How can We Tell when the Bible Condones what It Records?


The Bible does record some things that it doesn’t endorse. People doing and saying ungodly things is a sort of negative example - i.e. “Don’t be like Cain/Esau/Absalom.” There are a couple rules of thumb that you can use to discern whether the Bible condones a certain statement it records.

1. Who said it?

2. What’s the context?

3. When did it happen?

4. How does the description of the action line up with what the Bible commands us to do prescriptively?

5. Finally, God has given us a brain and a conscience, and in most cases those should be sufficient to discern whether the Bible condones or condemns the actions it records. When those are not sufficient, He has also given us local churches, pastors (Ephesians 4:11), and you can ask your pastor for guidance with a passage if it is confusing to you.

Read the details here.