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Difficult Bible Verses
Some people have read the Bible and become atheists. I was shocked when I first heard that. They ran across difficult Bible verses and did not know how to handle them. Other people have used hard-to-understand verses and concepts to mock Christianity. For others, it raises difficult questions they honestly search for answers to.
I heard of a video where a person would read from the Koran to people on the street and ask for their thoughts. When they were shocked at the passages, he would reveal that he was actually reading from the Bible. Both honest questions and mockers have blindsided Christians because they do not know what is in the Bible. They have never read it cover to cover. If you have been a Christian for over three years, you should not be surprised by what is in the Bible. There may be many things that you cannot understand or explain - no one knows it all! - but no one should be able to surprise you with its content.
I will give you some fundamental principles for understanding difficult Bible verses. The way of Salvation is clearly explained, but the Bible contains so much more. It is a revelation of Who God is. Every Christian should actively work on understanding and applying it. And it does take work. Too many Christians don’t want to invest the time and energy to comprehend what is in the Bible. Challenging verses and concepts can be confusing and lead to wild conclusions. Fools love to pull them out of context, put their own meaning on them, and then use them to mock Christianity.
Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be wise in his own eyes.
Pr. 26:4-5, NASB
Fools and mockers do not deserve a lot of time. They are not likely to be convinced of their errors by facts and debate. However, sometimes their words keep others from coming to Jesus or even motivate Christians to abandon their faith. In these cases, the Truth must be known to encourage people and strengthen their faith. We need wisdom to know when to answer the fool and when to let him just wallow in his God-hating prejudice.
What To Do In Examining Difficult Bible Verses
1. Scripture will never contradict itself. If we encounter an alleged contradiction, it is because we are misunderstanding or misapplying something. The verses in the Proverbs I have just read contradict each other. Do we answer the fool or not? The solution is to realize that life is not a cookie-cutter experience. Different situations require different responses. No contradiction, just practical instruction.
2. Context is always vital. The Bible is 66 books - a mini-library. We not only need to understand the surrounding context but also the entire book, its purpose, who wrote it and why, who it was written to and why, how it fits with the overall theme of Scripture, the social and historical context [i.e. how the people who first read it would have understood it], and more. We must be careful not to use Western viewpoints to understand a Book written from an Eastern point of view. Any fool can pick a verse out of context, put their interpretation on it, and mock it. Diligent students study and search for what is being said.
From a Western perspective, Caleb's act of giving his daughter in marriage to the conqueror of a specific city may seem harsh and unjust. However, when we consider the social and historical context, we learn that Caleb, with his daughter’s consent, was conducting a test to find the most courageous, intelligent, and God-fearing man [Judges 1:12-13]. In today’s world, with its high divorce rates, one might wonder how many women would appreciate a similar test of their potential spouse's character before marriage.
3. Jesus is the perfect Image of God. When we see Jesus, we see what God is really like. This has led some to adopt the heretical idea that there are two Gods: One judgmental One in the Old Testament and one loving One in the New Testament. There is only one God. We may not understand why God did or said some things in the Old Testament, but we approach them with the knowledge that this is the same loving and compassionate God Who mourned over the destruction of Jerusalem and gave His life to redeem us.
4. Remember that the Bible was not originally written in English. Even if you know modern Hebrew or Greek, it differs from Biblical Hebrew or Greek. Sometimes, we miss or misunderstand verses because of how they were translated. Also, if you use an older version like the KJV, remember that words change meaning over time. There are about 300 words that don’t mean the same thing now as they did in 1611 when the KJV was published.
For example, the KJV uses the word “conversation,” which we understand as two or more people talking. But when it was originally written, a person’s conversation was their entire lifestyle.
5. The original manuscripts, or autographs, were without error. While no autographs exist today, our copies are remarkably accurate, with any minor copying errors not affecting any standard Christian doctrines. For instance, two writers describing the same battle may have different numbers of soldiers. This discrepancy could be due to different rounding methods or an error. Still, it doesn’t alter any doctrines or the story's purpose, providing a reliable and consistent understanding of the Bible.
We must also remember that the writers used many different writing techniques, including allegory, sarcasm, and hyperbole. You don’t expect the same style in a poem or play as you do in a historical narrative. Usually, it is relatively easy to spot the different styles, but not always. [In case you are wondering, I believe Genesis 1-9 are historical narratives, and I think it does a disservice to Scripture to try to explain them away as many Christians attempt to do. If this is a problem for you, I suggest you research sites like Creation Ministries International, which examines Biblical and scientific evidence for a literal reading of Genesis.]
6. God is righteous and holy. He sets the standards… He is the standard. By definition, He can do nothing wrong or sinful. Therefore, if we think a verse shows God doing or commanding something wrong [being a moral monster], we either misunderstand the verse or misunderstand righteousness.
Some atheists have declared that the Bible commands a woman to marry her rapist. This monstrous idea is utterly ridiculous to anyone with an ounce of common sense. However, if ripped from their context and Westernized, a couple of passages may give that impression. Since God is just and righteous, we know He would never command or even ask that. An article on our website explores this false charge.
7. Just because something is mentioned in the Bible does not mean that God approved of it. The Bible is an honest Book. It tells what happened. It shows what good people do but refuses to cover up the bad that they do. Judas committed suicide. That does not mean God approves of suicide. Lot’s daughters tricked him into committing incest. That does not mean God approved of their actions.
8. Sometimes, when we don’t understand a Scripture, we must set it aside for the moment. God has a timing for everything. After we gain more knowledge and experience, we may be able to come back to it and understand it.
What Not To Do In Explaining Difficult Bible Verses
Some Christian writers have committed serious errors in explaining difficult verses - especially in the Law of God and some passages in the New Testament. I do not doubt the sincerity of their intentions. They want to make the Scriptures acceptable to modern people to lead them to the Saviour. However, we cannot compromise the Truth of the Gospel to do so. There are things we may never be able to understand or explain, and that’s okay. We are to trust our loving, heavenly Father as we work on our relationship with Him.
In explaining difficult Scriptures, do not do the following things:
1. Do not assume that the people were inferior or unintelligent. This comes from the false evolutionary idea that humans evolved from apes and slowly advanced to cavemen and then onward. The reverse is true. God created Adam, able to use his brain at 100% capacity. Through sin, time, and disease, human capacities are decreasing. Some ancient societies accomplished feats that we still haven’t been able to figure out how they did it.
The people of Bible times lived in a society that was different from ours, and they did not have the technological advancements that we enjoy today. However, this does not imply that they were any less intelligent. God used examples that were culturally significant to the people of that time, but the principles conveyed in the Scriptures are eternal and testify to the righteousness of God throughout all ages. [See our Master Life course for further insights.]
2. Do not make excuses for God. God made us witnesses, not lawyers. Our prime responsibility is to share the love of Christ and the Truth of what He has done for us and humanity, not to defend God. God is capable of defending Himself.
For example, too many Christian apologists claim that God gave superior laws for the culture at that time, but now our modern laws are much better. This is a denial of the wisdom and ability of God to communicate timeless Law. It is an insult to the character of God. Just because we don’t understand some of God’s Laws - probably because we don’t understand the cultural setting - doesn’t mean they are outdated and have been surpassed by modern law. Seeing how modern law has led to the violent decay of society, I don’t know how anyone can claim it is superior.
Deut 14:21 says not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. What does that mean? I haven’t got a clue. But just because I don’t understand it doesn’t make it old-fashioned or silly. Somewhere in there is an important principle for today. If I dismiss it, I am insulting God and will have no hope of discovering its meaning.
3. If you don’t know the answer, be honest. No one knows everything. If the person sincerely asks the questions, try to find the answer, but don’t fake or bluff it.
Difficult verses and concepts are in the Bible—no doubt about that. We should not ignore them or focus all our attention on them. No one can explain everything about the Bible. If they could, that would be evidence of a human origin instead of a divine origin for Scripture.
I have divided this stream into two sections. The first section is articles related to understanding some basic principles. We hit the rapids in the second and look at specific difficult Bible verses. This is often controversial, and you may disagree with me. That’s okay; at least you were willing to look at it. You can always add your comments at the bottom of any page.
Principles Of Difficult Bible Verses
Brook One
Some people are surprised and staggered because there are difficulties in the Bible. I would be more surprised and more staggered if there were not.
Eddy One
Take this Free email course on how to study the Bible for yourself.
Eddy Two
Take this free course to understand how the Law of God works today.
Brook Two
Difficult Bible Verses
Now its time to hit the white water rapids. Hang on tight to the cords of Love and Truth! Read the ones that interest you in any order.
Do Women In Leadership Contradict The Bible?
Why Is There A Sexual Double Standard?
Should Christians Support Capital Punishment For Murder?
Does The Bible Force A Woman To Marry Her Rapist?
Women Abuse: Why Is The Bible Silent?
Does God Cause Natural Disasters?
Are Unicorns Mentioned In The Bible?
Why Did God Want To Kill Moses?
Were People Innocent Of Sin Before The Law?
Is Your Name In The Book Of Life And Can It Be Removed?
Why Was Moses Denied The Promised Land?
Contradictions In The Birth Story Of Jesus
And more to come...
Resources
Biblical and scientific look at Creation - www.creation.com
Documentaries and information on archeological evidence - Patterns Of Evidence
Investigative Reporter Lee Strobel investigates the reliability of the Bible - Lee Strobel
How Not To Read The Bible - Dan Kimball
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