One may easily get annoyed with God for not making the Bible easier to read. But, why would the Bible be different than other literatures that are subject to different interpretations. It just is not possible that God prevent anything written in the past not be subject to different interpretations in the future. Does the fact that I can be misread mean that I should never write? Besides, the Bible was written thousands of years ago by many different authors in different languages and cultures. Some believe the Bible teaches wives are in subjection to their husbands which opens the door to more abuse than already may arise. There are actions to take to prevent the Bible from being abused.
We only need to consider one another’s opinion gracefully, as long as they don’t violate the freedom of others, to work out our own convictions with as much consistency as possible. God gave us the gift of language. That doesn’t mean God controls our abuses of that gift. Should God have not created sex due to our abuses? Differences in interpretations about God’s guidance can be easily handled when people don’t violate God’s obvious law of freedom. Interpretations are fallible so let’s not claim our opinions are the truth. In any discussion you could be right, I may be right, or we may both be wrong. The truth is people are going to use the Bible to support their sick views. At least having a Bible despite its problems helps those who are open-minded.
We mustn’t try to make the Bible a bunch of rules that only divide people. Jesus let the Pharisees know how He felt about man-made rules that mislead others about what God is really like. The Bible is more a historical recording about our beginnings and God’s desire to have a relationship with us. God dictated the Ten Commandments but they were not an end-all. We must still wrestle with what honoring our parents means when they are involved in questionable behaviors. The Bible was not written as a rulebook for life situations which are often complex and require wisdom and judgment.
There is so much of the Bible that is clear that we can agree to disagree on the more difficult passages and focus on the main thing. When we pushed God away in the beginning – we still do – God choose a nation for Jesus to be born into to prove God loves us more than we can ever imagine. God wanted us to know to what lengths they would go to have a relationship with us to avoid paths of personal destruction. God is unmistakable about the main thing – treating others like you want to be treated and when failing, admitting and taking responsibility. End of story.
Human reasoning is not the enemy. We must consider if a biblical teaching seems plausible based on what a loving God would be like. We must reject traditional explanations of Hell if there is a defensible exegetical alternative. Such sadistic punishment serves no purpose and humans don’t even keep their enemies alive so we can keep torturing them. We humans are created in God’s image. God cannot ask us to believe in anything unworthy of human, rational belief as it would go against God’s nature. God and human morality are one in the same. We can already know the truth about the heart of God before reading Scriptures.
The Bible wasn’t purposely made complicated, but there are good reasons why it may not be good for the Bible to always be crystal clear. I believe the Bible teaches roles for in the home, society, and church are determined according to one’s gifts and not their gender. I can choose to shove the truth down people’s throat in the almighty name of Mike, or I can accept the unlikely that I am wrong 🙂 God is not purposely mysterious, but I can enjoy the journey of depending on God and ultimately giving him the benefit of the doubt. I lack humility and surety is not always a healthy think in my life. Human nature is what it is and the Bible, despite all its challenges, may have been to best way for God to communicate their love for us.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 