Does the Old Testament Distort Christianity?
A sharp critique of how the Old Testament shapes modern Christianity, confronting false doctrines and “lazy theology,” and arguing that Christ must remain the lens through which all Scripture is read—because his is not one voice among many, but the voice of God.
There is a growing discomfort many refuse to name.
It sits quietly beneath sermons, beneath doctrines, beneath the strange contradictions of modern Christianity.
A discomfort born not out of rebellion, but out of observation.
Because when a man reads the words of Jesus Christ, he encounters something disarmingly clear:
Love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you.
Put away the sword.
Judge a tree by its fruit.
Simple. Direct. Almost impossible to manipulate.
But then, he turns a few pages back to the Old Testament… and the waters become troubled.
He encounters conquest.
He encounters chosen people and rejected others, Jews and Gentiles.
He encounters divine sanction for violence, hierarchy, separation—tribalism, racism, disdain for others, self-righteousness.
And without realizing it, something subtle happens:
The clarity of Christ becomes… negotiable.
When Clarity Becomes Negotiable
Even worse, practices such as payment of tithes, never taught by the disciples, creep into Christian doctrine.
When Christ preached against mammon, against filthy lucre, he was not speaking to Christians. He was speaking to those who still identified as Jews.
Ditto when he taught that:
“Whatsoever we do for the least amongst us, that we do unto God.”
The parable of the Good Samaritan was aimed at men who still identified as Jews.
Christ therefore meant for us to progressively challenge the parts of the Old Testament which fell short of his teachings—not to embrace them and elevate them to be at par with the new things he taught.
A Practical Analogy: Safety Over Everything
Back in Shell, my last job, we had to balance safety with operational needs.
We agreed that safety was not “first,” but equal to other considerations. However, whenever in doubt as to the best course of action, we were to raise safety higher than every other consideration—production, profit, everything.
That model works for the conflict between the Old and New Testaments.
Because the Old Testament introduces conflict into Christianity.
But more dangerously, it introduces permission.
The Dangerous Power of “But”
Permission to say:
“Yes, Jesus said love your enemies… but…”
“Yes, Jesus said turn the other cheek… however…”
“Yes, Jesus said judge by fruit… still…”
And in that “but,” entire theologies are built.
A Radical Question
Imagine a Christianity without the Old Testament.
Christ says, if your eyes cause you to sin, pluck it out.
Your eyes.
But if the Old Testament causes us to sin, what do we do?
Because what is undeniable is that it does cause us to sin.
What could be our defense?
The best defense we might give for falling short of Christian expectations would be worse than the defense of the wicked servant in the parable of the talents.
He did not break any law.
He did not cause anyone to hate their neighbor.
He simply misjudged the nature of God.
False Teachings and the Old Testament
The most persistent false doctrines draw strength from the Old Testament when detached from the filter of Christ.
A few:
1. The Theology of Power and Dominion
The idea that believers are meant to rule, dominate, and possess.
Often justified using “chosen nation” language.
Yet it sits uneasily beside:
“My kingdom is not of this world.”
2. Prosperity as Divine Approval
Wealth as a sign of God’s favor.
Drawn from covenant blessings, land promises, material rewards.
Yet Christ speaks repeatedly of poverty of spirit, warns about riches, and elevates the lowly.
3. Religious Nationalism
The merging of God with a nation, tribe, or political project.
Rooted in Israel’s identity as a people set apart.
Yet Christ dissolves that boundary:
“Neither Jew nor Greek…”
(as later emphasized by Paul the Apostle)
4. Justified Violence in God’s Name
The most dangerous of all.
The idea that violence can be sanctified if the cause is “righteous.”
This has echoed through history, from crusades to modern conflicts.
Yet Christ rebukes the sword, even in his own defense.
The Problem of Equal Weight
Giving the Old and New Testaments equal weight has helped create a faith where:
Jesus sets the ideal…
But the Old Testament supplies the exceptions.
And as we see, the exceptions begin to dominate.
Perhaps because it is easier to justify our fallen nature than to rise to Christ-like standards.
Where Do We Go From Here?
We must reorder the prioritization given to both books of the Bible.
We must insist that Christ is the lens.
Not one voice among many—but the Voice.
The voice of God.
We must also insist that every prior text—that is, the Old Testament—must pass through Christ, or be understood in light of Christ.
A Historical Note
Interestingly, early Christians even tried to throw out the Old Testament entirely, notably Marcion of Sinope in the 2nd century.
But the mainstream church rejected that move, insisting the tension must be held, not erased.
The Final Test
In the end, Christ leaves us with a test that bypasses all argument:
“By their fruits…”
No appeal to Moses.
No appeal to law.
No appeal to history.
Just outcome.
The Only Question That Matters
So the real question is not:
Old Testament or New?
It is:
What kind of men does your theology produce?
Because if a system consistently produces arrogance, cruelty, deception, and hunger for power…
Then no matter how ancient its sources…
It has already judged itself.
I rest my case.
Don Kenobi
#OldManInTheMolue
#MyFrancisEssays
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