Ishihara, Kiyoshi. Translated by Gilbert Zinke. "Bible Interpretations that Bring Forth Extremist Fundamentalism" (過激な原理主義を生み出す聖書の解釈). Japan Evangelical Association Theological Commission Pamphlet 6 (May 2006): 5-15.
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FINALLY
While we have examined the passages of Scripture that appear to support extremist fundamentalism, Jesus, who came as the Messiah, neither walked in nor endorsed the way of priest, Phinehas, who became the fountainhead of the Zealot Party, nor of the prophet, Elijah, who used weapons to murder opponents. He made His triumphal entry as a meek King and, though He did cleanse the temple, He barely debated His opponents, much less slaughter them. Rather, He proffered His life for them and, upon the cross, prayed that His enemies might be forgiven. The Lord Jesus went along the path of the priest, Melchizedek, and as the Messiah indicated by the writing prophets, walked even further as the true King, who surrendered Himself as a sacrificial victim to bring about reformation of hearts.
Since such is the lifestyle of Jesus, we must reinterpret the Old Testament. Certainly the Old Testament recounts bloody incidents like those mentioned above.
However, such have to be reinterpreted by the New Testament, and do not provide any foundation for justifying the many murderous acts being done in our day. We must see the Old Testament afresh in the light of Christ who came as the Messiah, and proffered His own life to complete the atonement. This rethinking of the Old Testament is the very key to seeing through extremist fundamentalism. Since extremist fundamentalism frequently ignores the New Testament and attempts to do interpretation tied directly to the Old Testament, may it not be losing sight of the true meaning?
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