Have you ever read something in the Bible, and thought, that doesn’t sound right? What do you do when you read something you feel is wrong?

You can reject the whole thing and Christianity, too. You could re-interpret what it says to make it say something else. Another option is to submit to what God wants even if it is not what you want.

Real Christianity is a relationship between the believer and God. Even so, it is not an equal relationship. God makes the rules. We don’t get to alter them to meet our tastes or desires.

We still have the choice to do what God says. Do we go with our desires? Do we submit to God when we disagree with God? There are shades of gray between the two as well.

I am talking more about what the Bible says about our behavior, not about disputable matters like historical accounts. There are indeed some gray areas where things are less than totally clear. Does it matter if the world was created in six 24-hour periods? I think not, but there are areas where the Bible is clear. 

Our culture currently exalts the individual. What a person feels or thinks is best, is seen as the guiding force or authority on truth. The Bible says something much different.

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel. Proverbs 12:15

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. Proverbs 30:12

My example

One thing I disagree with the Bible on is sexuality. I don’t understand why we should be monogamous. Why would God create a thing as cool as sex, and then put limitations on it? Why should a person only have one sex partner? It does not seem right or natural to me.

I want my partner to have good things and to be happy. I don’t see a reason to object to her enjoying sex with someone else. I don’t know why she should care if I do the same. That is just how I feel. I could argue, as some do, “this is how God made me.”

Our commitment to each other should be much more than just sex. Love should not be just about bodily functions. Loyalty is about a lot more than who you have sex with.

I realize almost all of the civilized world would disagree with me on this, so it’s not surprising that the Bible doesn’t agree either.

The Bible is clear. Jesus said if you even look at a woman who is not your wife lustfully, you are guilty of adultery. 

I have tried. I cannot find any way to justify a lot of sex partners from the Bible. If consenting adults and marriage partners agree, that is technically not adultery. It is fornication though, and you cannot get around that. What I feel is right is not what the Bible says. I will admit it says what it says.

The options

One option is to reject the entire Bible and God and go your own way. Another option is to submit to God and do what God says even when you don’t want to. You can also be open to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to shape your desires.

The most common option is to make the Bible agree with you by reinterpreting it. This has been done from the very beginning.

When Adam and Eve were tempted, the Devil said, “Did God really say …?”

Some people are legalistic and will twist the Bible to make up some crazy rules. Some people will twist the Bible to make anything OK.

Gay people say when the Bible talks about homosexuals, it is not the same thing as what Gay people are today.

Both sides of the abortion debate are pretty good at making the Bible support their case.

There are people like me who don’t understand this whole monogamy thing.

Understanding what it says

Another possibility is that you don’t understand what is being written, or what the intent of the author is.

We should always take the “whole counsel of God” when studying the Bible. Context is everything. One verse by itself does not have a lot of meaning, and should not be the foundation of any theological position.

When you see something that does not feel right, keep studying and find what the entire Bible says on that subject. Understand though, that God and the Bible are not going to change to suit your opinion. God is God, and you are not.

What the Bible is, and is not

The Bible is a collection of writings that reveal God to us. It is not just a book of rules. It does say some things are right and wrong, and Christians believe your life will be better if you do what it says. We do reap what we sow.

It is clear that God has preferences for what we do and how we live. Real Christianity is a relationship. In any relationship, there are going to be things you don’t agree on. The difference here is that God knows a lot more than you do. It is not an equal partnership, but you can still disagree and God won’t get mad at you.

You can still debate “what the Bible says”, and you can either agree or disagree with the Bible all you want. Ultimately what you do is between you and God. Real Christianity is a relationship with God, made possible by what Jesus has done for us.

Martin Luther is known as the founder of the Reformation. His mark on modern Christianity cannot be overstated. Even so, he did not agree with all the Bible said. He called the book of James an “epistle of straw.”

Conclusion

If you don’t agree with the Bible, your argument is with God, not with other believers. There is also the possibility that you are not understanding what is being said.

I don’t think it is “wrong” to disagree with the Bible. I think it is short-sighted and wrong to dismiss it because there is one verse or command you don’t like.

The important thing is your relationship with God, and while the Bible is a great source for understanding who He is, it is not God.

If you don’t agree on one point, realize that it is just one point. Keep studying and keep praying about it. God can handle it. What others think doesn’t matter. It’s between you and God.

But still, it is better to admit that it says what it says, even if you don’t like it.