Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



November 7, 2025

Was God Harsh in the Old Testament?


By Archimandrite Vassilios Bakoyiannis

Some non-Christians resort to the Old Testament to prove that the Christian God is harsh. This view, however, is only half the truth. The whole truth is that God was equally merciful in the Old Testament as well. Here is an overview.

God in the Old Testament had to deal with a fallen world unlike any before, a world with its own psychology and nature. Accordingly, it required a special approach, one that aligned with this reality.

Its defining trait was hardness of heart. Parents burned their children alive, offering them as sacrifices to their gods (2 Kings 23:10).

In such a world, murder was an easy matter. With what ease Cain killed Abel; with what ease the meek Moses slew an Egyptian who was mistreating a fellow Israelite (Exodus 2:12).

In order to put an end to this barbaric and dangerous habit, the Lord established "an eye for an eye" (Exodus 21:24). Namely: if someone poked your eye out, you were allowed to poke his eye out; but no more than that; do not kill them. Thus, the tension was released and did not escalate to murder.

Within this framework, we must look at the punishments that God sent to the Israelites when they sinned. They were not scandalized when they were punished. They would have been scandalized if they had not been punished; they would begin to doubt whether God is just!

This climate "forced" God to include in the law that He gave to Moses (the Mosaic Law) some of the harsh customs of that time, such as the custom that fornicators and prostitutes should be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:22). If He had annulled it, it would have been as though He was giving a green light to prostitution. 

At the same time, Ηe was teaching the Israelites: 

"Do not hate your neighbor even in your thoughts" (Leviticus 19:17).  In an era when hatred was natural, God demanded internal purity.

Despite the harshness of the times, God taught mercy: "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge" (Leviticus 19:18). In an era when revenge was natural, God demanded internal purity.

To employers, He commanded justice: "Do not wrong anyone. Pay the worker his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, or you will be sinning" (Deuteronomy 24:14-15).

Even slaves were protected: "If you buy a slave, you may keep him for six years. In the seventh year, you must set him free, and not empty-handed, but reward him for his labor and send him off with gifts" (Deuteronomy 15:12-13).

God even cared for animals! "Do not yoke an ox and a donkey together to plow your field" (Deuteronomy 22:10), because the ox is stronger and the donkey will suffer. "Do not muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain" (Deuteronomy 25:4) so it can eat freely as it works. 

Only a merciful God could have said such things at such a time.

A chapter from the book: "Was God Harsh in the Old Testament?" by Archimandrite Vassilios Bakoyiannis (Email: avb@otenet.gr). More: https://orthodoxpatristicbooks.blogspot.com
 

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