Called to Communion Mass Murder in the OT?
Nov 12, 2025
The discussion dives into the fairness of God in the Old Testament, exploring different interpretive approaches. Allegorical readings offer moral insights on troubling narratives, while Christ's reinterpretation of Mosaic law highlights deeper principles. Listeners learn about the efficacy of prayers and the intertwining of intellectual understanding with emotional devotion. The podcast also addresses the complexities of saints praying for souls in purgatory and the nature of distracted prayers, emphasizing the importance of righteousness in prayer efficacy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Read Hard Passages Spiritually
- When Old Testament passages clash with Christian morality, the literal sense may be wrong and a spiritual sense is required.
- St. Gregory of Nyssa and Origen treated troubling narratives as allegories to preserve God's goodness.
Gregory's Life Of Moses Example
- St. Gregory of Nyssa reinterpreted the death of the Egyptian firstborn as an allegory about rooting out vice.
- He dismissed a literal reading when it seemed unworthy of God's character.
Jesus Reframes Mosaic Law
- Jesus reinterprets Old Covenant provisions (e.g., divorce) by appealing to original intent and higher moral principles.
- The New Testament can set a hermeneutic that reshapes literal Old Testament application.
