The Rescue
“Does the Bible really say that?”
Uses and misuses of the Bible
Photo: Ricardo Resende
The Rescue Meter
“Does the Bible really say that?” This and other questions will be answered for each post on this page. Following a tradition that started with the early work of the Jesus Seminar, the answer will not be a simple “Yes” or “No.” After hearing and discussing research presentations, scholars vote to indicate degrees of agreement about important research questions. Scholars vote using colored beads. Red means “Yes.” Pink means “Probably.” Gray means “Probably not.” Black means “No.”
Virgin Mary, Meek and Mild?
The author of Luke depicts Mary the Mother of Jesus as prophet, called as a prophet and speaking thundering prophecy. In the Gospel of Luke, she hardly fits the image of the “Virgin Mary, Meek and Mild.”
Obey the Pastoral Epistles? Why? Why Not?
As later New Testament writings, 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus (pastoral epistles) show efforts to control women & establish hierarchy in early communities & households.
Spare the Rod? Does the Bible Tell You to Beat Your Child?
Spanking advocates use Proverbs 13:24 as a proof text & command not to “spare the rod” in child-rearing, but beating is not required to nurture discipline.
Forgiveness—Do We Get Him?
“That Day,” an ad for the “He Gets Us” campaign, translates Jesus' Passion narrative as a contemporary miscarriage of justice and presents a problematic view of forgiveness.
“If Anyone Will Not Work, Neither Shall He Eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, KJV) — Does This Mean No Social Welfare Programs?
2 Thess 3:10 is often cited to support a work ethic and against public food assistance programs but the idlers addressed are not the poor but the wealthy.
Is the King James Version the One True Word of God?
As a translation, the King James Version is an interpretation of biblical texts. It represents a pro-monarchical perspective that favors church hierarchy.
Verses In and Out of Context
The clobber passage in Romans 1:26-28 may be part of a diatribe that cites what opponents say that Paul refutes. The judgment of homosexuality may nt be Paul’s.
Different Social Worlds - Is Homosexuality the Concern Here?
Clobber passages can address concerns other than homosexuality, sexual violence & hospitality at Sodom (Gen 19), divorce not same-sex marriage (Mt 19; Mk 10).
Translating Words – Does It Really Mean “Homosexual”?
Translation of Hebrew and Greek terms in the Bible as “homosexual” people or activity is often not as clear as English versions would indicate.
Does the Bible Condemn Transgender People?
An often-overlooked passage in Matthew clearly affirms some transgender people in the time of Jesus, eunuchs who were acknowledged as neither male nor female.
Does the Bible Condemn Abortion?
Opposition to abortion is commonly assumed to be biblically based, yet the Bible is remarkably silent on abortion and on views labeled “pro-life” and “pro-choice.”
Is the Bible a Weapon?
Weaponizing the bible, using proof texts as ammunition, rejects the Bible as a source of deeper meaning and connection.
Is There Such a Thing as “THE Bible”?
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and Jewish Bibles include varying lists of books (canons) in multiple Bible translations. Which is the “real Bible?”
Is Hell Biblical?
While the Bible refers to Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, a lake of fire, and the weeping and gnashing of teeth, hell as a place of eternal torture emerges later.