Thoughts on the Bible and Life
God is a Man of War by Stephen De Young is an excellent study on violence in the Old Testament. After reading this book, I decided to revise my post on herem warfare, which was one of the most difficult posts I have written. De Young is a proponent of the hybrid-giant view of the Nephilim. … Read more
I have wrestled with many theological challenges, but one that has been especially perplexing is this: How can God seemingly support so much violence in the Old Testament while Christ—the perfect representation of God—taught and practiced nonviolence in the New Testament? To put the matter simply: Is God violent or nonviolent? I know some may … Read more
Violence is universally condemned. Parents around the world teach their children not to punch, kick, and bite. Countries have laws against battery and abuse. And international organizations promote peace between nations. So what do we do with all the violence in Scripture? I find it helpful to step back and look at the whole biblical … Read more
I know that question may seem absurd. Jesus is world-famous for his teaching and example of nonviolence, sending shockwaves through our blood-soaked history, right down to Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. But was he completely nonviolent? Did he reject all forms of violence and all forms of violent rhetoric? Let’s begin with Christ’s teaching. … Read more
We often say things that we don’t mean to be taken literally. For example, it’s common to hear these kinds of statements after athletic competitions: “They crushed that team,” “We got destroyed,” “We killed them.” When we make those comments in that context we are using hyperbole or exaggerated language. Some scholars believe that hyperbole … Read more