Do Christians Read the Bible Selectively?
Recently Kathy Keller published an article titled, "Do Christians Read the Bible Selectively?” In it, she tackles the charge that Christians are inconsistent. People who make this accusation point to how Christians seem to pick and choose which Old Testament verses they apply.
If you do a quick Google search of “Christians cherry picking”, you won’t find pictures of youth groups harvesting Rainer Cherries in Yakima Valley. Instead, you see people mocking how Christians seem to jump from verse to verse, topic to topic, in ways they don’t understand. Homosexuality is a sin, but tattoos and eating lobster are ok. These accusations make our faith seem silly.
To help counter this accusation, Kathy writes:
Here’s something to consider: Why is it that traditional, historic Christianity in all times and places has always taught that homosexuality went against God’s law (until recently when some denominations decided they would no longer adhere to traditional interpretation of Scripture on sexual fidelity), while discarding the prohibition against eating shellfish or wearing garments made from a combination of different fabrics? There is clearly something more going on throughout the history of the church than mere cherry-picking. It is right to point out that something changed at the start of the church. The change that occurred, however, was not a collective decision to begin cherry-picking the laws to be followed, but the fulfillment of the law by Christ.
While there are some Old Testament laws that are no longer observed because Christ fulfilled those laws with his perfect life and sacrificial death, there are other laws concerning moral character (like adultery, murder, stealing or lying, etc.) that are still in effect because they reflect God’s desire for us to live holy lives. This can confuse people unacquainted with the narrative arc of God’s redemptive plan, which prepared his Old Testament people for Jesus’ coming in the New Testament.
Here is how we should approach Scripture so that we avoid cherry-picking:
Determine what the text meant to its original audience.
Discern whether the text is reporting or requiring the behavior or teaching described.
Interpret the text by understanding its place in redemptive history (namely, the coming of Christ).
I highly recommend Kathy’s full article (which can be found at Gospel in Life). She offers specific examples of when it can seem Christians are cherry-picking and ways to best understand those passages. Her conclusion is especially helpful:
So, no, Christians aren’t “cherry-picking” when they no longer observe the Old Testament cleanliness laws and sacrificial system, since those were fulfilled in Jesus. But perhaps it is in some cases a valid accusation against others who, rejecting the main tenets of the Christian faith—affirmed since the start of the church—teach others to live in ways that are diametrically opposed to what Jesus taught.
As Christians who love and serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us allow the gospel to direct how we read and apply Scripture to our lives and may we live out the Word of God humbly and honorably in spirit and in truth.
