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Writer's pictureBible Brian

Rahab proved the Bible wrong by dying


It may sound surprising coming from a faithful Christian, but I can honestly tell you that not everything in the Bible is true. In fact, there is much in the Bible which, if read today, would be a bare faced lie.


There is a key word in the above paragraph. If read today. This isn't because the Bible itself is not true. This isn't because the Bible was not inspired. Rather, this is because history progresses. The present becomes the past, and so books written in the present will be true in the present, but not true in the future.


An excellent example of this is Joshua 6:25. When Joshua was written, Rahab the harlot was still alive, and quite happily in Israel. Thus, the book says "So she dwells in Israel to this day." (Emphasis mine). That was true when it was written. It was also true for a short while after. But today, it is not true. Rahab has died; she no longer lives in Israel.


This fact highlights a very important hemeneutical principle: Historical context. When you read a Bible, you are not reading a book from 2021. You are not even reading a book from 1611. You are reading a book that is at least 2,000 years old. Revelation, the last book to be written, was (in theory) written in 95 A.D. What that means is that you are reading a very old book.


And not just an old book. An old book that, to you, likely comes from a completely different culture. Now, of course, I speak only to my more Western audience here. I tip my hat to you if you are actually an Israeli Jew. But for the most part, I expect my audience will be from a completely different culture.


This provides several barriers to a correct understanding of the scriptures. A 21st century British man will not have the same experiences as a 1st century Roman, Greek, Jew, or indeed anyone to whom the scriptures were originally presented. When a modern Christian reads "So she dwells in Israel to this day", they need to be aware that Rahab does not, in fact, dwell in Israel today.


But Rahab isn't the only one who perished. Entire cultures have disappeared. Social issues, cultural practices, various forms of prejudice, these have all changed radically. An interesting example I once discussed with my friend Layla is what exactly does it mean to take up our cross daily and follow Christ? (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Mark 10:21; Luke 9:23). "Well that's obvious", say many Christians. That is, until you realise that not a single one of those instances occurred after the crucifixion. Every instance of Jesus telling people to "take up your cross and follow me" occurred before Jesus died. The original audience had no idea what was going to happen to Jesus. In other words, what we know as 21st century Christians, the original audience did not know.


So what did they hear? When Jesus said "take up your cross daily and follow me", how did they understand it? We understand a little of this from Jesus' own crucifixion. After He was beaten, He wasn't carried to His execution in a cage or dragged by a horse. He walked to Gethsemane, carrying, of all things, the very cross upon which He was to be nailed. Such was the Roman custom. The image of carrying one's own cross was one of submission. You had rebelled against the Romans, but now you will perform one final act of submission.


And so Jesus says the same to us. You have rebelled against God, you are worthy of death, and so now you're going to submit. That will be hard. But it's inevitable anyway. It's not like a victim of crucifixion could refuse to carry the cross and the Roman would just say "fine, be that way" and walk away. No, just as the Romans would kill even their most stubborn victims, so also will God judge everyone. But Jesus can ensure that those who carry their cross do not die with their sins, but are instead raised with Him.


You see, then, the significance of reading with the right glasses. Of course, in this case, it doesn't make a lot of difference. In theory, both readings should cause a Christian to repent of their sin and seek to follow Jesus in every area of life. But to a modern Christian who knows about the crucifixion, the image is far less significant. Historical context can do everything from aiding in apologetics to increasing a believer's understanding of what the scriptures say. Always dig as deep as you can into the minds of the original audience.

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