“He argues that notions of a God who demanded and perhaps participated in the gruesome execution of an innocent Jesus is largely an invention of the medieval church that became enshrined in orthodox Christianity, and is not what the Bible actually teaches.”
It’s amazing that the medieval church could somehow time travel and insert allusions to this idea throughout the Old Testament, such as the sacrifice God asked of Abraham, or the entire Passover ritual symbolism. Where has the Vatican been hiding their time machine?
“...participated in the gruesome execution...”
Or the wholesale slaughter of all of the “ittes” (Hittites, Jebusites, etc.) when the Jews took Israel.
I’m no expert, but I wonder if by Jesus dieing on the cross to save all of mankind, God’s wrath on various nations and peoples seen in the OT has been suspended until the end days?
The standard interpretation of Abraham/Isaac, however, is that the Jewish (Biblical/Christian) God does NOT want human sacrifices...like so many of the pagan tribes practiced.
Yes, God asked Abraham to start the process (as a ‘test of Abe’s faith in God’) but ... in direct contradiftion to all those other ‘gods’ -— the one true God stopped everything before a single drop of human blood was shed.
Citing Abraham/Isaac as an indicator that God would ever want human sacrifies again is, respectfully, a patent misreading. IMHO, and without any prejudice to upholding Jesus’ sacrifice 1200+ years later.
Just my 2 cents worth. I will shut up before anyone sends the Roman Legions out to crufify me over this.
Over and Out!
People like this Tony Jones fellow, know they can get away with this kind of spin on the crucifixion, because most today have been dumbed down by liberals/progressives and the general apostate spirit of our days. Sad to say, they don’t have a clue as to whether or not the Bible agrees with Jones.