Before continuing the topic of the different schools of Christian thought, I would like to interject an important issue. It is how the Scriptures are misused both by individual Christians and by different churches and denominations. I bring the topic up for the simple reason that Christians (both individually and collectively) claim that their practices and teachings are based or should be based on "what the Bible says." The fact remains that when one examines the doctrines and practices that many churches have, that they are actually based on a misuse of Scripture. The below are but a few examples of how churches misuse the Bible in order to justify their theological positions on certain issues and topics.
Deuteronomy 22: 5- This passage has been used in the past by many Pentecostal (and perhaps other) churches in order to justify the doctrine that women should not wear pants or slacks. Women who are members in these types of churches and who violate the rule based on this passage are subjected to disciplinary measures or possible expulsion from the church.
The fallacies of this doctrine are the following:
1. To the best of our knowledge, pants and slacks were not the standard dress either for men or for women at the time that this passage was written. In other words, pants did not exist at that time to the best of our knowledge. Subsequently, the passage has nothing to do with whether or not women should wear pants.
2. If we were to make this doctrine binding on the basis of this passage, we would have to be bound by the other laws which appear in Deuteronomy including but not limited to the passage which appears in Deuteronomy 20:18-21 calling for the death penalty of a rebellious son. Otherwise, we end up with a "pick and choose" theology which allows us to include some Scripture passages and exclude others when it is expedient for us.
3. The notion of the man being the one to "wear the pants" is a cultural bias that reflects the use of the Bible to justify the syndrome of male chauvinism.
Genesis 19: 1-29, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-27
These are the passages that are used by churches to oppose same-sex relations. The following problems exist with the use of these passages. They are as follows:
1. The passage in Genesis 19: 1-29 does not deal with homosexuality. It deals with inhospitality to strangers and with attempted gang-rape.
2. The passages in Leviticus 18 and 20 are part of a larger body of laws and regulations, including dietary laws, that are not applicable today. If one insists that Leviticus 18 and 20 are binding, then the rest of what appears in Leviticus also has to be binding, unless, again, one is willing to take the risk of falling into the "pick and choose" syndrome.
3. The passage in Romans 1;26-27 reflects Paul's placing same-sex relation in the realm of the "natural." In other words, Paul is saying that same-sex relations are unnatural. However, if we are to use this as a basis for condemning same-sex relations, then we need to realize that when Paul deals with the length of the hair of the man and the woman in 1 Corinthians 11: 1-15, that he also places these matters in the realm of the "natural." One, then, has to ask, if in his writings, Paul is equating "natural" with the cultural customs of his time. Otherwise, we leave ourselves open to the charge of expediency and inconsistency in terms of what we take or do not take from Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 14: 33-39, 1 Timothy 2:11-15,
These are among several biblical passages that are used to deny women to be ordained to the ministry and to block women from leadership positions in the church by telling them to remain "silent." This particular misuse of Scripture overlooks the fact that in 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul makes allusion to woman prophesying, which in biblical times was the equivalent of preaching and proclaiming. It also overlooks the predictions of the prophet Joel, affirmed by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, that in the final days, the Spirit of God would be poured upon all flesh, and that both men and women would prophesy (preach).
Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3: 22-25, Romans 13: 1-3
These and several other passages have been used to justify the institution of slavery. They have also been used to prohibit slaves from rebelling against their masters. The major problem with this interpretation is that in each of these passages, Paul gives clear instructions to the slave-holders as to how to treat their slaves, i.e. not so much as subordinates, but as equal in the light of the creation. He therefore charges them with treating them with kindness, dignity, and respect.
These have been a few examples of how individual Christians and churches use and misuse the Bible in the process of establishing doctrines and practices. They make it very clear that it is not merely a question of quoting Scriptures as many Christians do, but rather digging underneath the surface and exploring the background of the passages in question in order to draw out the intended meaning. In preparation for our continued study on the different theological schools of thought, and how they utilize the Scriptures, the reader should have these things in mind.
Feel free to give any comment or input that you think might be relevant to this presentation.
Grace and peace,
Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona
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