Why is God portrayed so differently in the Old and New Testaments?

[Soyeong]

You need to distinguish God's nature from God's actions. They are not interchangeable.

I'm speaking about God's moral nature, which is the way that He acts in accordance with His nature and the way that He has instructed us to act, so that is interchangeable. God's way is the way that He acts morally and the way that He has instructed us to act. For example, in Genesis 18:19, the way to walk in God's way is by doing righteousness and justice. In 2 Samuel 21:22-37, God's way is righteousness, cleanness, not wickedness, blameless, merciful, pure, not crooked, humble, not haughty, a lamp, not darkness, perfect, true, a shield of salvation, a rock, a refuge, and gentleness. I've also previously cited verses that God taught how to walk in His way through His law.

 

[tonychanyt]

I'm speaking about God's moral nature, which is the way that He acts

You need to distinguish God's moral nature from His acts. The two terms are not interchangeable.

 

[Soyeong]

You need to distinguish God's moral nature from His acts. The two terms are not interchangeable.

How is saying that God is righteous different from saying that He acts righteously?

 

[tonychanyt]

How is saying that God is righteous different from saying that He acts righteously?

"God is righteous" refers to his nature.
"He acts righteously" refers to his acts.

His nature and his acts are two distinctive related things. The two terms are not interchangeable. You need to introduce more precision in your understanding.

 

[Soyeong]

"God is righteous" refers to his nature.
"He acts righteously" refers to his acts.

His nature and his acts are two distinctive related things. The two terms are not interchangeable. You need to introduce more precision in your understanding.

To say that someone has a character trait is to say that they are someone who chooses to act in a way that expresses that character trait.

 

[tonychanyt]

To say that someone has a character trait is to say that they are someone who chooses to act in a way that expresses that character trait.

If you prefer not to make the distinction, that's fine. I do in an argumentation.

 

[Soyeong]

If you prefer not to make the distinction, that's fine. I do in an argumentation.

Again, what do you see as the distinction between God's nature and the way that God acts? You insist that they are not interchangeable, but you won't explain how they are not speaking about the same concept.

 

[tonychanyt]

You insist that they are not interchangeable

Are you saying that they are interchangeable? Every time you see the string of words "God is righteous", you can automatically substitute it with "He acts righteously"?

 

[AV1611VET]

Again, what do you see as the distinction between God's nature and the way that God acts?

God's nature dictates the way God acts.

For example, some people can be controlled by anger.

But not so with God.

God gets angry, but God controls anger; anger doesn't control God.

God uses anger righteously.

 

[Soyeong]

Are you saying that they are interchangeable? Every time you see the string of words "God is righteous", you can automatically substitute it with "He acts righteously"?

Yes. "God chooses to act righteously" is what is being communicated by saying "God is righteous". What sense would there be to say that God is righteous is He did not choose to act righteously?

 

[AV1611VET]

Yes. "God chooses to act righteously" is what is being communicated by saying "God is righteous". What sense would there be to say that God is righteous is He did not choose to act righteously?

CORRECT: God is righteous, therefore God acts righteously.

INCORRECT: God acts righteously, therefore God is righteous.

CONCLUSION: God is not righteous because He acts righteously; He acts righteously because He is righteous.

 

[tonychanyt]

Yes.

See Why is God portrayed so differently in the Old and New Testaments? for a distinction between the two terms. P1 ⇒ P2 but not the inverse.

Thanks, AV1611VET

 

[Soyeong]

CORRECT: God is righteous, therefore God acts righteously.

INCORRECT: God acts righteously, therefore God is righteous.

CONCLUSION: God is not righteous because He acts righteously; He acts righteously because He is righteous.

See Why is God portrayed so differently in the Old and New Testaments? for a distinction between the two terms. P1 ⇒ P2 but not the inverse.

Thanks, AV1611VET

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

If God did not act righteously, then he would not be righteous, and if God were not righteous, then He wold not act righteously. It is not separated in time that one is the cause of the other, but that saying that God's is righteous is communicating something about the way that he acts and saying that God acts righteously is communicating something about His nature.

 

[tonychanyt]

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

If God did not act righteously,

Who said God did not act righteously?

 

[Soyeong]

Who said God did not act righteously?

I did suggest that anyone said that God did not act righteously, but rather I used a conditional statement to show the connection in meaning between being righteous and acting righteously. Likewise, there is an intrinsic connection in meaning between being courageous and acting courageously.

 

[tonychanyt]

I did suggest that anyone said that God did not act righteously, but rather I used a conditional statement to show the connection in meaning between being righteous and acting righteously. Likewise, there is an intrinsic connection in meaning between being courageous and acting courageously.

Let x be an entity of one kind and y be an entity of a different kind. Can x = y?

 

[Soyeong]

Let x be an entity of one kind and y be an entity of a different kind. Can x = y?

No.

Though the meaning of saying that someone is righteous is that they act righteously and the meaning of saying that someone acts righteously is that they are righteous, so those are not different kinds.

 

[tonychanyt]

No.

Right

Though the meaning of saying that someone is righteous is that they act righteously and the meaning of saying that someone acts righteously is that they are righteous, so those are not different kinds.

What kind of thing is "He is righteous"?
What kind of thing is "He acts righteously"?

 

[AV1611VET]

Thanks, AV1611VET

You betcha, chief!