The Courage to Question: Why 'What Does the Bible Say?' Isn't Always the Right Question

"What does the Bible say, Susan?"

I can't count how many times I've heard this response when I challenge traditional interpretations of Scripture regarding gender, authority, and relationships. It's usually said with a tone that suggests the matter is settled—as if pointing to "what the Bible says" ends all discussion and puts me firmly in my place.

But here's what I've learned through years of study and personal experience: asking "What does the Bible say?" isn't always the right question. The better questions are: "What did the Bible mean when it was written?" and "How do our cultural assumptions shape what we think we're reading?"

The Interpretation Problem

The assumption behind "What does the Bible say?" is that Scripture interpretation is simple and straightforward—that any honest reader will arrive at the same conclusions. But if that were true, why do sincere, godly theologians disagree on so many biblical issues?

Take a simple example from my own experience. When people tell me I'm wrong about mutual submission because "the Bible clearly teaches male headship," I ask them a follow-up question: "Can the husband also be a nurturer in your model?"

Suddenly, the "clear" teaching becomes less clear. Some say yes, men can cross over into nurturing roles. Others say absolutely not—nurturing is the woman's domain. Still others fall somewhere in between.

If Scripture were as clear and simple as we pretend, we wouldn't have these disagreements among people who are all trying to faithfully follow God's Word.

The Cultural Lens Problem

What I've discovered is that we often read 21st-century assumptions back into ancient texts. When we see the word "head" in passages like 1 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)—"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God"—we automatically think "boss" or "person in charge."

But that's not what the Greek word kephalē meant in Paul's time. As I explain in BLIND SPOT, this word appears 67 times in the New Testament, and most of the time it's simply referring to the physical head of a body. When used metaphorically, it consistently emphasizes unity between head and body—not authority of head over body.

The whole point of the head-body metaphor in Greek literature was about unity and life-flow, not power and control. But because we live in a culture obsessed with chains of command and hierarchical authority, we've imposed our power-based understanding onto Paul's words about unity and alignment.

The "God Hates Divorce" Example

Consider another example that illustrates this problem: "God hates divorce." People quote Malachi 2:16 as if it settles every question about divorce and remarriage. But what does that verse actually mean in context?

If we look at the broader passage, Malachi is addressing men who were divorcing their wives to marry younger pagan women—abandoning their covenant responsibilities and leaving their wives destitute in a culture where divorced women had few options for survival. God's hatred wasn't directed at people escaping abusive marriages; it was directed at men who were casually discarding their covenant responsibilities.

Context matters. Culture matters. Understanding what the text meant to its original audience matters.

The Slavery Parallel

Here's what opened my eyes to this interpretive problem: I noticed that Paul consistently places instructions about wives submitting alongside instructions about slaves submitting—often in the same breath. Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Colossians 3:18-4:1, and 1 Peter 2:18-3:7 all follow this pattern.

If Paul was endorsing male authority over women as a timeless principle, was he also endorsing slavery as a timeless institution? Most Christians today would say no—we understand that Paul was working within the cultural realities of his time while planting seeds that would eventually undermine the entire slave system.

But if we can see this redemptive trajectory regarding slavery, why can't we see it regarding the subjugation of women? Why do we insist that Paul's accommodation to patriarchal culture represents God's ideal design for all time?

The Fear Behind the Question

I've come to understand that when people respond to challenging ideas with "What does the Bible say?" they're often not really asking for biblical exegesis. They're expressing fear.

They're afraid that questioning traditional interpretations means abandoning Scripture altogether. They're afraid that if they're wrong about this, what else might they be wrong about? They're afraid of the implications for their marriages, their churches, their entire worldview.

I understand this fear because I've lived it. When you've built your life around certain interpretations of Scripture, questioning those interpretations can feel like questioning God Himself.

The Courage to Wrestle

But faithful Bible study has always required wrestling with difficult questions. Jacob wrestled with God and was blessed for it. The Bereans were commended for examining the Scriptures carefully rather than simply accepting what they were told.

Asking hard questions doesn't demonstrate lack of faith—it demonstrates the kind of faith that wants to understand God's heart more clearly.

When I began studying the cultural context of Paul's letters, learning about Greek word meanings, and examining how these passages had been interpreted throughout church history, I wasn't trying to escape biblical authority. I was trying to understand what the Bible actually teaches versus what tradition has imposed upon it.

What Faithful Interpretation Requires

Faithful interpretation requires several things that simple proof-texting cannot provide:

Historical Context: Understanding what was happening in the original audience's culture and circumstances.

Literary Context: Reading passages within their broader literary framework rather than pulling verses in isolation.

Linguistic Analysis: Understanding what words meant in their original language rather than assuming modern English definitions.

Canonical Consistency: Making sure our interpretations align with the overall message of Scripture rather than contradicting it.

Christological Focus: Asking whether our interpretations reflect the character and kingdom that Jesus demonstrated.

The Liberation of Truth

What I've discovered through this deeper study is liberating rather than threatening. When I understand that Paul wasn't endorsing permanent hierarchies but was showing believers how to operate within broken systems while transforming them from within, suddenly his teachings make sense.

When I realize that "submit to one another" (Ephesians 5:21, ESV) isn't just an introduction to marriage teaching but the foundation for everything that follows, I see a vision of relationships more beautiful than anything traditional hierarchy could offer.

When I grasp that Jesus consistently elevated women's dignity against cultural norms, I understand that God's Kingdom truly does liberate rather than subjugate.

An Invitation to Study

So when someone asks me "What does the Bible say?" I invite them to dig deeper. Don't just ask what it says—ask what it means. Don't just read your cultural assumptions into ancient texts—learn what those texts meant to their original audiences.

Study the original languages. Understand the historical context. Pay attention to literary structure. Notice the trajectory of Scripture from accommodation to transformation.

Most importantly, ask whether your interpretation produces the fruit of Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV). Does your understanding of Scripture create flourishing relationships or does it enable harm?

The God who promises to guide us into all truth (John 16:13, ESV) is faithful. If we approach Scripture with humble hearts and careful study, He will reveal His design for relationships characterized by mutual honor, mutual submission, and mutual love.

The courage to question isn't rebellion against God's Word—it's faithfulness to what God's Word actually teaches when we take the time to understand it properly.

Blessings,
Susan 😊