Chalke Talk 41: The Spirit or The Letter of the Law?

Carrying on from the previous week, Steve builds on his assertion that Jesus excludes certain parts of the Old Testament in his preaching, such as Joshua or Judges, because they condone violence in the name of God.

There’s no doubt that Jesus openly contradicts certain parts of the Old Testament, but sometimes this idea, that he intentionally omits parts because of the message he hoped to bring to world, does not always sit well with us. But we often think that by Jesus coming to fulfil the law, as he proclaimed he was doing, that means agreed with everything in the Old Testament 

As he’s said before, God is not vengeful, God is love. But even moreso, Steve finds that, “Jesus knows there is a bigger arc to the story: and it’s one of mercy and justice that is about restoration not retribution; one that reveals God as compassionate, nonviolent, and inclusive of outsiders.”

What do you think? Do you agree?