One of my pet peeves with preaching and Bible teaching in church is the propensity to skip odd or difficult passages in the Bible. This happens for several reasons.
Sometimes the person tasked with presenting Scripture presumes that the only passages truly “relevant” for folks in the pew are those that have some transparent point of application to life. That’s usually the byproduct of poor Bible study, which in turn is often due to laziness. Passages that give us something to say after only a surface reading are good fodder for sermons.
At other times fear of getting the interpretation wrong encourages pastors or teachers to bypass a passage. Some passages appear to have no coherent explanation and application. I understand that one, but you shouldn’t believe it. The solution involves a combination of the right tools and tenacity. Diligence is the friend, not the enemy, of the Bible student. It may take weeks, months, or longer to feel like you have a handle on a passage, but that shouldn’t matter.
Still another reason is fear of discovery. For some Bible students, digging too deep into a passage might result in surrendering a belief they cherish. In my experience, this is more common than one would suppose. Fear of discovering something they believe may not be true prompts them to study something else.
Lastly, I’ve met all too many Bible students who don’t want to think about certain passages because they are “too weird.” Surprisingly, this fear-based response often concerns ideas the Bible affirms that are uncomfortable in a modern world. If the passage turns out to mean what it seems to say, it wouldn’t be rational. This fear is very inconsistent, especially since some of the things Christians believe are far from what someone who dismisses the supernatural would consider rational.
I’m not suggesting that we can always be certain we’re interpreting strange or obtuse passages correctly. None of us is omniscient. Rather, my contention is that every passage in Scripture merits our attention. In many instances, the strange and difficult passages are part of a greater idea that is theologically significant. We just don’t see it because we don’t share the writer’s ancient worldview. In my experience, if it’s weird, it’s important—there is a purpose for every passage in the Bible. It’s our job to discover what it is.