The two acts of sexual violation would not have been considered equal. 3 people found this helpful. Yes, there certainly is a place for that, as Jesus stated (Matthew 5:44, I really must retitle this series. Are there hard sayings in the Bible? The passage canât be plucked out and interpreted in isolation, but must be understood with other comments in which Jesus discusses the relationship of the Father and the Son. 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! If you are looking for a soapbox to promote your own views, create your own website or blog site. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization Our Lord has the power to heal you and set you free â if you let him. Bible Scholars Bringing to you the latest scholarly information from all disciplines, to help illuminate, educate and inform you in ⦠Twisting and distorting what the Bible says is certainly a. The Canaanites engaged in a laundry list of awful practices, including child sacrifice, temple prostitution, witchcraft, idol worship, and just about every thing the Lord had ordered the Jews not to do. Some readers merely recoil and condemn God as a moral monster, turning away from Him and losing faith. Canonical criticism (which I discuss here) approaches the Bible as a totality rather than a series of independent stories sliced from context. And if, even though a physician has bound it up, the other testicle has become affected along with it and becomes inflamed, or if she has crushed the other testicle in the affray, they shall tear out both of her (last word missing). He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. [Elisha] went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, âGo up, you baldhead! When God wrote the Bible, He did not write one portion without regard for the other portions. The Church Fathers pondered these passages as well, and St. Augustine developed the âform of the servantâ interpretation based upon Philippians 2:6-7: âthough he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.â. So what makes a Bible passage difficult? Difficult and controversial Bible passages explained by Dr. Bob Utley. Deuteronomy 20:16-17:  But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perâ²izzites, the Hivites and the Jebâ²usites, as the Lord your God has commanded. 1. This may well have been a mob intent on doing Elisha harm. Go up, you baldhead!â And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. In De Trinitate Augustine argues that there is no contradiction in the Son being greater than the Father and the Father being greater than the Son, because Jesus is True God and True man. How can a Creator of love and compassion order the killing of women and children? SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. 29:17, James 4:6-10, Gal. Here are three reasons: 1 - Itâs Difficult Because it Demands Much. He councils them against committing the sin of homosexual rape by offering heterosexual rape as an alternative. Does God condone slavery? Some suggest that while Paul teaches salvation, Trying to understand what this verse is saying is not difficult. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or If the latter, then the mockery did not enrage him because he was vain, but because it disrespected the great prophet. Understanding the difficult parts of the Bible. ! We were commissioned to go into all the nations of the world and preach the good news, even if it meant our deaths, as it often did. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. Earlier this year, Brandon Smith and I launched a new podcast called Word Matters. You must state your full name to have your comments posted. Itâs easier said than done but rejoice in your hard times by looking for the Lord in your situation. and the land was polluted with blood. CultureWatch is a faith ministry and I get no salary. "Every abominable thing which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods." Difficult Bible Passages: Jeremiah 10:3-4. Difficult Bible Passages. Needless to say, not everything found in the comments posted here are points of view I approve of or agree with. We must use Scripture wisely and correctly when discussing refugees and immigration: The problem with this verse is how it is misused by some folks, usually with various political agendas in mind. The point of this exercise is not to come up with convoluted explanations for inexcusable passages, but to realize that the meaning of words can be complex and changing. Indeed, the story of Achen's punishment in Joshua 7 is an example of the harsh punishment meted out when someone disobeys this command. They sacrificed their sons HOLY. There are no hard questions that have not already been asked and answered many, many times. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Enter your email address for a free coupon, and to find out about future specials and promotions. Actions. History reveals this to be demonstrably untrue, so when we look more deeply into the past shouldnât be surprised to find barbaric people and belief systems. Itâs also worth noting that the word translated as âsmall boysâ in English can also mean young men. After 2000 years under the New Law of Christ, this kind of cruelty is unthinkable to us. The gist of the show goes like this: we take a contested or puzzling passage of the Bible, walk through the most common interpretations, and then recommend how to preach or teach the passage effectively. It was meant to show the power of the prophetâs word and the respect due to him. Perhaps she is âcut offâ from her husband, or the community. Most of the passages I have looked at are not all that difficult to be honest. EWTN News, Inc. is the worldâs largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Are there hard sayings in the Bible? Pray. It's hard to read passages like those found in Numbers 31, when Moses orders the destruction of the Midianites: "Now kill all the boys. whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; BSB #: 733349 Account #: 613094
Rembrandt painted the Presentation many times in his life. and played the harlot in their doings. 26 The Bible Handbook of Difficult Verses The second premise finds support from the second law of thermo- dynamics (see question on Genesis 1:1 for additional scientific evidence). Difficult Bible Passages: What Did Noahâs Youngest Son do to Him? Dealing With Difficult Passages. Either you take Yahweh and Jesus together, or you take neither. Does the Chronology of the Passion Week in John Contradict the Synoptic Gospels? And kill every woman who has slept with a man." Foreword 13 had shrunk and pasted all of my (less than complete) explanations into the margin beside the passages to which they pertained. the blood of their sons and daughters, The verse says this: âThe spiritual person judges all things, but is himself, If you are aware of some of the key differences between Protestant beliefs and Catholic beliefs, this verse would be well known to, With everyone talking about the Coronavirus, many Christians have been appealing to this particular passage. Once again we have a popular passage for scoffers, but thatâs nothing new. This is especially the case, This passage has to do with the bigger and always rather difficult matter of how divine sovereignty can coexist with human responsibility. The Babylonian Talmud (b. Sota 47a) records the number of sacrifices by Balak of Moab as 42, and claims that the boys killed by the bears were taken in payments for these deaths. Comments should be brief (preferably under 100 words), polite, constructive and informed. Two of them â one from early in his career, one late â deserve our attention. It was never going to be easy.Â, âTo be always seeking after the useful,â said Aristotle, âdoes not become free and exalted souls.â. Certainly, the act of grabbing a manâs genitals in the midst of a fight is immodest (not to mention odd), but hardly worthy of the punishment meted out. Was he naturally balding, or had he shaved his head in lamentation for Elijah? We donât have to believe that Lot is in the right to understand the point of the story. The problem of interpretation is exacerbated by the use of two different words (yad and kap ), the second of which is polyvalent. Under the new law, APSA will gain ownership of funds, bank accounts, and investments, including real estate, previously administered by the Secretariat of State from Jan. 1, 2021. In the form of God, as the Father has life in himself, so he gave the Son also to have life in himself (John 5:26); in the form of a servant, his soul is sorrowful to the point of death, and Father, he said, if it can be, let this cup pass by (Mattew 26:38). The more we know him, the more we truly love him. The entire approach to the wicked was flipped on its head. I may reply to some of your comments but will not be able to respond to all. they poured out innocent blood, The verse speaks about how the disciples were left in, This may not be a really difficult passage as such, but it can cause some confusion or questions as to how we apply it. This site is meant to do the same legal status as marriage $ for. Violation would not have been massacred by various, it is the story his way back to the people were. Who can destroy, there are no hard questions that have not already been asked and answered,. 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