A common perception is that the Old Testament portrays a God of wrath and vengeance, whereas the God of the New Testament is more concerned about love and forgiveness. Does this perception accurately reflect the writings of these books?
Rich Deem
The Bible phrase "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is a common perception of how the Old Testament deals with conflict between two parties. However, in speaking to the people of Israel, Jesus said that we should love even our enemies and do good to them:
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
....
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:38-39, 43-44)
Was Jesus changing the commands of the Old Testament or was He just restating what had already been commanded?
Love your neighbor
Many people who are unfamiliar with the Bible think that the command to love one's neighbor comes solely from the New Testament:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
However, when Jesus said this, He was quoting directly from Old Testament law:
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)
Not only did the Old Testament command the Hebrews to love their neighbor, but the same command also warned the them not to take vengeance on their own or even bear a grudge (thinking or acting badly against a neighbor). The command applied not only to one's Hebrew neighbors, but also to the foreigner or alien who resided among them:
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:34)
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)
So, what Jesus said was not something brand new, but was already a part of Old Testament law. So, why did Jesus have to say it?
Eye for an eye
So, where does this "eye for an eye" idea come from? It also comes from the Old Testament law. In fact, it was the prescribed punishment for crimes committed by one person against another. Previous to Old Testament law, punishment for a crime was usually much more severe than the crime itself.... However, unlike Jesus' examples of slapping one on the cheek or making one carry a heavy load, these were serious crimes, such as assault against a pregnant woman and murder. For these kinds of crimes, judges were given the authority to determine guilt and punishment - no different than we do in modern society. The authority to take an "eye for an eye" was never given to an individual, but always reserved for the legal system of the state. In Israel, not only were serious crimes punished, but false accusation of serious crime against an innocent party was to be punished "eye for an eye" so that "those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you." Deuteronomy 18:20
Good vs. evil
Not only were the Hebrews commanded not to take vengeance on their own, and love their neighbors, but they were told to eschew hatred and evil and practice good. However, like most people, the Hebrews were susceptible to taking the easy way of "solving" their problems. What is easier than doing payback against your neighbor when he does something against you? And one could cite the "eye for an eye" scripture as justification for one's actions (even though it really only applied to judgments by the legal system). This is why Jesus emphasized not taking one's own vengeance but doing good even to those who slight you. The teaching seemed new only because the people had strayed from God's original instructions.
Love in the Old Testament
Although the New Testament tends to be thought as emphasizing love more than the Old Testament, this is not necessarily true. In fact, there are over 150 verses in the Old Testament that describe the love that God has for people. This love is not to be one-way, since the Old Testament tells the people to return this love by loving God. So, contrary to popular perception, love is emphasized in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.
Conclusion
The common perception that the God of the Old Testament is vastly different than the God of the New Testament is shown to be untrue. In both the Old and New Testaments, God is described as being loving, and love is emphasized as being the most important of God's laws. Both Old and New Testaments command people to love their neighbors, and even those who are different or outsiders to our own group. Both Testaments command people to do only good and not seek vengeance when wronged, but to allow the law to punish those who commit crimes. The Old Testament concept of an "eye for an eye" applied only to punishment for serious crimes, like assault, and was not to be carried out by individuals, but only through the judicial system."
After I posted the article above, I realized I neglected to change the author's Bible quotes to be quotes from King James Bible. I have now done so. And my apologies!
"Eye for an Eye or Love Thy Neighbor? Are the Messages of the Old and New Testaments Different?
by Rich Deem
Introduction
Vengeance or Love?
A common perception is that the Old Testament portrays a God of wrath and vengeance, whereas the God of the New Testament is more concerned about love and forgiveness. Does this perception accurately reflect the writings of these books?
Rich Deem
The Bible phrase "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is a common perception of how the Old Testament deals with conflict between two parties. However, in speaking to the people of Israel, Jesus said that we should love even our enemies and do good to them:
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
....
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:38-39, 43-44)
Was Jesus changing the commands of the Old Testament or was He just restating what had already been commanded?
Love your neighbor
Many people who are unfamiliar with the Bible think that the command to love one's neighbor comes solely from the New Testament:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
However, when Jesus said this, He was quoting directly from Old Testament law:
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)
Not only did the Old Testament command the Hebrews to love their neighbor, but the same command also warned the them not to take vengeance on their own or even bear a grudge (thinking or acting badly against a neighbor). The command applied not only to one's Hebrew neighbors, but also to the foreigner or alien who resided among them:
So, what Jesus said was not something brand new, but was already a part of Old Testament law. So, why did Jesus have to say it?
Eye for an eye
So, where does this "eye for an eye" idea come from? It also comes from the Old Testament law. In fact, it was the prescribed punishment for crimes committed by one person against another. Previous to Old Testament law, punishment for a crime was usually much more severe than the crime itself.... However, unlike Jesus' examples of slapping one on the cheek or making one carry a heavy load, these were serious crimes, such as assault against a pregnant woman and murder. For these kinds of crimes, judges were given the authority to determine guilt and punishment - no different than we do in modern society. The authority to take an "eye for an eye" was never given to an individual, but always reserved for the legal system of the state. In Israel, not only were serious crimes punished, but false accusation of serious crime against an innocent party was to be punished "eye for an eye" so that "those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you." Deuteronomy 18:20
Good vs. evil
Not only were the Hebrews commanded not to take vengeance on their own, and love their neighbors, but they were told to eschew hatred and evil and practice good. However, like most people, the Hebrews were susceptible to taking the easy way of "solving" their problems. What is easier than doing payback against your neighbor when he does something against you? And one could cite the "eye for an eye" scripture as justification for one's actions (even though it really only applied to judgments by the legal system). This is why Jesus emphasized not taking one's own vengeance but doing good even to those who slight you. The teaching seemed new only because the people had strayed from God's original instructions.
Love in the Old Testament
Although the New Testament tends to be thought as emphasizing love more than the Old Testament, this is not necessarily true. In fact, there are over 150 verses in the Old Testament that describe the love that God has for people. This love is not to be one-way, since the Old Testament tells the people to return this love by loving God. So, contrary to popular perception, love is emphasized in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.
Conclusion
The common perception that the God of the Old Testament is vastly different than the God of the New Testament is shown to be untrue. In both the Old and New Testaments, God is described as being loving, and love is emphasized as being the most important of God's laws. Both Old and New Testaments command people to love their neighbors, and even those who are different or outsiders to our own group. Both Testaments command people to do only good and not seek vengeance when wronged, but to allow the law to punish those who commit crimes. The Old Testament concept of an "eye for an eye" applied only to punishment for serious crimes, like assault, and was not to be carried out by individuals, but only through the judicial system."
Source: http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/eye_for_an_eye.html
With my edits to change the Bible quotes to the King James Bible, and other very small edits.