Bible, theology, culture, etc.
And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive. - 1 Sam 27:9 I have written at length and preached on the violent commands of the Old Testament before, but here I want to just present a set of interpretive principles that I think should be in place whenever we encounter passages that shock us, that … Continue reading Thinking Through Violent OT Passages
1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” This command (and others like it) is jarring to read. It seems to authorize God's people to slaughter non-combatants indiscriminately, … Continue reading Why the OT Genocide Commands Are Likely Hyperbole
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5LHpFOffgvrSNckiOXZR5J?si=121c610a284b4f36 The following is an unedited sermon manuscript; for an explanation of my sermon manuscripts, click here. What do you do when something God does seems to contradict who God is? When His commands or actions seems to compromise God’s character? When God informs Abraham of His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham is shocked. … Continue reading Devoted to Destruction (1 Sam 15:1-3)
I have been virtually absent from my blog since I began seminary. I have toyed around with the idea of posting some of my papers I have written on here, but have always been certain that no one would probably want to read them. However, below is a paper I wrote for my Ethics class … Continue reading The Violence of the Bible
Marc Sims 