For me, I don’t see how “an eye for an eye” and “turn the other cheek” are not opposites. It’s either one or the other or God changed His ways.
As far as the prophecies, I disagree. Most prophecies are terribly taken out of context or hardly even prophecies at all. And the Bible went from God and God alone being worshiped in the OT to God AND His Son being worshipped in the NT. The only way to reconcile these things is by placing the NT over the OT in terms of importance. And this is the only way Christianity even makes sense. To me that is....
For me, I don’t see how “an eye for an eye” and “turn the other cheek” are not opposites. It’s either one or the other or God changed His ways.
Let me put up the verses in the Bible that talk about an "
eye for eye" and try and see what God was talking about and what He meant. Lets read them in context shall we?
Exodus 21:20-25
20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Deuteronomy 19:10-21
10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The rule of
“an eye for an eye” was part of God’s Law given by Moses to ancient Israel in the Old covenant. It meant that when dealing out justice to wrongdoers, the punishment should fit the crime. The rule applied to deliberate injurious acts against another person. Regarding a wilful offender, the Mosaic Law stated:
“ Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again." Leviticus 24:20
It helped appointed judges to impose punishments that were appropriate, being neither too harsh nor too lenient. The rule also served as a deterrent to any who would intentionally harm others or scheme to do so.
“And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.,” explained the Law.
Deuteronomy 19:20
This rule is not binding on Christians. It was part of the Mosaic Law (Old covenant), which Jesus’ sacrificial death abolished.
Romans 10:4.
Even so, the rule provides insight into God’s way of thinking. For example, it shows that God values justice. (
Psalm 89:14) It also reveals his standard of justice—namely, that wrongdoers should be disciplined
“to the proper degree.”—
Jeremiah 30:11.
Misconception: The “eye for an eye” rule was excessively harsh.
Fact: The rule did not authorize a heavy-handed, cruel application of justice. Rather, when properly applied, it meant that qualified judges would impose retribution for an offence only after first considering the circumstances involved and the extent to which the offence was deliberate. (
Exodus 21:28-30;
Numbers 35:22-25) The
“eye for an eye” rule thus acted as a restraint against extremes in punishment.
Fact: The Mosaic Law itself stated: “
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) Rather than promoting personal vengeance, the Law encouraged people to trust in God and in the legal system that he had authorized to right any wrongs.—
Deuteronomy 32:35.
God has never changed and never will change His ways.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Hebrews 13:8. He is always just in everything that He does and I trust Him completely. In order to get to know Him we have to study His word and pray for guidance and understanding because reading the Bible is like hunting for treasure. We have to hunt all over the Bible to know what it says about one subject. We won't find the answer all in one place. A concordance helps as well.
As far as the prophecies, I disagree. Most prophecies are terribly taken out of context or hardly even prophecies at all. And the Bible went from God and God alone being worshiped in the OT to God AND His Son being worshipped in the NT. The only way to reconcile these things is by placing the NT over the OT in terms of importance. And this is the only way Christianity even makes sense. To me that is....
This applies to what I've just said above, you need understanding from God to understand prophecy. We cannot do it on our own. The Prophecies are meant to be understood otherwise they wouldn't be in the Bible. And there are people who understand Bible prophecy as it was meant to by God. In every generation there are always a people of God who have His truth.
You clearly don't study the Bible otherwise you wouldn't say what you've said about God and the worship of His son. Jesus may be called the Son of God but He is God fully. The whole Bible is about Jesus. From Genesis to the Revelation.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14.
The God of the Old Testament is not different to the God of the New Testament. Israel was under law and we are under grace. If we study the sanctuary system, we can see that the Gospel was preached to the Jews through type (a person, thing or event that foreshadows a later, often more important, antitype or fulfilment).
Those who entered into salvation in the Old Testament were those who trusted the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ, and they demonstrated their faith by bringing a lamb and slaying it. They looked forward in faith to the atoning death of Jesus. We look back in faith to the same death and are saved in exactly the same way. Be very certain that the entire redeemed host throughout eternity will be singing the same song of deliverance, exalting the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world.