WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE GOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT?

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One of the common confusions among believers is why the God of the OT (Old Testament) seems angry, vengeful, jealous, and strict, but when it comes to the NT (New Testament), God suddenly appears more understanding and loving. Some even think that the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT. They say the Father is the “Evil God” of the OT while Jesus is the “Loving God” of the NT. Some critics use this argument to show that God is inconsistent in His character. But for the record, this is a misconception.

This misconception creates an imbalanced image of God. It causes some believers to devalue the OT because they prefer the portrayal of God in the NT. Others even pick and choose only the passages about God that they like. But the Bible is very clear that there is only one God (Deut 6:4; James 2:19; etc.), and He does not change (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8; James 1:17). There are several common factors why modern believers misrepresent God in this way, and these factors are often interconnected.

PRECONCEIVED IDEA

Some believers, even without personal study, already decide what to believe (maybe they just heard it from someone or thought of it themselves). Because they immediately assume that the God of the OT is harsh and the God of the NT is gentler, they notice only the details that support that idea.

For example, they might think God was too angry when He banished Adam and Eve (Gen 3:23-24), without considering that God had been generous to them from the very beginning, that He even sought them after they sinned (v.9), and clothed them after the Fall (v.21). On the other hand, since they think Jesus is all-loving and never gets angry, they often ignore the passages where Jesus spoke harshly or rebuked people. Preconceived ideas affect how readers interpret passages.

PARTIAL INFORMATION

Other believers hold this misconception because of incomplete knowledge about God. Maybe they didn’t read the whole passage, or they missed the context of the story.

For instance, it’s easy for a reader to say God was merciless in sending the Great Flood if they start only at the part where He released the waters (Gen 7:11). But if they read the earlier chapters, they would see God’s patience with humanity’s wickedness, and if they continue reading, they would see His grace in saving Noah and those in the ark. Likewise, it’s easy to say that Jesus is never offensive and always gentle if the only passage someone reads is that He was called the “Friend of Sinners” (Lk 7:31-34; Matt 11:16-19) and not the passages where He boldly confronted sins (Matt 15:10-14; Jn 8:42-47; etc.). Partial information leads to incomplete understanding.

POOR INTERPRETATION

Some people actually read the passages in full but arrive at the wrong interpretation, leading them to think the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT.

For example, the OT consistently presents God as a jealous God. Even if a believer reads all the passages about God being jealous (Ex 20:5; Deut 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Josh 24:19; etc.), they may still interpret it negatively—thinking it means God is selfish or needy. But with proper interpretation, we understand that only God has the rightful claim to holy jealousy. This is not human insecurity but divine jealousy. This trait is also seen in Jesus, who demands full devotion from His followers (Matt 16:24; Lk 9:23; 14:26, 33; etc.). Proper interpretation is the safest and best way to understand what the passages reveal about God.

PROGRESSIVE REVELATION

God’s self-revelation in the Bible didn’t happen all at once: it unfolded in stages, with development and progression. To properly understand God’s revelation in the NT, we must also see His earlier revelations in the OT, because they are interconnected.

If a believer only reads one stage of revelation without considering the rest, confusion about God’s character may arise. For example, if one only reads about the OT laws, they may think God was overly strict. But when seen in the bigger picture, the Law pointed forward to Christ, fulfilled in the NT (Col 2:17). When a believer understands that God gave the Law to prepare the way for Christ’s work on the cross, they won’t see it as harshness but as God’s act of mercy. By reading the Bible as a whole, we see one unified story with one central theme: redemption—across different stages but with one main character: God Himself.
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To have a balanced and accurate view of God, we should not neglect any aspect of His character. We have the same loving God from the OT to the NT and even today, just as none of His other attributes revealed in Scripture have changed. Since God is unchanging, the Bible continues to be timely and relevant in revealing who He is to us today. Stay Curious.

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