Can any Christians explain seemingly terrible excerpts from the bible?

Question

For example, that women can't have authority over men or even speak in church, killing people that don't believe in God, or stoning people the don't keep the sabbath holy.

Where these taken out of context?

*were they taken out if context

Answer 1

Women not having authority over men is a general principle and illustration of Gods created order. But the people that want to fully liberate women and have them do everything say that verse was just circumstantial meaning that Paul wrote that to a church that was having a problem with a specific group of women seizing too much power.

Women not speaking in church is a verse most believe is circumstantial because nothing like that is repeated anywhere else in Scripture. There are also authenticity issues related to that verse.

Killing people that dont believe in God was only for a certain time and place in history when God wanted the land promised land initially sanitized of unbelievers; Israel never did do that fully and those people became huge problems for them.

Stoning Sabbath breakers was strictly OT Law for ancient Jews and not for todays believers as are much of the OT Laws.

Everyday the Bible is taken out of context and misunderstood by unbelievers but I guess its good God reveals truth!

Answer 2

1. that women can't have authority over men

take into context, esp. in the N.T. times ... the culture, pagan religions (some with priestesses and "prostitution" in the name of their pagan religions

2. or even speak in church

and yet in another place St. Paul says they can pray or prophesy in church as long as they have their heads covered

3. killing people that don't believe in God

There were a few instances in the O.T. when small tribes, etc. were eliminated, by God or at His command. Remember, though, that is NOT the same as genocide ... where one group dislike another group. However, God made the nations/tribes. He is in authority.

4. Stoning people that "don't keep the sabbath holy"

Yes, there were laws; many of the laws were not enforced; they did indicate the seriousness of them, though.

And do you remember in the N.T. how these and other laws were to be considered .... with mercy and compassion ... and as for stoning .... let him/her that be without sin cast the first stone.

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Out of context? Yes, mostly so.
Or out of time ... such as OT or NT,
or as relates to the NATION, rather than to people scattered among the nations.

Answer 3

Just as 1 example...women speaking in church. Paul was speaking to that one church. In the Middle East of the time women had no education, couldn't read or write, yet in this church they were teaching. Paul thus was saying only those who ad read the Scriptures and were educated should teach to others. Later Paul commends Priscilla for her teaching and other women for their music ministry in the church. So the problem wasn't that women were 2nd class but rather in that 1 church the teachers weren't knowledgeable.

Also notice that the first people to see Jesus after He was resurrected were women. These women were the first to proclaim the Good News that Jesus was ALIVE! What an honor.! They told the scared and Apostles who had been in hiding.

Men and women are equal but have different roles in the church. Who is greater a mother or father? They are different. How can you compare them?

Answer 4

Ephesians 2:15 Through his body on the cross, Christ put an end to the law with all its commands and rules. He wanted to create one new group of people out of the two. He wanted to make peace between them.

Colossians 2:14 He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.

Galatians 2:16 ...No one can be made right with God by obeying the law.

Galatians 2:21 ...What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!

Galatians 5:4 Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace... The ONLY verse that talks about falling from grace, and they did it by trying to follow the law!

Jesus said he didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. (Matt 5:17) The effect was the same. Once fulfilled it was no longer in effect. The very next verse, Matthew 5:18, looks forward to the time when the law would be set aside. "...Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law UNTIL EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED."

On the cross, Jesus' last recorded saying, "It is finished," is an important milestone. Because of Jesus life, Satan had been defeated. The law was finished and would no longer stand between God and mankind.

The 10 commandments along with the rest of the law ("commands and rules" from Ephesians 2:15) were "set aside" when they were fulfilled or completed at Jesus' resurrection. We are no longer bound by that law.

Answer 5

Look at it this way. The position of authority was to be given to the man, and the woman was to support him. There really shouldn't be women preachers. They can however teach Sunday School, and they can be mentors to the younger women in the church. As for the rest of the question that you asked, those no longer apply to today's society. We must however continue to witness to those people and to pray for them. We also need to let the Holy Spirit convict them of what they may be doing wrong, and we must also let God be the ultimate Judge.

Answer 6

I know that the scripture that you are referring to with women, is from the new test. where Paul is talking to the men at the church in Corinth. he said " let your women be silent in church". The women of the day were not allowed into the inner temple and had to sit in balconies. since they were unschooled they were yelling down to there husbands, trying to understand what was going on. Paul was giving good advice, as it is quite rude to yell while the pastor is speaking, even today.

Women not being in authority over man. god is a god of order, and there should be a head of household. I am my husbands equal,and he treats me as such. but i also trust him to make good and sound decisions, as far as spiritual, family, and business matters.
There should never be a question of "who wears the pants in the family" Dad's are meant to be dads and moms are meant to be moms.


as far as the rest? culture I am sure plays a great part in that. i would have to know where you got them, in what context so that i could answer with knowledge.

hope i helped.

Answer 7

The passage in Leviticus is prophesy. The passage is approximately how leprosy is clinically determined. And approximately how somebody may well be examined to tell in the event that they are cured. The passage grants no magical treatment for leprosy. somewhat the passage refers back to the cleansing of somebody who no longer has leprosy. component to the cleansing technique includes the killing of a chook in an earthen vessel and the liberating of a stay chook dipped in the blood of the ineffective one. Leprosy incredibly represents sin. The earthen vessel is Jesus. the killing of the chook represents Jesus' dying. The stay chook dipped in the blood of the ineffective one represents his resurrection. The blood mixed with the working water represents how Jesus dying, burial and resurrection cleanses people who're cured from sin. The passage replaced into written over a million,000 years in the previous Jesus replaced into born so the provider of the information could desire to have been waiting to make certain into the destiny. The passage starts by using announcing "for this reason Saith The Lord"

Answer 8

Bible never downgrade women or treat them as if they were inferior persons?

Gen. 2:18: “Jehovah God went on to say: ‘It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him.’” (The man is not here described by God as being a better person than the woman. Rather, God indicated that woman would possess qualities that would complement those of man within God’s arrangement. A complement is one of two mutually completing parts. Thus women as a group are outstanding in certain qualities and abilities; men, in others. Compare 1 Corinthians 11:11, 12.)

Being under headship is not in itself demeaning. Headship contributes to the handling of matters in an orderly arrangement, and Jehovah is “a God, not of disorder, but of peace.” (1 Cor. 14:33) Jesus Christ is under the headship of Jehovah God, and he finds great satisfaction in that relationship.—John 5:19, 20; 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:27, 28.

It was important for individual Israelites to remember to keep the Sabbath because violation was regarded as rebellion against Jehovah and was punished by death. (Ex 31:14, 15; Nu 15:32-36)

We are no longer under the Mosaic Law.

The law of the Christ is repeatedly associated with freedom. (John 8:31, 32) It is referred to as “the law of a free people” and “the perfect law that belongs to freedom.” (James 1:25; 2:12) Of course, all freedom among humans is relative. Still, this law offers far greater freedom than its predecessor, the Mosaic Law.

True Christians freely choose in their hearts to accept the yoke of obedience to this law. In so doing, they find that it is a kindly yoke, a light load. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Do not understand the part killing people don't believe in God?
Are you referring to the Crusade?

Answer 9

I can't tell if they were taken out of context since you didn't tell what book, chapter and verse they are found in. Most of that sounds like Old Testament laws, and Christ brought a New Law, the New Testament.

Answer 10

In a nutshell - The Old Testament contains a lot of "laws" however, they are no longer "laws." It also says things about eating certain animals and such being illegal. Back then it was, but afterwards, if you continue to read, you will find that the New Testament contains information that informs you that the laws of the Old Testament are no longer in effect.