Category Archives: Old Testament

Biblical Inerrancy, the Book of Mormon, and The Qur’an

Posted on March 25, 2019 by jesuswithoutbaggage

I graduated high school in 1969. It was the summer of Woodstock, but I knew nothing about it at the time. I spent my summer working for a burger chain, preparing for college in the fall, and having a series … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, inerrancy, Old Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Did Jesus Confirm the Inerrancy and Historicity of the Old Testament?

Posted on March 18, 2019 by jesuswithoutbaggage

While 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is the queen of all ‘proofs’ of biblical inerrancy, I would say that certain words of Jesus come in second. And, since Jesus is central to all believers, how can we ignore his words if they … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, inerrancy, Jesus, Old Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns: a Book Review

Posted on March 11, 2019 by jesuswithoutbaggage

For me, this is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read—and I have read a LOT of books! On page 4, Pete sets the stage by stating that the Bible is not a divine instruction manual or … Continue reading →

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Posted in authority, Bible, book or movie review, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, God, inerrancy, Old Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 50 Comments

Belief in Biblical Inerrancy Must be the Second Most Damaging, Misguided Christian Belief of All

Posted on February 4, 2019 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Earlier we discussed that Angry God is a foundational harmful belief because it gives rise to other misguided, harmful beliefs. We can say the same about Inerrancy and for the same reason. In fact, the two are closely connected. Inerrancy leads … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, Bible, creationism, dispensationalism, evolution, fear, gays, God, hell, inerrancy, Jesus, legalism, love, Old Testament, Satan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 84 Comments

Belief in Angry God is Perhaps the Most Damaging, Misguided Christian Belief of All

Posted on October 1, 2018 by jesuswithoutbaggage

What is more central to our religious experience than our relationship with God? But some believers understand their relationships with God much differently than others do. Most of us believe God loves us and cares about us. We even talk … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, fear, hell, Jesus, legalism, love, love your enemies, Old Testament, The Father | Tagged , , , , , | 44 Comments

For My Inerrantist Friends: Why Appeals to Inerrancy are Totally Ineffective in Discussion

Posted on February 12, 2018 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Frequently, I receive comments from those who disagree with me—and this is as it should be! I enjoy dialog with those who disagree with me because I never learn anything if I only talk with people who already agree! However, … Continue reading →

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Posted in authority, Bible, doubt, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, inerrancy, Old Testament | Tagged , , , | 91 Comments

We Often Become What We THINK God is Like: Angry God Part 1

Posted on January 8, 2018 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Many people at some point decide to begin reading the Bible. But the Bible is a very large book; where should they begin? A large percentage begin at the beginning, of course—Genesis! Genesis is an interesting book: there are creation … Continue reading →

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Posted in fear, God, Jesus, judgment, love, Old Testament | Tagged , , | 118 Comments

5 Reasons Why Reading the Bible Through Each Year Might not be a Good Idea

Posted on September 5, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

There is a tradition among many believers of reading the entire Bible through each year. Check-off sheets are available from many places to indicate which chapters should be read on each day of the year in order to achieve the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, legalism, New Testament, Old Testament | Tagged , , | 53 Comments

The Bible is not Open to Narcigesis: Thinking the Bible is Written to You

Posted on August 22, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

The Bible is a massive collection of writings, and we must investigate and interpret each passage to understand what it says. There are two primary ways of doing this. Exegesis All genuine scholars know that study of biblical passages begins … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, book of Revelation, Old Testament, Paul | Tagged , , , | 39 Comments

The Bible is not Magically Inerrant: Exposing Inerrancy Proof-Texts

Posted on July 18, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Inerrancy is perhaps the most obvious example of what the Bible is NOT, and I have written about it many times. But today I approach it from a different angle by examining common inerrancy proof-texts. I begin with the most … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, inerrancy, Jesus, New Testament, Old Testament, Paul | Tagged , , , , | 35 Comments

What the Bible Is–And Is Not

Posted on July 11, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Today, we begin a new series on the character of the Bible. A number of topics will be on what the Bible is not, but this article is about What the Bible Is. We must first realize that our perspective … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, inerrancy, Jesus, love, New Testament, Old Testament | Tagged | 75 Comments

The Prophets Begin to Talk about Sin in a New Way

Posted on February 1, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

The Old Testament presents two major understandings about sin. Sin was primarily thought to be disobedience of the nation of Israel or transgression of God’s many detailed rules (legalism). The solution to taking away sin and guilt was participation in … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, God, Jesus, legalism, Old Testament, sin | Tagged , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Addressing Sin in the Old Testament

Posted on January 25, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

When many of us think of sin we are heavily influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by what we remember from the Old Testament. So let’s look briefly at Old Testament concepts of sin; I think it will help resolve some of … Continue reading →

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Posted in fear, God, Jesus, legalism, Old Testament, sin | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Is the God of the Old Testament Different from the Father of the New Testament?

Posted on January 20, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

This is a question many people ponder when comparing the portrait of God presented in the Old Testament to what Jesus tells us of God in the New Testament. Some believers make various excuses for God’s angry, violent, and vindictive … Continue reading →

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Posted in favorite blogs, God, New Testament, Old Testament, The Father | Tagged | 8 Comments

God is not Angry and Harsh with Us as Many of Us Thought

Posted on May 18, 2015 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Do you think God is angry, harsh, and vindictive toward us? Millions of people do, and I used to believe it myself—for good reason. All the preachers, teachers, and other church leaders taught that he is; if we don’t walk … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, fear, God, Jesus, Old Testament, The Father, the Good News | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

A More Realistic Alternative to Inerrancy of the Bible

Posted on February 16, 2015 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Millions of believers assume the Bible is inerrant—that everything in the Bible is the absolute word of God. I believed this myself for thirty-five years, but I now think this belief is very mistaken and even harmful. It distorts the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, inerrancy, New Testament, Old Testament, Paul | Tagged , | 60 Comments

Thoughts on: Can We Trust the God of Genocide?

Posted on July 30, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

This is the question asked by author Mark Buchanan in the July-August issue of Christianity Today. His article is part of the cover story called Grappling with the God of Two Testaments. I was excited when I saw the cover … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bible, book or movie review, God, inerrancy, Old Testament | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Jesus and Old Testament Imagery

Posted on March 14, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Many Christians believe in hell because Jesus talks about hell. But what does Jesus actually say? Do Jesus’ words support our understanding of a place of eternal torture and punishment? In Jesus’ sayings, hell is the English translation of two … Continue reading →

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Posted in hell, Jesus, Old Testament | 13 Comments

How Involved was God with the Old Testament Writers?

Posted on February 1, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

When I read from the Old Testament writers, I cannot escape the evidence that God was very important to them.  I believe the many people who wrote the Old Testament over a period of many hundreds of years identified with God and … Continue reading →

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Posted in authority, inerrancy, Jesus, Old Testament | 32 Comments

Is the Bible Inerrant? It is Not and Here’s Why

Posted on January 30, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Much of the problem of baggage among those who believe in Jesus is due to an incorrect understanding of the nature of the Bible. Many Christian traditions teach that the Bible is the absolute word of God: authoritative and inerrant. … Continue reading →

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Posted in authority, baggage, Bible, inerrancy, Old Testament | 31 Comments