How do we make sense of the violent passages in the Old Testament while following the peace teachings of Jesus? In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland takes on one of the most common and challenging questions he receives as a pastor and author: Why does God seem so violent in the Old Testament compared to Jesus in the New Testament?

Derek walks us through:

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  Why Joshua and 1 Samuel 15 are such difficult passages for modern readers.

  
  


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  Four historical Christian approaches to interpreting divine violence: acceptance, accommodation, misunderstanding, and allegory.

  
  


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  The importance of foundational Christian beliefs—God’s oneness, immutability, pure love, and Jesus as the perfect revelation of God.

  
  


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  Why wrestling with Scripture is not a weakness, but part of a faithful Christian journey.

  
  


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  How we can faithfully read the Old Testament while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

  
  

This is a thoughtful, theologically rich conversation for anyone who has struggled with the tension between the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed in Christ.
Key Takeaways

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  The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament.

  
  


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  God’s nature is unchanging, pure love—even if the stories in Scripture sometimes leave us unsettled.

  
  


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  Christians throughout history have used multiple ways to interpret violent passages—we don’t have to resolve the tension to remain faithful.

  
  


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  Jesus is the final word, the clearest picture of God, and our ultimate guide.

  
  

Scriptures mentioned in this episode:

I Samuel 15:31 Samuel 15:33
John 1:18

Preorder Derek's new book, Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us here: https://amzn.to/42jSZAs

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Get to know the host: https://derekvreeland.com

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