been a victim of deep injustice?"

The Dual Nature of God

We often think of God as having two modes: "Nice God" (who saves) and "Mean God" (who judges). But the Bible unifies these. Throughout Scripture, we see this pairing of Judgment and Restoration:

• Deuteronomy 32:39 – "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand."

• 1 Samuel 2:6 – "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up."

• Hosea 6:1 – "Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up."

• Job 5:18 – "For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole."

I see a lot of this wrapped up in the verse from the Ezekiel -

God desires repentance, not destruction. But when mercy is refused and evil persists, judgment is not cruelty—it is justice, and the righteous acknowledge it as such.

Do you believe in Cupcake Jesus?

I'm going to detour for a minute

"Cupcake Jesus" is a phrase I like to use of the Jesus that many Christians worship. We live in a world that prizes "tolerance" over truth and "niceness" over holiness. It is a version of Jesus that has been "sanitized" for modern comfort—stripped of his edge, his commands, and his warnings of judgment, leaving behind only a sweet, fluffy center.
He just hands out spiritual sweets

1. He just wants everyone to get along and be "nice." His primary goal is your self-esteem and making sure you feel validated in whatever you are currently doing.
2. He offers unconditional affirmation. He’s the Jesus of "You’re perfect just the way you are."
3. He exists to bless your current lifestyle and ensure you have a "best life now" experience.

Question: Where Do You See Cupcake Jesus?

Jesus is active and in the OT

But the Jesus of the New Testament is not a cupcake. He is the Judge of the Nations.

Jesus is not the "remedy" for an angry Old Testament God. He is the Word of the LORD, the Angel of the LORD, and the Arm of the LORD who was actively present in the Old Testament. Whenever Scripture shows this character it is revealing the pre-incarnate Christ—the same Son who would later take on flesh. He is the One who judged Egypt and shattered Pharaoh’s power (Exod. 3; 12), who went before Israel as a warrior and led them into Canaan (Exod. 23:20–23; Josh. 5:13–15), and who brought judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18–19). Yet He is also the One who walked with His people through the fire and was present with them in suffering (Dan. 3:24–25), who spoke with Moses face to face as a friend (Exod. 33:11), who showed mercy to Nineveh when they repented (Jonah 3), who delivered Jerusalem and saved King Hezekiah from Assyria (2 Kings 19), who saw the Hagar at the well, and who stood beside Gideon to strengthen and commission him (Judg. 6). The same Christ who judges evil is the Christ who rescues, forgives, and dwells with His people—unchanged in holiness, justice, and mercy.

We see that is a God of Mercy and Justice. God does not change.

Jesus In The New

The Biblical Jesus is not any different. Jesus himself used severe language of judgment. Us Christians are used to proclaiming the love of Jesus we never talk about his wrath against Sin.

The "actual Jesus" of the Gospels is severe regarding sin and hypocrisy:

• Pronouncements of Doom: Jesus pronounced severe "woes" on cities like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their unbelief, warning that their judgment would be worse than Sodom’s, whom he himself judged in the OT.
• Righteous Anger: Jesus made a whip and physically drove money changers from the temple, acting with the Gods authority. He was furious at how the poor were being exploited. He told people to "go and sin no more," called religious leaders a "brood of vipers," and told his followers they might have to "carry their own cross". He spoke more about hell and judgment than almost anyone else in the Bible.
• Parables of Judgment: Jesus told parables in which the master (representing God/Jesus) orders his enemies to be "slain" in his presence (Luke 19:27) or "cut in pieces" (Matt 24:51). Revelation 19 describes Him riding a white horse to "judge and make war" in righteousness. He treads the "winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" and strikes down nations with the sword of his mouth. the "wrath of the Lamb" (Rev 6:16) is as fierce as the wrath of Yahweh in the Old Testament.

Revelation 18:20 commands heaven to "Rejoice" over the destruction of Babylon because God has pronounced judgment against her.

Question: Why do we separate mercy and justice between the Testaments when Scripture shows God exercising both in each?

The Fire Of God

Alright, I would like to get a bunch of people up here to read a bunch of Bible Passages with me. I would like help to answer this question. Question: "God's Holiness is called a consuming fire, what does fire in the Bible reveal about Gods nature?

• Malachi 3:2–3: The Messenger as a "refiner’s fire" and "fuller’s soap."
• Zechariah 13:9: Bringing the people through the fire to refine them like silver and gold.
• 1 Peter 1:6–7: The "fiery trial" that proves the genuineness of faith.
• Revelation 1:15: The feet of Jesus like "bronze glowing in a furnace"—the refined Judge.
• Hebrews 12:28–29: The warning that "our God is a consuming fire" and requires holy awe.
• Deuteronomy 4:23–24: Why God’s jealousy for His people is described as a "devouring fire."
• Isaiah 33:14–15: The question of who can survive "everlasting burnings" and the answer of the righteous.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8: The revelation of Jesus from heaven in "flaming fire" to deal with those who reject the Gospel.

1. Purification (The Refiner): God’s presence "sits" to purify His people, removing dross from silver and gold (Malachi 3:2-3, Zechariah 13:9). "Fiery trials" are used to prove the genuineness of a believer's faith. This is the same refining fire viewed as a process; it ensures faith is "more precious than gold" (1 Peter 1:6-7).

2. Judgment (The Consumer): For those who reject the Gospel and persist in evil, the fire is "devouring" or "consuming," dealing out retribution (Deuteronomy 4:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

To understand how the same God can be both "Refiner" and "Consumer," we look to the "Parable of the Sun" (derived from Matthew 13:5-6).

In nature, the same sun provides life-giving energy to healthy plants, yet it also scorches and withers seeds that have no depth of soil or roots. The sun does not change its nature; the difference in the result lies entirely in the "roots" of the individual plant.

List of Difficult Old Testament Passages

The Bible was written in an ancient Near Eastern context, and it reflects the social structures of that time. The following passages are frequently cited by critics and struggling believers as "texts of terror" or "dark texts",.### The "Dark Texts" Study Menu

Question: "Looking at this list, which one makes you the most uncomfortable? Next Time I will be addressing these topics. But I want to know which ones you guys want to tackle first?"