Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 19:18 – Does God Ever Tell Us to Steal? Unpacking the Bible’s Tough Passages

About this episode

Lance Smith examines Bible passages related to stealing, exploring their context and interpretations.

Host Lance Smith examines apparent Bible conflicts about stealing—Rachel taking her fathers household idols and the Israelites leaving Egypt with silver and gold—by reviewing context, translations, and scholarship. The episode shows the Bible consistently condemns theft and explains the highlighted Old Testament cases as descriptive, cultural, or acts of divine justice rather than endorsements of stealing. References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following: buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/steal.html “What Does the Bible Say about Stealing?,” Vivian Bricker, Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-does-the-bible-say-about-stealing.html Bar Niv, Moshe. “Regulating Theft – Lessons from Biblical Law.” Rutgers Journal of Law & Religion, Vol. 16, 2014. https://sites.camden.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/03/Regulating-Theft-Bar-Niv.pdf “Israelite Plundering and a Missing Donkey,” Eric Lyons…

People in this episode

Host: Lance Smith

Topics covered

• Bible contradictions
• theft
• Old Testament
• cultural context
• divine justice

Keywords

• stealing
• Bible conflicts
• Old Testament
• theft condemnation
• cultural interpretation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Christianity.com, Apologetics Press, Christian Courier

Books & works: Skeptics Annotated Bible, Regulating Theft – Lessons from Biblical Law, What Does the Bible Say about Stealing?, Israelite Plundering and a Missing Donkey, Exodus 3:22 – The Israelites Leave Egypt, What is the meaning of ‘spoiled the Egyptians’ in Exodus 12:36?

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