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 The Bible presents us with an evolving story, writes John Shelby Spong.
December 29th, 2011
09:10 AM ET
My Take: The 3 biggest biblical misconceptions
By John Shelby Spong, Special to CNN The Bible is both a reservoir of spiritual insight and a cultural icon to which lip service is still paid in the Western world. Yet when the Bible is talked about in public by both believers and critics, it becomes clear that misconceptions abound. To me, three misconceptions stand out and serve to make the Bible hard to comprehend. First, people assume the Bible accurately reflects history. That is absolutely not so, and every biblical scholar recognizes it. The facts are that Abraham, the biblically acknowledged founding father of the Jewish people, whose story forms the earliest content of the Bible, died about 900 years before the first story of Abraham was written in the Old Testament. Actually, that's not in the Bible Can a defining tribal narrative that is passed on orally for 45 generations ever be regarded as history, at least as history is understood today? Moses, the religious genius who put his stamp on the religion of the Old Testament more powerfully than any other figure, died about 300 years before the first story of Moses entered the written form we call Holy Scripture. This means that everything we know about Moses in the Bible had to have passed orally through about 15 generations before achieving written form. Do stories of heroic figures not grow, experience magnifying tendencies and become surrounded by interpretive mythology as the years roll by? My Take: Bible condemns a lot, so why focus on homosexuality? Jesus of Nazareth, according to our best research, lived between the years 4 B.C. and A.D. 30. Yet all of the gospels were written between the years 70 to 100 A.D., or 40 to 70 years after his crucifixion, and they were written in Greek, a language that neither Jesus nor any of his disciples spoke or were able to write. Are the gospels then capable of being effective guides to history? If we line up the gospels in the time sequence in which they were written - that is, with Mark first, followed by Matthew, then by Luke and ending with John - we can see exactly how the story expanded between the years 70 and 100. For example, miracles do not get attached to the memory of Jesus story until the eighth decade. The miraculous birth of Jesus is a ninth-decade addition; the story of Jesus ascending into heaven is a 10th-decade narrative. In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the last gospel, John, Thomas is invited to feel the nail prints in Christ’s hands and feet and the spear wound in his side. Perhaps the most telling witness against the claim of accurate history for the Bible comes when we read the earliest narrative of the crucifixion found in Mark’s gospel and discover that it is not based on eyewitness testimony at all. My Take: Yes, the Bible really condemns homosexuality Instead, it’s an interpretive account designed to conform the story of Jesus’ death to the messianic yearnings of the Hebrew Scriptures, including Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. The Bible interprets life from its particular perspective; it does not record in a factual way the human journey through history. The second major misconception comes from the distorting claim that the Bible is in any literal sense “the word of God.” Only someone who has never read the Bible could make such a claim. The Bible portrays God as hating the Egyptians, stopping the sun in the sky to allow more daylight to enable Joshua to kill more Amorites and ordering King Saul to commit genocide against the Amalekites. Can these acts of immorality ever be called “the word of God”? The book of Psalms promises happiness to the defeated and exiled Jews only when they can dash the heads of Babylonian children against the rocks! Is this “the word of God? What kind of God would that be? The Bible, when read literally, calls for the execution of children who are willfully disobedient to their parents, for those who worship false gods, for those who commit adultery, for homosexual persons and for any man who has sex with his mother-in-law, just to name a few. The Bible exhorts slaves to be obedient to their masters and wives to be obedient to their husbands. Over the centuries, texts like these, taken from the Bible and interpreted literally, have been used as powerful and evil weapons to support killing prejudices and to justify the cruelest kind of inhumanity. The third major misconception is that biblical truth is somehow static and thus unchanging. Instead, the Bible presents us with an evolutionary story, and in those evolving patterns, the permanent value of the Bible is ultimately revealed. It was a long road for human beings and human values to travel between the tribal deity found in the book of Exodus, who orders the death of the firstborn male in every Egyptian household on the night of the Passover, until we reach an understanding of God who commands us to love our enemies. The transition moments on this journey can be studied easily. It was the prophet named Hosea, writing in the eighth century B.C., who changed God’s name to love. It was the prophet named Amos who changed God’s name to justice. It was the prophet we call Jonah who taught us that the love of God is not bounded by the limits of our own ability to love. It was the prophet Micah who understood that beautiful religious rituals and even lavish sacrifices were not the things that worship requires, but rather “to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” It was the prophet we call Malachi, writing in the fifth century B.C., who finally saw God as a universal experience, transcending all national and tribal boundaries. One has only to look at Christian history to see why these misconceptions are dangerous. They have fed religious persecution and religious wars. They have fueled racism, anti-female biases, anti-Semitism and homophobia.They have fought against science and the explosion of knowledge. The ultimate meaning of the Bible escapes human limits and calls us to a recognition that every life is holy, every life is loved, and every life is called to be all that that life is capable of being. The Bible is, thus, not about religion at all but about becoming deeply and fully human. It issues the invitation to live fully, to love wastefully and to have the courage to be our most complete selves. That is why I treasure this book and why I struggle to reclaim its essential message for our increasingly non-religious world. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Shelby Spong. soundoff (6,068 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 Next »
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Editor’s note: John Shelby Spong, a former Episcopal bishop of Newark, New Jersey, is author of "
jesus and the diciples definitely spoke greek. everyone at that time did. it was the language of the empire.
The Romans were actually Greek?
Jesus spoke Aramaic. Do your research!
fairy tale guy was known to ride dinosaurs and speak out of his a_ss
Once again, CNN's "Belief" column connects with a useless, if not damning, opinion about Christianity and the Bible. This fellow spends his entire word vomitous on saying why someone should not believe the truth of the Bible, but concludes with some sort of sickening sweet view of Bible Philosophy. His assumptions that God, who created the entire universe, is incapable of fulfilling what He Himself inspired, that is, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, and for reproof, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." How in this universe could "perfection" be derived from something that is imperfect and not to be trusted for truth? I am not surprised, Spong probably never believed what the Bible was saying from the beginning of his career in false teaching.
Who do you believe "created" death and suffering? "Angels"? "Adam & Eve"? What is the purpose of believing in "original sin" if in this world we now know there has always existed death and suffering millions, even billions of years before "Adam & Eve" supposedly committed the first "original sin"? And why would a perfect, perfectly loving "God" create such an inhospitable world for his creatures who had no choice in the matter to begin with? Think about it.
DeeCee,
You asked about "who created death and suffering". Given that God is the creator, all things of this universe are of His creation, though, and you have to simply have faith in the truth of what the Bible says, He is not the author of evil. But, putting that entire argument to the side, what is the purpose of life? We look at suffering and rail against God for it. Yet, Jesus told His disciples that the afflictions in this life were for the Glory of God. Now, step again away from all of this and consider the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross and His victory over sin that He may provide a path for us to be with the Lord forever. Consider that last word. Forever. The Bible says that this life is a "vapor which appears for a little time and then vanishes away." It does not seem like that, especially when you are young. As you age, you begin to see the finite nature of this life. Indeed, this life is really nothing in the context of eternity. This life is ALL about getting right with God – through Jesus Christ. Despite the junk that Spong wrote in this column, the entire reason we are here on this earth is all about making a decision for Jesus. Two thieves on the cross besides Jesus that day – one repentant and one not – but both lived lives of crime and fighting against obedience to God. All they needed to do, and one did, was to acknowledge their sin and acknowledge that Jesus was Lord. One did; one did not. One was promised to be with Jesus in paradise that day. No comment for the other. No one is in a position to judge God, Who is the Creator of us all, because they think that it is hard in this life, that things are not fair, of they got a bad deal, because Jesus trumped everyone's lament – through His death and resurrection. If you truly understand what God's Word is saying, it is not about being "gooey nice", it is about getting right in this life with God by receiving the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The bible is a cesspool of fec al matter.
Troll
Massive P o Sh...
Yep..a prime example of a troll in Bibleridicule. It's so much fun to call them out and see them just prove it even more 🙂
Why do you say that Bibleridicule?
Cesspool worth flushing.
Well, he is right about misconceptions: It is just that he forgot to mention his own. It is far more likely that the Gospels were written between 20 to 50 years after Christ, not the 40 to 70 that he postulates. Further, Moses is the most likely author of most of the first five books of the Bible, so he's off about 300 years on that claim.
Why should I believe you or him? and who cares?
It seems he's done quite a bit more research on the matter than you. . .plus he also seems to be more objective and non-biased.
I'm not sure where you're getting your fact but Spong is pretty much right on the money with he historical facts. He is only reiterating what most biblical scholars have discovered and published. You should do some real research before making such statements.
As for the author of the pentateuch (1st five books of the bible) being Moses, that's a traditional belief. Scholars agree that there were likely 4 different sources for those books AND one of them might have been a woman. Off the top of my head, I recall those sources being called; The Yahwist, the Elohist, the Deuteronomist and the Priestly sources.
What is your take on this???
John Shelby Spong is so right on, of course you pinheads don't get it. The bible is a fairy tale.....
SHHHHH... you might wake the xian sheeple.
Of course you're completly sure about this aren't you Solis and insist that it is true?
This year I've often found myself pondering why I believe what I believe. Like, what makes me so sure? I come to two conclusions. One is that every time I focus my mind on heart on the Lord amazing things happen. The cares and fears of this world fade away in an unexplainable way. I also stop focusing on myself and start focusing on others. Instead of thinking about my problem, I find myself searching out ways that I can better be loving others around me. I feel an overwhelming feeling of love and I want to share it. I'm able to forgive more quickly, and love without judgement. The other thing I also think about when questioning my faith is all the blessings and gifts God has given me. He's carried me through the hardest periods of life and He's never let me down. He's been so faithful even when I have not been. I'm truly overwhelmed by his goodness. It's not always meant that life was perfect, but I've always known He was there with me giving me comfort. Praise Jesus.
I've been secure and safe with the full satisfaction that I am leading a good life since I was about 12 years old. It's such a thrill to gain knowledge as an atheist without that religious garbage ruining the world. I'm better than you are 🙂
Mike2011, nice of you to feel warm and comfortable in the kind presence of your loving god while millions of innocents including children all over the world suffer horribly and many die, from disease, disaster, and hunger and your god doesn't do a dam-n thing to help them.
You jerk. How dare you be even comfortable in your own skin.
Answer– I'm not sure why you feel you are better, but that is okay. It doesn't matter. I completely understand your beliefs and wish you the best. As for me, I am forever grateful to God, He is so good.
Hi Bob. You think that you are helping them more by being bitter, sitting in your comfortable living room trashing others I guess. How does that work?
Well said mike....There will never be physical evidence either way. It is what is in your heart!!
Bob- There is enough food to feed every human on this earth. It is us humans who aren't doing enough. It is because of the corruption of governments and people that children aren't fed. Ironically, it's Christians who give massive amounts of money to causes that feed children such as these.
John Shelby Spong is a nothing more than a godless heretic and, if he continues his course, he will rot in hell.
That's only your OPINION without any PROOF to back you up.
Thou shall not judge.
So you think eternal torture is suitable punishment for stating an opinion, or you think that your god thinks so? Even if the opinion is not honestly held, that's beyond extreme.
That's some nasty god that you've made for yourself there. Any modern western court would consider such punishment barbaric.
My prior post was to cligie1.
Yes, Cligie1, spoken like a true, loving Christian.
Oh, I am not wishing that Spong goes to hell. But the Bible says that, if you reject the World of God (the Bible) then you reject God who is your Creator. If you reject God, then you cannot enter His eternal Kingdom when you die. God does not want anyone to go to hell but He does give us the free choice to choose hell if we wish. I hope Mr. Spong and all of you other non-believers come to know our Lord before it is too late. I spent most of my 66 years not knowing Him and I can't begin to tell you the miracles that He has shown me since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.
"Bishop" Spong does not adhere to any of the foundational tenets of Christianity including the Virgin Birth, the Incarnation, and the Resurrection, Sin, among a host of other things. He is not any kind of reliable or relevant authority on the Christian faith.
Maybe he is more concerned about telling people the actual truth.
The massive war on Christianity taking place in the media right now is nothing more than propaganda with the sole purpose to turn people against it so that Islam will be easier to embrace. Disgusting.
More like the massive christian persecution complex machine is rolling here. Stupid christians believing they are somehow being warred upon.
Just wishful thinking. Guess you missed that atheists don't believe in ANY god.
I think its great that some of the clergy are coming out and putting intelligence in the 66 books written over 2 centuries have come about to be known as the bible. ALL religions are poison, RIP Hitch, you were right.
Heather,
Paranoid Much?
calm down. the largest religion in the world is going nowhere. the islamists you fear can hardly run their own affairs.
@ Observer – That doesn't mean that "any" followers are not your concern. I think some extremely religious people in the middle east calling for the destruction of western civilization would have quite an impact on all of us if they follow through with their threats.
Blasphemer
blah, blah
Misconception #1: the christian god exists in the first place
Amen!
rAmen !
Ironic post since the Episcopal church is evolving into a dead denomination.
More liberal nonsense coming from the Jesus Seminar fellows.
Mr. Spong – Gathering up a bunch of people who don't like what the Bible says and agreeing to decide together that it must not be authentic does not count as research.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Seminar#Criticism
Criticized by christian koolaid drinkers
WellRead,
"More liberal nonsense coming from the Jesus Seminar fellows.'
It's not liberals that are supporting slavery, the inferiority of women, ra-pe, discrimination against the handicapped, child-killing, and hypocritical incest.
Stop s ucking c ock, you anti christ
Well hurry up and get it out of your mouth
Stop worrying about he is sucking, you hypocrite.
Milton is your guy if you want it s ucked.
@Bibleridicule- dang kid..develop a little thicker skin. You get upset too easily.
Not into gray old junk guys Milton, move on.
Well, I'm glad he's saying something. "Literalism is absurd" need to be three words on all our lips constantly. It is important to foster a culture of honesty, and I'm sorry, Adam and Eve just don't make that cut in the face of our collective 21st century understanding. I'm an atheist, but when I encounter a creationist, I don't say, "You're wrong, I'm right." – I say, "Convert to Catholicism. They're right on evolution." I figure it's just rude to tell them "don't believe in Jesus", and I really only care for the public education anyway. Beyond that, you believe in what ya like as far as I'm concerned!
Well written and intelligent and with heart. God bless.
You forget the biggest misconception: religion is real
Yes religon is real, and the Bible is real, except for that the Old Test is a story of family history, and examples on how to live ones life, New Test is of Christ life, all of which both Test did not have a dictonary supplied the the writtings. Example; "Gay" in the 50's was a descritpion of someone being happy or giddie, today it describes a way of life . Before one declares the Bible the Word of God, remember the Bible was wrtten by man and interped by man I am Roman Cath, but I am not blind.
Its all nonsense. Grow up and get a live, stop believing in tripe and get on with your live, you are born you live, you die. You fade to blackness, like a sleep without a dream. THE END.
The bible in common reference is amorphous – comprised of many books, and obviously those books are comprised of many individual words, and virtually every word's origin and use and interpretation can be subject to some debate; and in many cases the debate itself can be insightful (especially where it results in genuine study). Like any tool, words can be used for growth or destruction. The essentials of the bible involve lessons and sagas of trust, resources, family, kingdom, power, honor, love, justice, forgiveness, compassion, and so forth. It is dynamic. Are you? For a literal-based Aramaic translation, visit Logical Hierarchy.
discussed some of these ideas with a trained theologian in a main-stream protestant religion (squarely within the current "christian orthodoxy"), who agrees these misconceptions are completely on target as articulated. wonder how many of the people sharing their views here are professional theologians, or perhaps serious students of theology, or are even aware that there is a field that is called theology?