The Lead

Theolog on When the Bible offends us:

A while back, I mentioned here that I had offended some people in an evangelical Bible study I was guest-teaching by affirming that “blessed are the peacemakers” refers to peace with other people, not just peace with God. The next week I was asked not to return. Apparently I was too liberal for some and a source of division in the church.
One way to read that decision is that I had gotten too far out in front of my class and didn’t create bridges that would invite them to join me on common ground. You’re not teaching if people aren’t learning. One might conclude that I failed in my task, even if one disagreed with the church leaders who see peacemaking only as a code word for evangelism rather than as a broader reconciliation. My job was to provoke learning; it didn’t happen.

Another perspective is that for many Christians, whether liberal or conservative, Bible study is primarily about reinforcing beliefs already held for reasons other than biblical authority. If it turns out that the Bible appears to teach something that runs against the grain of our convictions, we find ways to reject its message or its messenger.

Comments (3)

I'm inclined to agree with Dennis Prager's idea that whether I'm offended by something is irrelevant. What matters is whether it is true.

If reading the Bible does not challenge my home truths and assumptions regularly, I'm probably not reading it often enough.

Posted by Douglas LeBlanc | May 4, 2010 5:32 PM

I keep in mind that this selective reading and hearing is not just a phenomenon found in evangelical circles, but we in the more "progressive" side of Christian tradition have our deaf and blind spots when it comes to scripture as well.

For me, the challenge of truth is not simply a matter of intellectual challenge, but the way in which the Bible can illuminate the darkest aspects of our nature as well as our brightest moments -- calling out the full truth of who we are before God.

In just one example:

The hardest discipline I have these days is reading and praying the whole of the psalms (try 136:8-9 on for size) regularly, rather than just the edited and somewhat sterilized versions of our lectionaries. It reminds me that some of those ancient prayers put me in touch with the terribly vengeful and even horrific feelings and desires some of our sisters and brothers reckon within themselves and with God -- feelings that, truly, we all experience from time to time in our lives.

The truth both terrifying and wonderful is that if God is indeed God, we are touched by grace even in those darkest of places, too. And that's a truth that is hard to face. Yet it is profoundly transformative when we are led by Scripture to pray into these sides that we often try to hide from ourselves and from our God.

Posted by Richard Helmer | May 4, 2010 6:58 PM

Um, I know that the source of the following quote is discredited ;-/ . . . but "What is Truth?"

It seems to me that Truth OUGHT to "comfort the offended, and offend the comfortable."

How comfortable is Mr Prager? How comfortable are you, Doug? How comfortable am I?

Just something to ponder.

JC Fisher

Posted by tgflux | May 4, 2010 10:16 PM

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