This letter is in regard to Elton Wong’s column in Thursday’s paper.

Elton says, ” … appealing to the authority of the Bible is not very useful because just about any view one could hold is defensible on Biblical grounds.” Not true.

The Bible makes very clear statements of right and wrong, and it does not contradict itself on these points. Many “apparent” contradictions found in the Bible can easily be cleared up by taking into account the textual context, the historical context and the historical-grammatical usage of the words in the text. The misinterpretation on Numbers chapter 25 is a classic example of not paying attention to context.

Elton talks about a group that goes around killing interracial couples (Phinehas Priests) who are taking there cues from the following portion of Numbers 25: “While Israel was staying in Shittim the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods … So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.

“So Moses said to Israel’s judges, ‘Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.’ …

“Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them-through the Israelite and into the woman’s body.

“The Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas … was as zealous as I am for my honor …”

Elton’s says, “if your only authority is the Bible, how can you make a convincing case against the Phinehas Priests? According to the bare meaning of the text, God likes it when people kill interracial couples.”

Both the Phinehas Priests and Elton have missed the point of the passage entirely. If you refer back to the quoted section above, it gives you an idea of the context of Phinehas’ action. Moabites were drawing the Israelites into the worship of foreign gods, breaking the very first of God’s commandments to the Israelites. Clearly, it was a direct insult to God to bring this foreign woman before the Lord while all the elders of Israel were weeping before God because of the immense sin of the people.

It is because Phinehas was zealous for the honor of his God that he is praised. This is not an occasion to abdicate the killing of interracial couples. In fact, in the book of Ruth, Ruth is a moabite woman, and we see God orchestrating her marriage to Boaz (a Jewish man), and she would be a link in the ancestral chain through which Christ would come. No, God does not hate interracial couples, nor does he delight in their deaths.

Taking this principle from the stated test is a gross misinterpretation of the intended meaning.

As an aside, Elton’s presupposition for the comparison between race and homosexuality is that the lifestyle the homosexual is engaged in is not a choice. However, the genetic studies that have focused on this have made conclusive claims from inconclusive data. Therefore, as opposed to race, homosexuality is a product of human decision.

Also, to Matt Poll, the first person to write the daily in response to Elton’s article. Matt, in 1Peter 3:15 it says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect …”

I found your letter neither gentle nor respectful. We need to be a model of Jesus in a world that is lost and ignorant of God’s love. Elton Wong is not our enemy, neither are those who practice homosexuality. We can not agree with lifestyles or opinions that are contradictory to God’s word, but the last thing we need to do is begin to build walls between Christians and those we are called to witness to. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails …” and Colossians 3:14 says, “And over all these virtues put on love …” Matt, I am encouraged by your zeal for the word of God, and I agree we need to defend our faith, but we must not love the argument more than the person.

J.T. Bridges

Senior

Exercise and Sport Science