Reclaiming Scripture from Harm: How to Read the Bible Without Hurting People

2,675 words, 14 minutes read time

Reclaiming Scripture from Harm: How to Read the Bible Without Hurting People

It may seem counterintuitive, but I doubt anyone would disagree that the Bible has been used to harm certain people for centuries. Misusing scripture involves taking verses out of context, twisting their meaning, or applying them inappropriately to justify personal opinions or actions. This can lead to misinterpretations, manipulation, and ultimately, a distortion of the Word. Taking verses out of context involves using a verse without considering the surrounding verses, the overall context of the book, or the author’s intended meaning.

That’s why in our Daily Bible Study, we look at the author and audience, and the historical, political, and theological context as well as many researched viewpoints. Otherwise, it’s easy to mistakenly twist the meaning of a verse to fit a particular agenda or viewpoint, often to support a predetermined conclusion. Applying verses inappropriately is often harmful or misleading, and it’s important not to fall into this trap.

When you look at religion as something that can cause harm, it can start to feel like the Bible is being rejected, but truthfully it’s not about getting rid of the Bible. It’s about learning how to correctly read it.

When Scripture Is a Sword

For many people, the Bible has been a source of strength, wisdom, and spiritual beauty. But for others, especially women, queer people, survivors of abuse, and marginalized communities, it has been weaponized. Verses get pulled out of context, ancient laws get used as modern shackles, and selective readings get turned into shame. The Bible has been used to control and exclude marginalized communities for centuries, since the rule of Constantine the Great in the year 312 CE and maybe beyond.

The Bible was never meant to be a weapon, so it is necessary to reclaim the Scripture and use it as it was meant to be used and interpreted. Reading the Bible without hurting others involves approaching the text with sensitivity and a huge amount of historical context. A great rule of thumb is to focus on its messages of love, compassion, and justice.

Glossary of Terms

Before we dive into this post, I want to give you some helpful definitions.

Language for resisting harmful readings of Scripture

Hermeneutic – Your framework or lens for interpretation. Everyone has one, even literalists.
Canon – The collection of books officially considered Scripture. Different groups have different canons.
Midrash – Jewish practice of exploring sacred texts through layered interpretation and questions.
Liberative reading – Interpretation that centers justice, love, and marginalized voices.
Proof-texting – Cherry-picking verses out of context to support a point, often causing harm.
Clobber Texts – A term for specific Bible verses used to condemn LGBTQ+ people. Often taken out of context and lacking historical nuance.
Literalist – Someone who reads the Bible as literal, factual, and directly applicable without considering genre, history, or culture.
Canon Formation – The process of selecting which books made it into the Bible. Shaped by power, politics, and theology, often centuries after the events themselves.
Gospel of Mary / 1 Enoch / Wisdom of Solomon – Books that were excluded from most modern Bibles. Their removal often reflects patriarchal or theological gatekeeping, not lack of value.
Constantine the Great (312 CE) – Roman emperor who institutionalized Christianity. His rule marks a turning point when the Bible began to be used to support empire and hierarchy.

I’m working on a full library of posts to teach more about the different ways to study the Bible, but for now, here are some short definitions.

Some Spiritual and Philosophical Approaches to Reading

Mystic Christian – Seeks direct, often ineffable experience of the Divine; found across traditions (Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen).
Liberation Theologian – Connects theology to the struggle for justice (e.g., Latin American liberation theology, Black liberation theology, feminist theology).
Contemplative Christian – Rooted in silence, meditation, mysticism, and inner transformation (e.g., Centering Prayer, inspired by figures like Thomas Merton or Richard Rohr).

Some Social and Cultural Expressions

Cultural Christian – Identifies with Christianity due to upbringing or culture, but may not actively practice or believe.
Reconstructionist Christian – Seeks to reorder society according to biblical law; strongly theocratic.
Inclusive/Reconciling Christian – Prioritizes LGBTQ+ affirmation, racial equity, and social healing within the church.

Scripture Interpretation

It’s easy to assume there’s a “correct” reading of the Bible, but there are several lenses through which the Bible can be studied. From the moment Scripture was written, it was debated, questioned, paraphrased, and adapted. The Pharisees had their interpretive tradition, while Jesus offered his own. The early church fathers argued over meaning just as modern readers do today, and these arguments led to abuses of power just like what is seen today.

There’s no neutral ground and the existence of opposing interpretations is inevitable. Every act of reading is an act of interpretation, whether we admit it or not. Bible scholar, Dan McClellan, says that “we negotiate with the Bible to make it useful and meaningful to our social identities.” Even Jesus interpreted the Hebrew Scriptures in radical ways, often subverting traditional or literalist understandings:

“You have heard it said… but I say to you…” (Matthew 5)
He broke Sabbath laws, dined with sinners, and elevated love over law (Luke 10, Mark 2, John 8)
He used Scripture not as a rulebook but as a launching pad for mercy

The only question is: what values are guiding our interpretation? Fear, control, and certainty? Or love, justice, and humility? The Bible is filled with verses about love and kindness, and places great emphasis on love and compassion. Examples include: Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12, and Luke 6:35.

Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Colossians 3:12 – So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;

Luke 6:35 – But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.

If we want to follow Jesus, we must read like he read: rooted in tradition but led by love. That means we can’t simply “quote the verse and call it truth.” We have to ask: What does this verse mean in context? Whose voice is missing? What fruit does this interpretation produce?

The Harm of Canon Decisions

Many of the most life-giving, inclusive, or mystical texts didn’t make it into our modern Bibles for the simple fact that they were inconvenient. Meanwhile, verses that served hierarchy, patriarchy, or empire were preserved and given the weight of divine decree. That means the canon itself reflects human priorities. To reclaim Scripture, we must look both at what is written and what was taken out. The edges of the canon and those excluded books often hold the very voices modern readers most need to hear.

When people say “The Bible says,” they’re often quoting a translation of a redacted canon curated by institutional gatekeepers centuries after the events themselves. In this way, it’s important to choose your Bible wisely, and seek the historical knowledge.

What was excluded matters just as much as what was included:

The Gospel of Mary was cut, removing a female apostle’s voice
1 Enoch was lost to most Western readers, removing cosmic justice from Christian theology
Wisdom of Solomon was dropped, quieting feminine imagery of divine presence

Meanwhile, problematic passages were retained to put tradition above divine necessity, resulting in a partial canon interpreted through patriarchal and imperial lenses. Seek guidance from reliable resources: Utilize commentaries, study bibles, and trusted teachers or scholars who can provide insights into accurate interpretation. You can head to the Orientation Page to see all of the recommended resources, and why they are preferred over others.

In order to understand historical and cultural context, we must recognize that the Bible was written in a specific historical and cultural setting. Some passages may seem challenging or even appear to endorse practices that are harmful by modern standards because they were written by a certain author, specifically for a certain audience in a certain time and place. Interpreting these passages requires understanding their original context and not applying them literally to modern situations.

For example, Ephesians 6:5, about slaves obeying masters, should be understood in the context of first-century Roman society where slavery existed and was not an endorsement of slavery itself. And sometimes verses were outright political satire or propaganda, and if you read them without knowing this context, these verses are easily misconstrued.

Reclaiming Scripture starts by acknowledging its formation was political as much as it was spiritual.

The Misuse of Scripture

The harm done in the name of Scripture is real, and it’s usually not about what the Bible says, but how it’s wielded. People have used cherry-picked verses to prop up racism, misogyny, homophobia, authoritarianism, and spiritual abuse. Yet these same texts, if read in historical context and through a liberating lens, often tell a very different story. The Bible doesn’t have to be discarded to be redeemed. But it must be read with the awareness to question inherited interpretations.

A massively common example are the “Clobber Texts”, which are specific biblical passages that have been used to condemn or exclude LGBTQ+ individuals from full participation in the church. These passages are typically cited by some Christians to argue that same-sex relationships are incompatible with biblical teachings.

Examples of Clobber Texts

Genesis 19:4-25 (Sodom and Gomorrah): This story is often interpreted as a condemnation of homosexuality, though some scholars argue it’s primarily about inhospitality and violence.
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13: These verses address male-on-male sexual relations and have been interpreted as prohibitions against same-sex acts. However, the precise meaning of the original Hebrew terms and the context within the broader Levitical law are debated.
Romans 1:26-27: This passage speaks of people exchanging “natural relations” for “contrary to nature” relations and has been applied to condemn same-sex relationships.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10: These lists of undesirable behaviors include terms that some translate as “homosexuals” or related concepts. However, the ancient context and the precise meaning of these terms are subject to scholarly debate.

I have a full post coming on these clobber verses and their historical and political context, so that you can learn more about them. When you examine these verses with proper context, they lose their misuse power, because let’s be clear: the Bible contains beauty, power, and revelation.

But it has also been misused to:

Justify slavery – Ephesians 6:5: “Slaves, obey your masters” has been abused to justify slavery, but Paul never endorses slavery’s morality, just its reality within a broken empire.
Silence women – 1 Timothy 2:12: Used to bar women from preaching, but many scholars believe this was a later addition or context-specific response to false teachers.
Demonize other faiths – John 14:6: Some interpretations suggest that Christianity is the only true faith, and that salvation is only possible through belief in Jesus Christ, leading to exclusion.
Support authoritarian regimes – Romans 13:1: “Submit to governing authorities” is used to excuse authoritarianism, but the same Paul was later executed by Rome for not submitting.

When we read these verses without historical context, genre awareness, or theological nuance, they become weapons. Study with a genuine desire to understand. Approach the Bible with a desire to learn and grow, not to find justification for preconceived notions or to harm others.

Toward a Liberating Hermeneutic

A “hermeneutic” is just a method of interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts. If we want to reclaim the Bible, we need a new one, or more accurately, a very old one. A liberating hermeneutic is a way of interpreting texts, especially religious texts like the Bible, that prioritizes the experiences and perspectives of marginalized groups and seeks to identify and challenge systems of oppression. It emphasizes the potential for texts to be sources of liberation and social transformation, rather than instruments of domination.

A liberating reading of Scripture can be the most honest way. It acknowledges the text’s complexity and its cultural limitations, while also affirming that God still speaks through these ancient pages, especially when we center the oppressed and the harmed. This approach is rooted in Jesus’s own reading of Scripture: breaking the letter of the law to keep its spirit. A liberating hermeneutic is less about proving something and more about practicing love.

A liberating hermeneutic:

Prioritizes historical context over modern projection
Reads through the lens of love and justice
Elevates voices on the margins
Recognizes power dynamics in both the text and the church
Embraces questions as sacred

The Experts Speak

Here are some quotes from theologians regarding the misuse of Scripture, and where to find the sources on Amazon (aff).

“The scandal of the gospel is that God chooses to be revealed in the lives of the oppressed.” – James Cone, God of the Oppressed

“Mysticism is not esoteric – it is democratic. It is a birthright of the suffering.” – Barbara A. Holmes, Joy Unspeakable

“The Bible is full of messed-up people doing messed-up things, and God using them anyway. That’s not a bug. It’s the point.” – Nadia Bolz-Weber, Shameless

“Scripture is not meant to be worshipped. It’s meant to be followed – and it always points toward love.” – Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ

These voices remind readers they’re not alone in wrestling with this idea. They are part of a growing cloud of faithful witnesses who read boldly and compassionately. I have full Experts Speak posts on each of these scholars coming, and I will link to them as they are published.

This kind of reading is what theologians like James Cone, Barbara Holmes, Nadia Bolz-Weber, and Richard Rohr have modeled. It’s also what Jesus practiced. Reflect on how the message applies to your life. Consider how the Bible’s teachings can guide your actions and interactions with others. Then, if you’re discussing the Bible with others, be willing to listen to different perspectives and engage in respectful dialogue, recognizing that interpretations may vary. We don’t have to choose between blind obedience and total rejection. We can read through both critical and devotional lenses.

How to Begin Reclaiming Scripture

If this all feels overwhelming, it’s because deconstructing harmful theology while holding onto the sacred is not easy, but it is important work. Reclaiming Scripture doesn’t require a seminary degree, of course, but a great place to start would be to get a good study Bible. Soon, I’ll post about which Bible is the best for you.

These five practices will get you thinking in the right direction. They’re meant to invite you into deeper engagement, not theological performance. You don’t have to read the Bible the way they told you to to read it faithfully.

Here are five starting points for a more liberating, restorative relationship with the Bible:

Read with curiosity and critical thinking. Ask what the text meant then not just what it means now.
Use multiple translations. Compare NRSV, CSB, and NET with study notes and footnotes.
Pay attention to what’s missing. Whose voice isn’t here? What books didn’t make the canon?
Follow scholars and teachers doing liberating work. Start with womanist, queer, and decolonial theologians.
Don’t read alone. Study with others and let Scripture be a conversation.

Many people walk away from faith because they believe they must choose between a weaponized Bible and no Bible at all. But we can hold Scripture reverently while also seeing its fractures as invitations to learn. The Bible is full of tension, contradiction, poetry, pain, and power. But if we choose mercy over dogma, we can keep returning to it with love, honesty, and imagination, we just might hear something new: not a demand for purity, but a call to liberation.

Reflections

Has Scripture ever been used against you or someone you love?

How would it change your relationship with the Bible to know that it was curated, translated, and shaped by people, not just God?

Are you open to acknowledging the different interpretations of Scripture, and recognizing that not every understanding is inherently correct?

When reading Scripture, do you prioritize seeking personal gain or aligning your understanding with God’s message?

What are the potential negative consequences of misusing Scripture, both for individuals and for communities?

How does your own background, experiences, and biases influence your understanding of Scripture?