How to Weaponize the Bible

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Episode Outline:
0:00 How and why do people weaponize the Bible in modern arguments?
1:26 Bart checks in from England and talks with Megan about summer in the UK versus the U.S.
4:06 Why this topic matters in Protestant cultures where the Bible functions as ultimate authority
5:11 Did early Christians also use scripture to argue and win debates?
7:07 Paul already using scripture to settle disputes inside Christian communities
9:02 Why this kind of scriptural argument was largely unique to Judaism and Christianity
10:49 Course promo: Bart’s online courses on the Bible, Gospels, Genesis, Exodus, and more
11:22 Modern examples of misusing scripture, including invented claims and context-free prooftexting
11:41 Bart’s example: Marjorie Taylor Greene and the false claim about Herod handing Jesus to the Jews
14:25 Earlier Christian examples: arguing with Jews using passages like Isaiah 7:14
16:14 Why non-canonical texts usually do not get used in these arguments today
16:56 How early Christians used “fulfilled prophecy” arguments against both Jews and pagans
20:00 Bart’s method: walking students through the original context of passages like Isaiah 53
21:10 Less harmful misuses: “God helps those who help themselves” and unconditional forgiveness
24:52 More serious cases: abortion debates and what the Bible actually says about the fetus
27:48 Cherry-picking verses: Leviticus, shellfish, mixed fabrics, and the Sabbath commandment
30:01 Translation issues: Paul, “homosexuality,” and why 1 Corinthians 6 is so much more complicated than people think
35:31 Weekly Update: announcement for the 2024 New Insights into the New Testament conference on Paul
41:15 Listener Q&A: turn the other cheek, the Jewish War and Gentile Christianity, the adulterous woman, Eucharistic theology, and whether the Gospels are like Hollywood biopics
49:07 Final summary: using the Bible in argument is unavoidable for many people, but misquoting or decontextualizing it is not faithful use

Episode Description

Anyone familiar with American politics and the empty rhetoric used to promote divisive views is never much surprised when politicians appeals to the Bible to support their own social agendas. Depending on who you listen to, the bible is both pro life and pro choice, pro and anti immigrant, pro and anti homosexuality…the list goes on. On today’s episode, we explore how people use and, oh so frequently misuse, ancient texts of Scripture to promote their agenda, and consider the question of whether it might help to read the Bible before claiming to know what it says.

Also watch these episodes:
What Did the Prophet Isaiah Say About Jesus?
What Did the Prophet Isaiah Say About Jesus?

Do We Believe in the Separation of Church and State?
Do We Believe in the Separation of Church and State?

Paul and Jesus at Odds
Paul and Jesus at Odds

Megan asks Bart:

- What examples do we have from early Christianity of people using scripture to try and win arguments?

- What kinds of early social issues was the bible weaponized for?

- Pre-Christianity, were other religious texts used in a similar manner?

- We’ve talked before about modern Christians using scripture to argue for or against things that are completely unrelated to what the passage actually says. Just to refresh our collective memories, could you give us an example of this? (abortion, homosexuality, etc)

- Is this selective quoting something that we see also in early Christianity?

- Do non-canonical texts ever get brought into arguments, or are they typically dismissed out of hand as unauthoritative?

- What other similarities or differences do you see between how early and modern Christians use scripture?

- Do people believe you when you tell them that the Bible actually doesn’t say what they think it does?

- What would be some more severe or problematic examples of this be?

- Do you have examples of people cherry-picking biblical evidence?

- Examples of how different translations change arguments?