4.3. Scripture and the Early Church
The early church, in Hardin’s opinion, interpreted the Jewish Bible in the light of Jesus, not Jesus in the light of the Jewish Bible. This is a bigger difference than one might think at first glance. "The early church read the Bible while on the margins sociologically; Christians read the Bible today as those on top who have triumphed!”
The Bible(s) of the Early Church. The OT version that the majority of early Christian theologians used was a Greek translation (the LXX), not the Hebrew. That translation had biases in it that were used by the early writers.
The Greatest Heretic Asked the Most Important Question. Marcion (80-150? CE) asked, “What does the violent God of the Jewish Scriptures have to do with the gracious, compassionate God taught by Jesus and Paul?” This is a great question and it has bee answered in many different ways over the centuries. Marcion’s answer is considered heresy. The predominant answer is highly influenced by Plato and other Greek philosophers. But, Hardin writes, “… the definition of God that comes out of Greek philosophy cannot contain the biblical revelation of the dynamic character of the Trinitarian God known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
Quotes from Hardin, Michael (2013-09-26). The Jesus Driven Life: Reconnecting Humanity With Jesus, 2nd Edition Revised and Expanded (Kindle Locations 3527-3528). JDL Press. Kindle Edition.