For centuries, religious communities have wrestled with questions of inclusion and belonging. Many have used biblical texts to draw boundaries, creating divisions between who belongs and who doesn’t.

Yet what if we’ve been reading these ancient words through the wrong lens? What if the same scriptures that some use to exclude actually call us toward radical love and acceptance? is

The Heart of Scripture: Love Above All

The Greatest Commandment

Jesus himself simplified all religious teaching into two core principles. Love God with everything you have. Love your neighbor as yourself. Everything else, he said, hangs on these two commands.

This framework becomes our guide for understanding difficult passages. When interpretations lead to harm or exclusion, we must ask whether they align with love’s central message.

Justice as God’s Character

Throughout scripture, God is consistently for the marginalized and oppressed. The Hebrew prophets repeatedly call for justice. They speak for widows, orphans, and foreigners. This pattern reveals God’s heart for inclusion, not exclusion.

I love being a pastor and I love meeting all kinds of people. One of the families in the congregation I serve has a child who has some Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He is a very genuine and sweet person, and he loves to listen to the music in church. One of my favorite times during worship is when we say “Amen” and you can hear him echo that back. It warms my heart and makes me smile every time because he is fully participating in worship and most folks in the community encourage him.

Reexamining Controversial Passages

Understanding Ancient Context

Many passages used to justify exclusion were written for specific historical situations. Ancient cultures operated with different social structures and understandings. What applied then doesn’t automatically translate to universal, eternal truth.

The Clobber Passages

Six or seven biblical passages are commonly cited against LGBTQ+ individuals. Scholars call these “clobber passages” because of how they’ve been weaponized. Let’s examine them more carefully:

Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13

• Written within Israel’s holiness code
• Addressed concerns about ritual purity and idol worship
• Part of laws that also forbid mixed fabrics and certain foods

Romans 1:26-27

• Paul describes consequences of idol worship
• Focuses on people abandoning their natural orientation
• Not addressing committed, loving relationships

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:10

• Greek words are unclear and disputed
• May refer to prostitution or abuse of power
• Modern translations vary significantly

Alternative Interpretations

These passages might address:

• Temple prostitution practices
• Exploitative relationships
• Violations of hospitality customs
• Ritual impurity concerns

None clearly condemn loving, committed relationships between same-gender couples.

Gender Roles and Women’s Place

Challenging Traditional Views

Several passages seem to limit women’s roles in church and family. Yet the same Bible celebrates women leaders throughout its pages.

Women in Leadership

Scripture highlights numerous female leaders:

• Deborah judged Israel and led military campaigns
• Priscilla taught theology to church leaders
• Phoebe served as a deacon and minister
• Mary Magdalene was the first resurrection witness

Cultural Context Matters

Paul’s instructions about women often addressed specific cultural problems. Corinthian women disrupted services with questions. Timothy’s community struggled with false teachers targeting women.

These weren’t universal bans but practical solutions for particular situations.

Marriage and Partnership

The Bible presents marriage as partnership, not hierarchy. Genesis describes humans as created equal. The marriage relationship should reflect mutual love and respect.

Traditional “submission” passages make more sense when understood as mutual submission. Partners serve each other in love, not through domination.

The Inclusion Imperative

Jesus’ Radical Welcome

Jesus consistently welcomed outcasts and marginalized people. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He touched lepers and healed on the Sabbath. He elevated women and children.

His harshest words were for religious leaders who excluded others. The Pharisees received criticism for their judgmental attitudes, not their rule-following.

The Early Church’s Struggle

The first Christians wrestled with inclusion questions too. Should Gentiles be welcomed? Must they follow Jewish law? The Jerusalem Council decided that love trumped cultural requirements.

Peter’s vision of unclean animals taught him that God’s acceptance extends beyond traditional boundaries. What God calls clean, humans shouldn’t call unclean.

Practical Applications for Today

Creating Welcoming Communities

Churches committed to biblical inclusion can:

1. Study scripture in context
   • Learn about ancient cultures and languages
   • Consider multiple interpretations
   • Prioritize love in difficult passages
2. Listen to marginalized voices
   • Include LGBTQ+ perspectives in discussions
   • Elevate women’s leadership and teaching
   • Center those who’ve been excluded
3. Practice radical hospitality
   • Welcome all people without conditions
   • Create safe spaces for questions and doubts
   • Focus on belonging before believing

Building Bridges

Inclusive biblical interpretation doesn’t require abandoning faith. It deepens it by returning to scripture’s central message of love. Communities can maintain theological integrity while practicing radical welcome.

This approach often strengthens rather than weakens faith communities. When people feel truly welcomed, they’re more likely to engage deeply with spiritual growth.

Addressing Common Concerns

“But the Bible is Clear”

The Bible contains complex, sometimes contradictory teachings. It permits slavery and polygamy while forbidding certain foods and fabrics. We already interpret selectively based on love and justice principles.

Clarity comes not from individual verses but from understanding scripture’s overarching message. Love, justice, and inclusion emerge as dominant themes throughout.

When I was a senior in college and about ready to graduate with my degree in theology, I had to write a final thesis paper. I didn’t know what to write on and I wanted it to be a topic that really mattered, so I wrote on Homosexuality and the Bible. I explored these clobber passages and I finally tried to set down on the idea that most forms of homosexuality in the Bible were pederastic relationships – in simple language that’s a relationship between an older male and a younger male sometimes involving sexual practices. I’ve never been in the ancient Mediterranean world and I have no idea if that is true. This whole subject is way more complicated than we could ever imagine. Since that thesis, I have developed the view that I present in this post that we are meant to include, not exclude, and what we often know as clear in the Bible really, really isn’t.

“Aren’t We Compromising Truth?”

Truth includes both propositional statements and relational realities. The truth that God loves all people unconditionally is as biblical as any specific rule or regulation.

Jesus himself prioritized relationships over regulations. He broke religious rules to demonstrate love and inclusion.

The Way Forward

A New Hermeneutic

Reading scripture through love’s lens doesn’t weaken biblical authority. It strengthens it by aligning our interpretation with God’s character as revealed throughout salvation history.

This approach asks different questions:

• Does this interpretation increase love or division?
• Does it promote justice or oppression?
• Does it welcome the marginalized or push them away?

Hope for Healing

Many people have been wounded by exclusive biblical interpretations. They’ve felt rejected by God and religious communities. An inclusive reading offers healing and restoration.

When we read scripture as God’s love letter to all humanity, it transforms both individuals and communities. The ancient words become fresh invitations to belonging and acceptance.

Religious communities that embrace this inclusive vision often discover renewed vitality. They become places of healing rather than harm, welcome rather than judgment.

The Bible’s message of radical love remains as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. By reading with fresh eyes, we discover that these ancient texts call us not to exclude but to embrace, not to judge but to love, not to divide but to unite all people in God’s boundless grace.