Is the Bible Clear Or Can It Mean Whatever We Want It To Mean?

Repeat broadcast: Originally aired 9-11-16

Bob comments on a Christian minister who insisted that Jesus would have no problem with the gay lifestyle. Bob claims this is an impossible position to obtain from Scripture. One of Bob’s listeners challenges Bob’s view through Facebook. Bob reads the comment out loud and responds over the air. Bob’s response leads to a discussion about Scripture interpretation in its own rite. Later in the show, Tim, (who wrote the Facebook challenge) calls in and continues the debate with Bob in real time.

NOTE FROM BOB SIEGEL:

Toward the end of the program, an interesting passage was brought up and we ran out of time for full elaboration. My point was in fact made but I would have preferred to offer more detail. Tim was referring to some words of Jesus:

“This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Matt 24:34).

His contention was that the generation Jesus spoke to has in fact passed away and His second coming (the event Jesus was referencing) had not yet taken place.

I explained that the Greek word for “generation” (genos or genea) can sometimes be translated as “race” or “nation.” And so, Jesus may have been saying that Israel as a nation, the Jews as a race, will not pass away until His return.

When a word in Greek can be translated one of two possible ways, it is certainly fair to say that we aren’t sure which meaning is correct. But this is still an OBJECTIVE rather than SUBJECTIVE approach to Scripture. In this case, we may simply have to admit that there is not enough information to know what Jesus was talking about, although we can certainly offer some reasonable speculation inasmuch as Jesus makes it very clear in other places (as well as this very same chapter) that “no one knows the day or the hour” of His return. Therefore, the “nation” translation fits the context of Scripture better.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Occasionally, I get a phone call on the air minutes after changing subjects. Such was the case this week right after I began a discussion of suffering. That particular subject (suffering) along with my response to a follow up letter from the caller Tim can be heard on the 9-25-16 program linked below:

How Can a Loving God Allow Suffering and Evil in the World?

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