Take these passages seriously. You do not need to pretend they are easy, and you should not assume that every action described in the Bible is something God approves.
A first distinction is between what Scripture reports and what it commands. Biblical narratives frequently expose cruelty, exploitation, and unfaithfulness. The presence of an action in a story does not make it an example to follow.
We must also distinguish laws that regulate life in a fallen society from statements of God’s creational ideal. Jesus himself makes this distinction when discussing divorce. Yet that observation is not a shortcut that resolves every difficult law; each passage still needs careful attention.
Israel’s warfare must be read within its particular covenantal setting and the Bible’s teaching about divine judgment. It does not authorize Christians to spread the faith through violence. Under the new covenant, Christ gathers a people from every nation through the gospel, and his church is not a territorial nation commissioned to wage holy war.
Passages about slavery should neither be ignored nor used to excuse human ownership and abuse. Scripture addresses forms of servitude within ancient societies, condemns practices such as kidnapping, and teaches truths about human dignity, accountability to God, and brotherhood in Christ that confront exploitation.
Likewise, difficult passages concerning women must be read alongside their full dignity as God’s image-bearers and their substantial participation in the life of God’s people. Christians debate some questions of church and household responsibilities, but no appeal to Scripture justifies contempt, coercion, or abuse.
These subjects deserve individual answers, not a single explanation applied to every passage. Bring the specific text into view, examine it in context, and consider its place in the story fulfilled in Christ.
Read in the Bible
; ; ; ; ; Philemon 8–21.