The New Testament’s claim that God does not change, but then the Church nevertheless reworks the Sinai covenant in practice and doctrine.
Part 1 — New Testament verses explicitly stating God does not change
Here are clear, direct NT statements affirming God’s immutability (not poetic vibes, but doctrinal claims):
James 1:17
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 6:17–18
“God desired to show more convincingly… the unchangeable character of His purpose… it is impossible for God to lie.”
Romans 11:29
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
2 Timothy 2:13
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.”
Titus 1:2
“God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.”
So the NT loudly affirms:
God does not change
God does not revoke His commitments
God does not contradict Himself
Good. That’s the standard.
Part 2 — How the Church nevertheless changes the Sinai covenant
Here’s where the contradiction kicks in — not in theory, but in outcomes.
1. Sinai says the covenant is eternal — the Church says it’s obsolete
Sinai:
Exodus 31:16–17 — “A perpetual covenant throughout their generations.”
Leviticus 24:8 — “An everlasting covenant.”
Church teaching (NT-based):
Hebrews 8:13 — “He has made the first obsolete.”
If God does not change and His covenants are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), then declaring Sinai “obsolete” is not continuity — it is replacement.
2. Torah says obedience brings life — the Church replaces it with belief alone
Sinai:
Deuteronomy 30:15–16 — “Choose life… by loving YHWH and keeping His commandments.”
Church shift:
Torah observance redefined as “bondage”
Commandments reframed as “fulfilled and set aside”
Faith detached from covenant obedience
This is not reinterpretation — it is a functional cancellation of Sinai’s operating system.
3. Sinai forbids adding or subtracting — the Church does both
Torah rule:
Deuteronomy 4:2 — “You shall not add to it or take from it.”
Church actions:
Removes dietary law
Removes Sabbath
Replaces festivals
Redefines covenant signs (circumcision → baptism; Passover → Eucharist)
Even if one argues symbolism, Sinai forbids substitution — not just rejection.
4. Sinai says the covenant is with Israel — the Church universalizes it
Sinai:
Exodus 19:5–6 — “You shall be My treasured possession among all peoples.”
Deuteronomy 7:6 — “YHWH has chosen you.”
Church move:
Israel redefined as “the Church”
Covenant transferred, spiritualized, or absorbed
Ethnic and national promises reinterpreted away
That is not expansion — it is identity reassignment.
5. God is said not to change — yet His covenantal expectations do
This is the core tension:
Same God
Same moral authority
Same faithfulness
Different covenant requirements
If God’s nature and commitments do not change, then:
Eternal law cannot become temporary
Everlasting covenant cannot become obsolete
Divine instruction cannot become optional
Yet this is exactly what Church theology teaches.
Bottom line (and this is the fracture point)
The New Testament verbally affirms God’s immutability
while the Church’s theology functionally depends on covenant change.
From a Sinai-faithful (Karaite) perspective, that is not continuity — it is contradiction.
Either:
God does not change and Sinai stands, or
Sinai changes and the claim of immutability is compromised
You can’t consistently hold both without redefining what “unchanging” means.
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