Why Are There Difficult or Troubling Passages in the Bible?
“What about violence, slavery, harsh laws, or other passages that seem morally wrong?”
Why This Question Matters
Some biblical passages are genuinely difficult. Quick explanations can sound dismissive, especially when the subject involves violence, oppression, or human suffering. Faithful reading does not require pretending those texts are easy.
A Simple Answer
The Bible records a long story unfolding in ancient cultures very different from ours. Some passages describe human actions without approving them; others contain laws or judgments that must be understood in their historical and covenant setting. Christians read every passage within the Bible’s larger story, culminating in Jesus, while still taking difficult texts seriously rather than explaining them away.
The Truth To Remember
A difficult passage deserves careful context, not a quick defense or a quick dismissal.
Rooted In Scripture
Luke 24:25–27 — Jesus teaches His followers to understand Scripture in relation to the larger story that leads to Him.
Matthew 5:17 — Jesus says He came not to abolish the Law and Prophets but to fulfill them.
2 Timothy 3:16 — Christians receive all Scripture as significant for God’s purposes.
Hebrews 1:1–3 — God’s revelation is presented as reaching its decisive expression in the Son.
Going A Little Deeper
Different difficult passages require different answers. Ancient Israel’s civil laws are not identical to commands for the church. Narrative description is not always moral endorsement. Words translated with familiar modern terms can refer to social arrangements that need historical study, though that does not make every ancient practice morally acceptable. Divine judgment passages raise additional questions about God’s holiness, justice, and unique authority over life. It is better to examine a specific text carefully than to offer one explanation for every difficult passage.
Consider This
1. Which specific passage troubles you most?
2. Have you read that passage in its surrounding chapter and within the larger biblical story, or mostly encountered it as a quotation by itself?
3. What would a fair reading require before deciding whether a difficult ancient text is morally indefensible?
A Simple Invitation
Bring the hardest passage, not an easier substitute. Context, genre, history, and the whole biblical story matter, and some questions deserve patient study.