The next half truth from Adam Hamilton's book Half Truths is about the Bible. This chapter begins with a verse about where to go to the bathroom (Deuteronomy 23:12-14) to set the stage for an interesting debate about origin, circumstances, interpretation, and relevance of scripture. Here are three quotes from the book, but you REALLY need to read the whole chapter!
God Said It, I Believe, That Settles It
"I remember speaking to a Christian some years ago who said to me, 'I don't interpret scripture; I just take it all as God's word and try to live it.' I asked him, 'So you refrain from eating pork and go to church on Saturday?' To which he replied, 'Well, no, that's the Old Testament.' 'Okay, so you insist that your wife prays with her head covered, that your daughters not braid their hair, and you have no savings accounts?' He replied, 'No, those passages were about the times when the biblical authors lived, but not today.' To which I replied, 'In other words, you interpret scripture!"
"Keep in mind that Jesus was part of this rabbinical tradition. He was often pushing back against prevailing interpretations of Scripture among the rabbis of his day. You can hear this in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus repeatedly says, 'You have heard that it was said....' and then quotes a Scripture or a part of the Oral Law followed by the words 'But I say to you...' and then offers a different interpretation of the text from the prevailing one."
"It's a half truth to say, 'God said it, I believe it, that settles it.' My version of that statement might not fit on a bumper sticker, but I believe it is more truthful: 'God influenced it. I read, study, and sometimes struggle with it. And, as I interpret it in the light of Jesus Christ, I hear God speak through it and seek to live by its words as best I can."
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