How Do I Reconcile OT to NT?

On July 27, 2012, Cole writes:

Hello.  My curiosity is like this:  the god of the old testament seems quite content to damn the vast majority of humanity if for no other reason that the folks don't accept his existence or authority as truth.

Then Jesus comes along and his take on salvation is quite different.  He suggest that the god loves EVERYBODY, grace seems to be more about being kind to people rather than acceptance of the god and his instructions.  The way Jesus tells it, God's favor is not as exclusive, theres less of this favorite people business.

So I ask 1) what changed in God between the old and new testaments- as in what do you think changed God's outlook?
2) What is your theological explanation for this apperent change in a god that is omniscient and perfect?

The god portrayed in the old testament threatens damnation left and right and is very specific about what the actions are that will get you cast into Hell.  So I ask 3) how do you view the difference in how or why people are damned between the old and new testaments, if any?  4)  Answer me this if you've only got a little time:  what is the difference betwen the god of the Jews at the time and what Jesus said, and ended up being killed for?

I guess all these questions are pretty interrelated.  But hit me up with what you think.

My Reply

Cole

I wrote a book free online proving the old and new testaments do not vary. See Jesus' Words on Salvation -- they were always 3 elements: faith, repentance and obedience. http://www.jesuswordsonly.org/books/jesuswordssalvation.html

Paul came with a different Gospel than Jesus, and this is what you are influenced to believe creates a new god versus an old God. I wrote a book proving that Paul is not an inspired voice; was not accepted as inspired in the early church; and mostly was rejected in fact. Later, with Constantine in the 300s wishing to do away with Sabbath, Paul's anti-sabbath passages elevated him to a canonically strong position. For my book on this history and the truth about Paul, see my book free online entitled Jesus' Words Only. http://www.jesuswordsonly.org/books/jesuswordsonly.html

I have many recent articles that explain in essence Paul was a dupe of the blinding light figure he met on the Road to Damascus whom he assumed was Jesus but was not. Take a look at this specific webpage:
http://www.jesuswordsonly.org/JWO/jesus-prophecy-about-who-identified-himself-as-jesus-to-paul.html

So I hope that this clears things up -- makes the steps to be acceptable to God easily comprehended -- faith, repentance and obedience. I hope this clarifies that nothing changed in Jesus' teachings about salvation from that original testament principle. A Pauline spin has been superimposed on top of Jesus' teachings, but just reading Jesus proves Jesus clarified misconceptions Pharisees had at the time, simplifying the obligations of the people to what was in the Law versus tradition.
Incidentally, for Gentiles, the Law had many fewer demands than on Israelites, and James in Acts 15 points that out about circumcision. (Levit 12:1-3 -- only command to Israel). It was later tradition of some to impose on a God-fearer to be circumcised as well, but James, obviously influenced by Jesus' sharp focus on the Law, noted this is an excessive non-Biblical extension of a Biblical passage.
Let me know if this satisfies your question.

Blessings,

Doug