Understanding Challenging Passages

So what about all those challenging passages like: Creation in seven days, Paul's anti-gay language, and passages that seem to condone violence or slavery?

Here are ten points that can help you with interpreting the Bible. It helps to study the Bible in community so do reach out if you have more questions or ideas.

The following points are adapted from Rev. Roger Wolsey with additions from Rev. Allison Smith.

We embrace the view expressed by many great Christian thinkers that “We take the Bible too seriously, to read it all literally.”

We don’t think that God wrote the Bible. It was written by fallible human beings who

were inspired (not dictated to) by the Holy Spirit. Hence, we don’t consider it to be infallible or inerrant.

The Bible is our Holy book in which God has spoken to humanity over thousands of years. We seek to read passages with consideration of historical socio-political contexts including experiences of oppression. We listen for the Spirit’s wisdom as we “consider the best available Biblical scholarship” and “read passages in context –within their chapter, within their book, within their genre, and within the overarching message] of the Bible” which is God’s love for humanity.

We employ an interpretive lens of compassion, love, and justice (which Jesus utilized). This lens is based on Jesus’ ministry of Love. All readers of the Bible bring their lens of understanding which is one reason why being part of a community of faith is helpful to counteract “lone ranger" interpretations. The lens of Love helps us see the forest for the trees. It allows the spirit of the law to transcend the letter of the law (which Jesus modeled).

We seek to apply full attention to scripture, tradition, reason, and experience (and that includes the insights of contemporary science). We understand that the Bible “contains both history and metaphor” (Marcus Borg.) The Protestant tradition was one which lifted up “sola scriptura” and the “priesthood of all believers” empowering lay people to go directly to scripture as guide for faith and life vs. relying solely on Church hierarchy.

We follow Jesus’ example in being willing to reject certain passages & theologies in the Bible and to affirm other ones. (He did it a lot.)

We believe God calls us to address the inconsistencies and contradictions in the Bible. As we hold the Bible up to the light of God’s love, we reject the passages that “posit God as wrathful, vindictive, and condoning of slavery.” The passages we struggle with remind us of our humanness—"as they…convey the desperate and very real frustration, lament, and anger that are part of the human condition. We view those passages as exceptions to the overarching message of the Bible of promoting unconditional love and the full inclusion and acceptance of all of God’s children. Indeed, while we wish those passages weren’t there, they actually help us to grant authority to the Bible in that we can see that it was written by fellow humans who are struggling with real life and death matters of injustice and oppression. Since they make space for our need to vent and rage – we honor the Bible all the more for it honors our shadow sides…allowing for the possibility of our shadows being transformed and integrated in healthy ways.

We tend to employ a “canon within the canon” lens whereby we give greater weight and priority to certain texts over others. A canon is an officially established collection of books that are revered by a given community – for Protestants, that refers to the 66 books of the Bible. For example, we often …give greatest weight to Mark, Luke, Matthew, John, certain letters that Paul actually wrote (as opposed to the Pastoral Epistles which he didn’t) as well as the Prophets, and the Psalms. For example, Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels carries a heavier weight for us than the laws of Leviticus or the instructions in I Timothy (which were written at a time when the Church was becoming institutionalized and more hierarchical.)

We seek to interpret the Bible …with fellow Christians in community with others…We are also open to doing this in community with Jews and Muslims, as fellow “people of the Book” whose insights are often invaluable.

And we pray, seek to understand, and pray again as we listen. For truly, with wisdom, prayers, and an open heart and mind, we can hear God’s message of hope today–for God is still speaking!

If you have more questions or ideas to share, click here and our minister will be happy to reach out to you.