Hamilton - Making sense of the Bible: rediscovering the power of scripture today

Love to Stay: Sex, Grace and Commitment

When Christians Get It Wrong

The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus

Forgiveness: Finding Peace through Letting Go

Final Words

The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem

Why: Making Sense of Gods Will

24 Hours That Changed the World

Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity

Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White

Christianitys Family Tree

Christianity and World Religions

Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic

Making Love Last a Lifetime

Unleashing the Word

Leading Beyond the Walls

Confronting the Controversies

All Bible quotations from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

MAKING SENSE OF THE BIBLE: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today. Copyright 2014 by Adam Hamilton. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

HarperCollins website: http://www.harpercollins.com

HarperCollins, , and HarperOne are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers.

FIRST EDITION

Maps by Beehive Mapping

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hamilton, Adam.

Making sense of the Bible : rediscovering the power of scripture today / Adam Hamilton. FIRST EDITION.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 9780062234964

EPub Edition February 2014 ISBN 9780062234971

1. BibleIntroductions. I. Title.

BS475.3.H3185 2014

220.61dc23 2013047578

14 15 16 17 18 RRD(H) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my first grandchild, whose birth will occur about the day this book is published, in the hope that she will come to love the Bible, and that in it she will find her defining story.

I love the Bible. Ive read it many times through over the last thirty-five years. Each morning, I begin by reading one of its passages and reflecting upon it. I study it in depth each week as I prepare my sermon expounding a passage or theme from it. I have committed to memory many of its verses. When I open its pages, I hear God speaking to me. Its story, particularly the story of Jesus, is the one story I hope will define my life. The Bible captures my deepest hopes and highest aspirations.

I love this book... and I wrestle with it. There are parts, if Im honest, that I have questions about. There are statements on its pages that I dont believe capture the character and will of God. Im guessing that if youre honest, you have questions too. Were not alone. As a pastor, I regularly hear from people who are perplexed, confused, or disturbed by something theyve read in the Bible.

A couple of years ago, I received a call from a man I love dearly, whose pastor I have been for more than twenty years. He said hed accepted my challenge to read the Bible cover to cover, but now he had questions. There were passages that he found troubling. Could we get together to talk? We sat on my back porch, glasses of iced tea in hand. He began, Im drawn to the God of Jesus Christ, who loved sinners and tax collectors and who laid down his life for the lost. But Im disturbed by the picture of God in the Old Testament. He seems petty and vindictive. He commands the Israelites to slaughter entire cities. Abraham and Moses both plead with him to show mercy to those he would destroy. This same God says adulterers, Sabbath violators, homosexuals, and children who curse their parents should be put to death. He hardly seems like the God Jesus came to make known.

A science major in college wrote me to say that she was unsettled by the fact that the Bibles creation accounts could not be reconciled with modern science. Shed heard from other Christians that she had to reject contemporary scientific explanations for origins of life on our planet if she wished to be a faithful Christian.

An attorney in the church I serve is troubled by the fact that the Gospels disagree with one another at various points. He notes, In a courtroom, when witnesses disagree like this, I know there is a problem with their testimony. How can I trust what the Gospels say about Jesus?

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Does everything really happen for a reason? Does God will the death of babies or natural disasters that leave thousands dead and tens of thousands homeless?

And what of the fate of people of other religions? Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Peter said, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12). Do these verses mean that everyone who is not a Christian will be damned, as many believe? Is there any other way to understand these statements?

Among the thorniest issues in society today are those that have to do with sexuality, particularly homosexuality. While much of society is becoming more accepting of gay and lesbian people, and a number of states in the United States have approved gay marriage, a significant number of American Christians believe that same-sex intimacy is a sin. Ask them why and theyll tell you that the Bible says it is a sin, noting that both Moses and Paul were clear on this (Leviticus 20:13 and Romans 1:2627). Do these verses express Gods final word and will regarding sexuality? Leviticus 20:13 calls for the execution of gay men. Do we believe this captures Gods will? Or is humiliation and condemnation enough?

As you can see, there is no shortage of questions that might be raised about the clear teaching of scripture. Heres what I hope to do on the pages of this book you hold in your hand: I envision having a conversation with you, the reader, sitting on my back porch, each of us with a glass of iced tea. Each chapter will be a short discussion related to one of these questions. My aim is not to give you all the answers. I dont have all the answers. Part of the reason for writing this book is to sort through the issues for myself. Am I right in everything I say in this book? Im certain Im not. But the book is an attempt to honestly wrestle with the difficult questions often raised by thoughtful Christians and non-Christians concerning things taught in the Bible.

If you are looking for a scholarly work or you want to go deeper, I include a bibliography at the end with books Ive read that will take you deeper still. But the aim of this book is not to offer a scholarly treatise on each of these questions. Instead Im hoping to distill down (not dumb down but rather summarize and express the essence of) the work of scholars, while offering my own reflections as one who preaches and teaches the Bible and who regularly engages with questions from laity and pastors alike.