This document discusses how some passages in the Old Testament depict God as committing or commanding violence and how this is problematic. It presents three main interpretive options for understanding these passages: dismissal, synthesis, or reinterpretation. The reinterpretation option seeks to find new meanings in passages that reconcile them with Jesus' revelation of God as nonviolent love. The document advocates for reinterpretation guided by the Spirit to see a deeper meaning that reflects God's true nature.

1. Part 1Part 1 –– The Elephant:The Elephant:
Telling It Like It IsTelling It Like It Is……

2. God really is as beautiful as
Jesus reveals God to be Heb 1:3
and all of scripture points
to – and reflects – God’s glory
revealed in the crucified ChristLuke 24:27
MAIN THESIS STATEMENT of THIS SERIES

5. Developing a more Christ-centered:
- Reading of scripture
- View of God
- Way of loving God/neighbors/ourselves
PRIMARY GOAL of THIS SERIES

6. Part 1Part 1 –– The Elephant:The Elephant:
Telling It Like It IsTelling It Like It Is……

7. THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM...
There are 1,000+
violent passages
in the OT, many of
which directly implicate
God in committing
or commanding the
violence itself…

8. - RICHARD DAWKINS,- RICHARD DAWKINS, The God DelusionThe God Delusion
““The God of the Old Testament is arguablyThe God of the Old Testament is arguably
the most unpleasant character in all of fiction:the most unpleasant character in all of fiction:
jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgivingjealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving
control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty, ethniccontrol-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty, ethnic
cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist,cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist,
infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential,infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential,
megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciouslymegalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously
malevolent bully.”malevolent bully.”

9. ““……even if we rarely think about them, Scriptureeven if we rarely think about them, Scripture’’ss
violent portraits of God will continue to polluteviolent portraits of God will continue to pollute
our mental images of Godour mental images of God until we find a way tountil we find a way to
reconcile them with Jesusreconcile them with Jesus’’ supreme revelationsupreme revelation
of Godof God……On top of this, numerous studies haveOn top of this, numerous studies have
shown that violent depictions of God in literatureshown that violent depictions of God in literature
that is regarded as sacred make believers morethat is regarded as sacred make believers more
inclined to violence.inclined to violence.””
- GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD, Cross VisionCross Vision

10. MAJOR INTERPRETIVE OPTIONS
1. THE DISMISSAL OPTION1. THE DISMISSAL OPTION
““It didnIt didn’’t really happen, so who cares?!t really happen, so who cares?!””

11. MAJOR INTERPRETIVE OPTIONS
1. THE DISMISSAL OPTION1. THE DISMISSAL OPTION
““It didnIt didn’’t really happen, so who cares?!t really happen, so who cares?!””
2. THE SYNTHESIS OPTION2. THE SYNTHESIS OPTION
God as both violent AND loving; sees allGod as both violent AND loving; sees all
divine portraits as equal and authoritativedivine portraits as equal and authoritative

12. ““On the authority of Jesus, I (have) to affirmOn the authority of Jesus, I (have) to affirm
that the whole of the OT is divinely inspired.that the whole of the OT is divinely inspired.
But also on the authority of Jesus, I (can) noBut also on the authority of Jesus, I (can) no
longer accept the violence that some narrativeslonger accept the violence that some narratives
within this divinely inspired book ascribe to God.”within this divinely inspired book ascribe to God.”
- GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD, Cross VisionCross Vision

13. MAJOR INTERPRETIVE OPTIONS
3. THE REINTERPRETATION OPTION3. THE REINTERPRETATION OPTION
Neither dismissing nor justifying the violentNeither dismissing nor justifying the violent
portraits of God, but finding new ways ofportraits of God, but finding new ways of
understanding these passages while stillunderstanding these passages while still
submitting to the authority of God insubmitting to the authority of God in
scripturescripture

14. ““Origen taught that when we come upon a biblicalOrigen taught that when we come upon a biblical
passage that seems unworthy of God, we mustpassage that seems unworthy of God, we must
humble ourselves before God and ask the Spirithumble ourselves before God and ask the Spirit
to help us find a deeper meaning in the passage thatto help us find a deeper meaning in the passage that
isis worthy of Godworthy of God……

15. ““Origen taught that when we come upon a biblicalOrigen taught that when we come upon a biblical
passage that seems unworthy of God, we mustpassage that seems unworthy of God, we must
humble ourselves before God and ask the Spirithumble ourselves before God and ask the Spirit
to help us find a deeper meaning in the passage thatto help us find a deeper meaning in the passage that
isis worthy of Godworthy of God……If we believe that Jesus fully revealsIf we believe that Jesus fully reveals
what God iswhat God is reallyreally like, we have no choice but tolike, we have no choice but to
suspectsuspect something else must be going onsomething else must be going on when Godwhen God……
appears to act violently in the OTappears to act violently in the OT……our job is toour job is to
try to imagine what thistry to imagine what this something elsesomething else is.”is.”

16. A SAMPLING of VIOLENT PASSAGES
- The Flood Gen 6-8
- Sodom and Gomorrah Gen 19
- Slaying of the first born Ex 11:4-6; 12:12, 29-30
- Drowning of Pharaoh's army Ex 15
- 70,000 Israelites slain due to David’s sin,
with God directly implicated 2 Sam 24:1, 15
- Uzzah struck down for touching the Ark 2 Sam 6:6-7
- 1,000s killed by sky-fire Lev 10:1-3; Num 3:4, 11:1-2, 16:20-35; 2 Kings 1

17. CAPITAL OFFENSES in the MOSAIC LAW
- Fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals Deut 22:13-21; Lev 20:13
- Any who looked on the “holy furnishings” in the
“tent of meeting” once they were covered Ex 19, 33; Num 4, 18
- Priest who entered the tabernacle with
disheveled hair, torn clothing, or after
they had drunk alcohol Lev 10:6-10
- Children who were stubborn, lazy, drunkards,
gluttonous, or who struck their parents Deut 21; Ex 21; Lev 20

18. OTHER VIOLENT LAWS, COMMANDS...
- A wife who intentionally or unintentionally touched
the genitals of a man fighting with her husband
had to have her offending hand amputated Deut 25:12-13
- Herem; to set apart a people group for total destruction
as an act of devotion to Yahweh; variations of this frightful
command are given or carried out 37x in the OT Deut 7
- Moses’ command to kill boys, take sex slaves Num 31:17-18

19. ““……Moses (doesnMoses (doesn’’t) stipulate that these soldierst) stipulate that these soldiers
had to marry a virgin captive before havinghad to marry a virgin captive before having
sex with her. Throughout the ANEsex with her. Throughout the ANE…… rapingraping
the women of a conquered people group wasthe women of a conquered people group was
assumed to be a soldierassumed to be a soldier’’s reward for victory.s reward for victory.
But even if we assume marriage was implied,But even if we assume marriage was implied,
imagine having to spend the rest of your lifeimagine having to spend the rest of your life
sexually gratifying the soldier who helpedsexually gratifying the soldier who helped
murder your family and tribe.murder your family and tribe.””

22. God becomes
God’s antithesis
1.

23. Natural eyes
only see the
revolting,
ugly surface…
God becomes
God’s antithesis
1.
2.

24. The Spirit opens
eyes of faith to see
the deeper meaning
that is magnificently
beautiful!
God becomes
God’s antithesis
1.
2.
3.
Natural eyes
only see the
revolting,
ugly surface…

25. God becomes
God’s antithesis
2.
1.
4.
The crucified
Christ reveals
God, how to live,
read scripture…
The Spirit opens
eyes of faith to see
the deeper meaning
that is magnificently
beautiful!
3.
Natural eyes
only see the
revolting,
ugly surface…

27. The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God:I believe in God:
The Father AlmightyThe Father Almighty
Creator of heaven and earth;Creator of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus ChristAnd in Jesus Christ
his only begotten Son, our Lordhis only begotten Son, our Lord

28. The Apostle’s Creed
he was conceived by the powerhe was conceived by the power
of the Holy Spirit,of the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead;he descended to the dead;

29. The Apostle’s Creed
on the third day he rose again;on the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heavenhe ascended into heaven
and is seated at theand is seated at the
right hand of the Father;right hand of the Father;
he will come againhe will come again
to judge the living and the dead.to judge the living and the dead.

30. The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in the Holy Spirit,I believe in the Holy Spirit,
in the holy catholic church,in the holy catholic church,
in the communion of saints,in the communion of saints,
in the forgiveness of sins,in the forgiveness of sins,
in the resurrection of the body,in the resurrection of the body,
and in the life everlasting. Amen.and in the life everlasting. Amen.

31. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment
greater than these.
MARK 12