Tackling tough topics

How do you react when you read the Bible for the first time and find creation and floods in the first few chapters? How do you believe in a God of love when there’s so much violence in the Old Testament? As Bible sales are exploding, new readers are encountering tough topics. That’s why Andrew Ollerton pioneered a teaching series at Cardiff City church to help believers tackle them.

The headline-making news that Bible sales have increased by 134 per cent since 2019 is presenting both a huge opportunity and a challenge for the church.

The Bible has been propelled into pole position as an evangelistic tool for curious seekers, but this has brought them face to face with some extremely tough topics in the Scriptures.

“People start reading from Genesis and find difficult subjects from the get-go,” says author and theologian Andrew Ollerton, who works with the Bible Society.

“There are floods and destruction, violence and killing, then the laws of Moses, animal sacrifices and laws about holding slaves early on.

“Thirty-five per cent of young adults interviewed for the Quiet Revival research said what they read in certain parts of the Bible undermines their faith.”

Addressing the issue

Recognising the problem, Andrew researched and wrote God’s Book – an honest look at the Bible’s seven toughest topics to take readers through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and tackle these subjects head-on.

When Cardiff City church pastor Stephen Gibson read it, it resonated with his own desire to create proper space to explore these big issues. Andrew had developed a teaching series from the book, and Stephen invited him to deliver it at Cardiff.

Recognising a wider need for Andrew’s teaching, the church then helped him design artwork for his preaching and small group resources so they could be made available for other churches to use too.

“People are saying there are things in the Bible that leave them struggling,” says Stephen.

“This series is about saying let’s do something about that as a church. Let’s talk through the tough topics and give people confidence that there’s nothing in the Bible that needs to disturb their faith, it’s just that they need help to read it.”

How do you teach a tough topic?

Stephen says many themes in the series resonated strongly with Cardiff City church members, especially conquest and violence.

This was the third topic, after “science versus creation” and “slavery and oppressive Old Testament laws”. To give a flavour of his teaching, we asked Andrew to talk us through it.

Exploring conquest and violence in context

“To explore this or any other topic,” he begins, “you can use three simple principles: you need to read the Bible in context, in Christ and in community.

“Take Exodus as an example of where people struggle with warfare and violence. The moment where conquest becomes an issue is when Joshua and the Israelites conquer the Promised Land.

“The Israelites, having been a slave nation in Egypt, are set free and this is the context in which God gives them permission to use force to take the land of Canaan.”

It’s important to recognise that God is not saying generally to any nation today that it’s okay to use violence and warfare, Andrew explains.

“It’s one single context where this nation of dispossessed people are given unique permission to take Canaan by force.

“God wants to set them up there as a holy nation that will be a light to others and to cleanse the land of idolatry, wickedness and child sacrifice.”

Exploring conquest and violence in Christ

The Joshua story reveals God’s desire to bring salvation, which ultimately points us to Christ, Andrew says.

“Take Rahab as an example. She was from the Canaanite people group and living in Jericho as a sex worker, yet she and her entire family are saved.

“She was incorporated into the family tree of the Messiah himself. In other words, the story of Joshua ultimately points to Jesus, who will bring salvation to the nations.

“The story of Canaan displays how we deserve judgment, but instead God brings salvation through Jesus.”

If we struggle with violence in the Old Testament, we can trust the God who in the New Testament turns that violence on himself.

“Jesus was crucified, taking on himself the sin of the world in order to bring salvation, and so what in the Old Testament is a physical battle becomes a spiritual battle in the New Testament because Jesus completely changes the game.”

Exploring conquest and violence in community

“When you read a violent story in the Bible it’s tempting to slam it shut, but I encourage people to keep reading, stay curious, but most importantly to ask questions,” says Andrew.

This is why, during the Cardiff City series, time was dedicated to discussing these tough issues.

Andrew says certain questions arise repeatedly around this topic, such as what the Canaan story means for the Middle East and the nation of Israel today, if it’s OK for Christians to join the military and whether force can be used in any circumstances.

“We’ve had some fantastic discussions around these really relevant topics and it’s been great to give people space to discuss them.”

Looking back on the series, Stephen says Cardiff City members engaged with this and the other topics explored. Now, he’s keen for others to have the chance to do likewise.

“I’d encourage other leaders to consider using this excellent teaching resource as a series in their churches,” he says.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.