The New Testament God – All Love and Compassion?

Yesterday we started to attack this old myth that the "God of the Old Testament" is perpetually grumpy and angry, and that Jesus in the New Testament is all love and compassion.

We read a few sample verses about the love, compassion, kindness, and faithfulness of God in the OT.

Now we’re going in the opposite direction – is there any wrath in the NT?  Yes – in fact, it could be argued that the wrath in the OT pales next to this…

(Again, remember that these all have a context of their own.  The point is not that there is no love in the NT – even in the passages below – but that there is love and wrath in both the OT and NT.)

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! …you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.  You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Matthew 23:29-33)

But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:48-51)

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-3)

‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ (Luke 19:26-27)

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18)

(So far, these are all the words of Jesus Himself.  Often He used parables to explain God’s dealings with people, and many of the above quotes come from His parables.)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)

For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (1Thessalonians 5:2-3)

God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you … when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might… (2Thessalonians 1:5-9)

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2Peter 3:7)

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (Revelation 6:15-17)

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." (Revelation 14:9-11)

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."  So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. (Revelation 16:1-2)

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!  The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war … He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God … From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.  He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Revelation 19:11-15)

Notice, by the way, that many of these passages are either quotes from Jesus, or they’re talking about Jesus.

Now, we can discuss what these passages mean and how they fit into the rest of Scripture.  And you might like it, or you might not.  But please, can we set aside this silly notion that the OT is all anger and wrath, and the NT is all love and compassion?  God’s attributes are complex and interwoven throughout Scripture.

And He’s the same God that He always has been, whatever we may think.