Journal 2005

I’ve been taught all my life that we are to believe every word written in the Bible, but most of us pick and choose which rules and principles we want to follow. And if we question a portion of someone’s pet doctrine or rule, we’re told we’re going against Scripture.

There’s a reason, obviously, why the Apostle Paul’s letters are included in the canon, but one has to keep in mind that he wrote to a specific person or church about specific issues in the context of their culture. How different would these letters read if he lived today and wrote to our American congregations? Different needs, different pastors, different times, different issues.

For example, what would he say to American women today and their roles? Would he still demand they wear a head covering in church? Would he still admonish us to not usurp authority over our husbands?

How about rules for slaves? Would he decry sex trafficking? Perhaps Paul would address the subject of the homeless. Would he step into the arena of political opinion? Character qualities and general principles can be applied today, but specific rules in the Pauline epistles—probably not. All the instructions regarding the widow list, for example, don’t seem as relevant today, though he might still urge us to care for the marginalized.

The Scripture says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (I Timothy 4:1). I think it takes discernment to sort through all these Pauline rules.

If you want to explore this topic more, read Scot McKnight’s The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible.