The Bible and Slavery
In a famous debate with Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris criticises the Bible for explicitly promoting slavery:
“But if you go to the books, and try to figure out what the creator of the universe wants with respect to the owning and needless immiseration of other people, he expects you to keep slaves, and he’s told you how to do it.”
Is that right? Is God okay with the slave trade?Is that right? Is God okay with the slave trade?
Why Do Different Bibles Include Different Books in the Old Testament?
How many books are there in the Old Testament? This might seem like a fairly straightforward church trivia night question. But actually the answer can vary depending on which Bible you are reading. The Hebrew Bible has 22 or 24 books. Your English Old Testament probably has 39. Roman Catholic Bibles have 46 Old Testament books. Eastern and Russian Orthodox Bibles have even more. I find this discrepancy often comes up in dialogue with atheists and Muslims about the reliability of the Old Testament. Why the difference? …
Are Christians Hypocritical to Avoid Sexual Immorality but Allow Tattoos?
A Christian expresses their belief in a traditional biblical sexual ethic. Their friends are quick to pounce: “You’re being inconsistent! Leviticus prohibits all sorts of things that you accept! What about bacon (Lev 11:7), rare steaks (Lev 19:26), and washing your car on Saturday (Lev 23:3)?”.
Thinking Through Old Testament Violence
We are studying Judges at church this year. I love our church’s commitment to expository teaching because it forces us to preach through the whole counsel of God—even the tricky bits. And Judges certainly has...