The "weirdest" passage seems rather subjective. And normally it is. However I am very confident pretty much everyone would agree. This passage is a real head scratcher. Until we understand something about the world of 4,000 years ago.
The KJV frequently calls God "The LORD of Hosts". The NIV never does. Why not? And why is "LORD" in all caps in some verses and not in others? Why does the ESV read so differently from the NIV at times and so similarly at others? Bible translations are the product of countless decisions by the translators. And there's a place in your Bible where they tell you what they are.
We don't tend to share the whole gospel. We share a very scaled-down version. This is something we've been doing for generations, and we've gotten away with it for quite a while, but our society has changed. It's time we reconsider how we present the gospel.
A young relative expressed frustration about trying to read the Old Testament. It's all in the Bible, so it's all important. But we're under the new covenant. And what do we do with all of those stories? How do we apply those to our lives? I shared with her how I approach the Old Testament. There are three key realizations.
There are lies in the Bible. And it's still inerrant.
The Bible is not just one book. It is a collection of books, and those books are different kinds of literature, different genres. Each has its own characteristics, its own rules, and if we don't pay attention to them, we can confuse ourselves and misunderstand the scriptures.
