Why is this in the Bible?!?
Great question! The disturbing passages in the Bible aren’t there by mistake!!! If you are NOT a Christian, you won’t believe what’s in the Bible. If you ARE a Christian, do you get to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to read and believe? Do you get to rip out the pages that are strange, confusing, make you feel uncomfortable, or the parts that you don’t understand? And yet to be a follower of Christ, you are called to believe, by faith.
Taking a single bible verse out of context is extremely dangerous!!! With that in mind, every Bible verse you read is taken out of context if you just quote a Bible verse and don’t give context to the paragraph it’s in, or the larger chapter context, or the specific book it’s in, or talk about the cultural circumstances of the time it was written, or the original language it was written in, or knowing something about the author who wrote it! So, you have some work to do if you’re going to try to read and understand the Bible. You might want to know a little bit about the Bible.
The Bible details the tragic human condition, real evil in this world, and is not simply an instruction manual for how to be a good person and live a good life. If you thought it was, #sorrynotsorry. The Bible is written how it is for a reason – it’s God’s Word!
We all have questions and want answers. When we read the Bible, God can use His Word in our life. Each one of us was made special. God wants a relationship with each one of us. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have the answer to every question! But, being a Christian does mean you have faith, hope, and have received grace.
We were not made to live and read the Bible in isolation. We were made for community. Search for a “Bible believing church” near you, join a small group at a local church, become part of a community of Christ followers, dive in, and wrestle with what the scriptures say. The Bible is not boring!
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 (English Standard Version)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”
2 Timothy 3:16 (English Standard Version)
There are many wonderful resources as you begin to walk in community with other Bible believing followers of Christ and share in fellowship. Here are a few resources:
Not So Boring Bible (PG version)
Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast
Blameless Ministries
(Find freedom from porn addiction)
