The Bible in Context
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
As I read through Colossians, I found myself fastened on the word mystery. Paul says God commissioned him to present “the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people” (Col. 1:25b-26, NIV). Prior to reading those words, I had … Read more
Updated November 2023 Divine violence in the Bible is a huge challenge. Here’s the problem in a nutshell. Christ—the perfect revelation of God—taught and practiced nonviolence, even to the point of allowing himself to be mocked, beaten, and killed. We don’t have a single example of Christ physically harming another human being. And yet the … Read more