The recent conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is not a recent development. According to The Washington Post (May 16, 2021, A23), there have been multiple attacks/wars/clashes/uprisings/intifadas and other strife since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and even before. The Post chronology identifies previous periods of violence in 2018, 2014, 2012, 2008, 2000, 1987, 1973, 1967, 1956, and 1948. In fact, the conflict goes back to biblical times. Many writers of the Old Testament contended that God gave the land of Palestine to Israel, so that when “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho,” it was with God’s blessing.

Many evangelical Christians support the state of Israel on the basis on their biblical interpretation. This illustrates the danger of an uncritical reading of scripture, failing to distinguish cultural conditions from God’s eternal purposes. God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis included the promise of a place to live for Abraham and his descendants. But what about the people who were already living in Palestine, and their descendants? Is it possible for people groups to live together in justice and peace?

“Spelunking scripture” contends that not all passages of the Bible are of equal value. For Christians, the teachings of Jesus are of more importance than many passages in the Old Testament. Yet, Jesus quoted from the Old Testament when he said we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus considered some passages of scripture more important than others.

What would happen if the leaders of the state of Israel would follow Leviticus 19:18 with regard to their Palestinian neighbors? Of course, the conflict is not one-sided. Palestinians also have a role to play in promoting peaceful co-existence. Rocket fire from either side is not helpful. There was another article in The Washington Post about “Antisemitic attacks on rise in U.S. cities” (May 24, 2021, A7). What is needed is respect for all people who are created in the image of God. Too often the Bible has been used to exacerbate racial and ethnic differences, rather than reconcile them. To be sure, there was plenty of antipathy between races and people groups in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament. Those antipathies were reflections of the cultures of the time, not God’s eternal purposes. Paul recognized that when he wrote, in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek” (Galatians 3:28). That Galatians passage is the subject of Chapter 8 in Spelunking Scripture: The Letters of Paul.

The claim that the land of Palestine BELONGS to Israel is based on an interpretation of the Bible that takes some passages literally and ignores others. Equating the modern-day nation of Israel with God’s promise to Abraham obfuscates the New Testament testimony that Jesus came for all people. “For God so loved the WORLD,” (including the Jews, but not just the Jews). It really does matter how we interpret scripture. Identifying the most important passages and then exploring those passages to discover their meaning for our time is what “spelunking scripture” is all about.