Special Features

Why This May Be the Most Offensive Verse in the Bible by Trevin Wax

What is the most offensive verse in the Bible today?

Ask that question of people in 21st-century North America, and you’re likely to think about Bible verses that insist upon the exclusivist nature of Jesus’s teaching, or warn about hellfire and judgment, or forbid sexual behavior that society celebrates. Verses like these go against the grain of contemporary “common sense,” because they oppose pluralism, universalism, and the sexual revolution.

But I’m convinced that there’s one Bible verse that, when rightly understood, proves most offensive to people whose sensibilities have been shaped by Western notions of inclusivity and freedom. All the controversies mentioned above can be traced back to a simple command and affirmation found in one of the Bible’s most popular songs: Psalm 100, the one that starts by urging us to “make a joyful noise unto the LORD.” Two verses later, we read…

Click here for the rest of the article:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/the-most-offensive-verse-in-the-bible/

Trevin Wax is senior vice president of theology and communications at LifeWay Christian Resources and a visiting professor at Wheaton College. He is the general editor of The Gospel Project, and the author of multiple books, including Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, Eschatological Discipleship, and Gospel Centered Teaching. You can follow him on TwitterFacebook, or receive his columns via email.

Additional Articles

Special Features

God Unveiled

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He is the very image of God. God unveiled. God revealed. God among us.

Read More
Special Features

Where Is Your Heart?

The God of the universe, who knows everything and created everything and is in charge of everything, wants a love relationship with you. And He's what your heart has wanted all along.

Read More
Special Features

Irreplaceable You: Designed with a Purpose

God designed irreplaceable you with a specific purpose for a specific time and place. You are one of a kind, handcrafted, with a role that only you can fill!

Read More