Image via WikipediaNotice how the Christian tries to give the context of some of the verses and it all seems like Blah, Blah, a cacophony of sound without any context or real meaning? Well that is what an atheist hears when we answer his/her questions if they are not really interested in knowing why we don't see it the way they do. "My mind is made up, don't bother me with facts." is the attitude. I also think that the author shows that sometime Christians misapply the context defense by saying that God didn't say something that the scripture did say because they aren't familiar with the scriptures as they should be. Notice the slick editing? When the Christian was tripped up you could hear the exchange just fine, but when the atheist was not listening you could hear nothing. The video also showcases that many atheists and Christians are biased and bring their own presuppositions. Christians must guard against this. We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of setting our own notions of what God should be just because we believe Him to be somethings He is not or won't do things that He really did. The goal is to be in relationship with the real God not our idea of God. This is what the atheist has. That is why they reject God. When they hear an argument like the imagined Christian in the video makes that if something sounds evil, immoral, ridiculous, silly, ect then it's out of context, they see that as being dishonest and it is. The atheist that dismisses a passage as such without trying to understand what is happening is guilty of the same sin. The video is just another mirror of reality. Unless both sides are willing to listen in no way can we reason together! I thank the author for making this video because it's instructive. All the Bible verses used in the video were either given without context and some in the wrong context. Let's take each verse one-by-one and see what the context is. This time let's use sound exegesis. Ask who is talking? Who is the Audience? When? Where? Why? Here is a table listing each passage discussed, the context, and the reasoning.
John 13:34
Passage Context:: John 13
Speaker: Jesus
Audience: The twelve apostles
Where: After the last supper, just before He was arrested and crucified.
Why: Jesus is delivering his last instructions before everything profoundly changes
The point: In context this passage is not to the world but those who count themselves Jesus' followers. In verse 35, Jesus tells us that if we love one another we show ourselves His disciples. In context we got to love one another if you are a Christian but the command means nothing to nonbelievers. Not saying that we are told not to love non-Christians but that has nothing to do with this passage.
Joshua 1:9
Passage Context:: Joshua 1
Speaker: God
Audience Audience
Where: Just east of the Jordon River
Why: God was encouraging Joshua for the work he was getting ready to undertake.
The point: Many Christians take this verse out of context, applying this promise to Joshua to themselves for something they want to do. This is a problem. If God did not tell you to do something and you go out on the limb, then you are not like Joshua. God told him to go. This is why Joshua got that promise. I learned this lesson extremely well, but it cost me a lot.
Psalm 23:4
Passage Context: Psalm 23
Speaker: David
Audience: God
Where: Israel
Why:: David uses the imagery of God as a shepherd to praise God.
The point: David recognized that God shepherds us through life just like he used to shepherd sheep.
Passage Context: Matthew 5,6,7,
Speaker: Jesus
Audience: A multitude and disciples
Where: Mountainside
Why: The sermon on the mount
The point: Many folks have tried to say that Jesus was saying that you can have what ever you want, but in context Jesus was talking about what you need; look at Matt 7: 7-12. It's in the context of our needs and not necessarily our material desires.
Proverbs 30:5
Passage Context: Proverbs 30
Speaker: Agur
Audience:
Where: Israel
Why: Agur tells us why we should trust the word of God and what it means to life
The point: Good advice
1st John 4:7;1 John 4:8
Passage Context: 1 John 4:7-21
Speaker: Apostle John
Audience: Church
Where: A letter
Why: Passing on what He learned from Jesus
The point: We cannot expect to be true followers of Christ without loving one another. This is in context of the church holding us to a standard that those outside of the church are not being held to.
Lev 21:9
Passage Context: Leviticus 21
Speaker: God
Audience:The Priests of Ancient, theocratic Israel
Where: Mt Sinai
Why: It's not just the priest himself who is called to be set apart for God but his entire family.
The point: The verse is raised as an example to show that God is silly because of the presupposition that prostitution is not a crime worthy of death. God's standards happen to higher than ours. The priests' daughters had responsibilities and laws that they were obligated to follow.
Lev 24:16
Passage Context: Lev 24
Speaker: God
Audience: Ancient, Theocratic Israel
Where: Sinai
Why: A person was caught blaspheming God
The point: It was against the law to blaspheme God! What is wrong with that? It's not the Bible's fault that our standards are lower.
Passage Context: Lev 26
Speaker:God
Audience:Ancient, Theocratic Israel
Where:Sinai
Why:God was explicit vs 1-13: This is what happens if you obey;the rest of the chapter: This is what happens if you disobey
The point: Yes, no one would want these results....but given disobedience it is a just result. If you don't want these things to befall you, obey God.
Nahum 1:7
Passage Context: Nahum 1
Speaker: Nahum
Audience: Ancient Israel before the destruction of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria
Where: Israel
Why: For Tells the destruction of Ninevah, Assyria's capital which was unthinkable at the time this prophecy was given.
The point: Nahum in verses 1-7 give great insight into who God is and verse 8 begins to tell us will happen to Assyria. Anyone who is a student of History and knows anything of the kinds of regime the Assyrians had and the way they treated others would have to agree that they had it coming...just we do.
Joshua 10:39-40
Passage Context: The Book of Joshua
Speaker: Narrator
Audience: This is a historical narrative
Where: Canaan
Why: God commanded Joshua in how he carried out the war of conquest..
The point: The people that had lived in the land before Israel returned from Egypt were corrupt...evil...and had it coming. God had given them 400 years to repent and stop child sacrifice and worshipping idols and they didn't, It's fascinating to me that people who support abortion balk and get angry charging God with genocide and murder of children while not seeing that abortion is no different and that those societies were killing some of their children anyway and sacrificing them to idols.\
Passage Context: Philippians 4
Speaker: Paul
Audience:The church at Philippi and all Christians
Where: Philippi
Why: Paul is thanking them for the gifts they sent to the church in Jerusalem
The point: Paul said he could do all things in the context of learning how to be content no matter how much material things he has and does not have.
2 Sam 7:28
Passage Context: 2 Sam 7
Speaker: David
Audience: God
Where :Jersusalem; David is established as King over all Israel
Why: David said he wanted to build God a temple, but God said that wasn't for him, but instead gives David a Messianic prophecy foreshadowing Jesus (vs 16)
The point: David is told what is going to happen after he dies, immediately and 1000 yrs later.
Jer 20:7
Passage Context: The Book of Jeremiah
Speaker: Jeremiah
Audience: God
Where: Judah
Why: Jeremiah is telling God how he feels about his present situation. All he did was tell the people what God told him to tell them and has gotten nothing but stiff opposition and persecution. So he feels like "I didn't sign up for this!" And he was right look at chapter 1, God called him from before birth. No where is it recorded that God promised Jeremiah or us a problem free, unopposed life if we follow and serve Him. No, it's the opposite. We are promised trials and tribulation.
The point: It's okay to question God and cast all your fears, anxiety, and frustration on God. God can take it, support you and protect you just like God did for Jeremiah.
Deut 28:53
Passage Context: Deut 28
Speaker: Moses speaking for God
Audience: Israel just before Moses dies and turns over leadership to Joshua; Moses Farewell address
Where: Just outside Canaan
Why: The whole chapter tells what happens if the people follow God and what happens if they don't.
The point: Deut 28:53 is about what happens if they reject God. And we see this fulfilled historically: When the Babylonians and Romans laid siege to Jerusalem we hear stories of these things happened. Is it moral? Yes! They brought it on themselves. This is what happens when you reject God...ultimately nothing good can come of that.
Deut 32:41-42
Passage Context: Deuteronomy 32
Speaker: God through Moses
Audience: Israel
Where: Oustide of Canaan, before Joshua takes them in; Moses Farewell address
Why: More insight into who God is.
The point: God does not play and you don't want him as an enemy. How could anyone read this and assume that it's all going to be okay if you try to oppose God?
2 Kings 1:10-12
Passage Context: 2 Kings 1
Speaker: Elijah
Audience: Soldiers sent to arrest him.
Where: Judah
Why: King Ahaziah tried to arrest Elijah because he didn't like the prophecy God sent through him - a rebuke because he tried to consult an idol instead of seeking God
The point: This shows how much God hates idolatry and that you can't just mess with God's servants with impunity. I also see how Elijah depended on God. He moved when God told him to move and trusted him. Is it moral? The two companies who tried to arrest Elijah were wrong. Elijah did no crime. The third group had the good sense to humbly request Elijah to come with them that is why they didn't die.
Deuteronomy 13:6-9
Passage Context: Deut 13
Speaker: God
Audience: Ancient Israel
Where: Outside of Canaan
Why: Our society is so different from theocratic Israel. Worship and belief in a single deitiy is not the basis of our society today like it was back then.
The point: Apostasy and inciting apostasy was a capital offense legitimately because God was ruler of Israel at the time. It would and does today erode society and splits it up. This passage was also in the context of false prophets...people who claimed to speak for God or a deity and then try to teach the people to break the law.
1 Samuel 17:57
Passage Context: 1 Samuel 17
Speaker: Narrator
Audience: Historical Narrative
Where:Ancient Israel about 3000 years ago
Why: David just won his battle with Goliath...this was a war. David took his head as proof that he did indeed win.
The point: I don't understand what is objectionable. So what if David carried around David's head for several hours. A lot of folks throughout history would have displayed it on a pike.
Isaiah 37:36
Passage Context: Isaiah 37
Speaker: Narrator
Audience: Historical Narrative
Where: Judah
Why: Assyria (the most powerful nation on the planet at the time) attacked Judah during the time of King Hezekiah and God sent an angel to fight for them.
The point: I fail to see why this is bad. Assyria had come to destroy Judah, and God protected them.
2 Kings 2:23-24
Passage Context: 2 Kings 2
Speaker: Narrator
Audience: Historical
Where: Israel
Why: Modern sensibilities are ruffled because young people were killed by 2 bears who had been making fun of prophet (Elisha).
The point: Often times people think that these were children but it were young adults. We would have used the words juvenile delinquents who drained society. We aren't talking about children who did not know what they were doing.
Num 25:6-9
Passage Context: Numbers 25
Speaker: Narrative
Audience: Historical
Where: Israel in the lands of Moab/Midian
Why: The man outright defied God. He knew that it was unlawful to bring the Midianite woman who did not believe what Israel did and worshiped idols.
The point: Must point out that sex was used as a weapon against Israel to get their attention from God and to women who enticed them to worship other Gods. They were told stay away from foreign women so that kind of thing would not happen not because God is racist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK7P7uZFf5o
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