A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar Reframing the Bible with Zach Lambert
Ready to transform your relationship with the Bible? Zach Lambert, pastor of Restore Church in Austin and author of Better Ways to Read the Bible, offers a healing pathway for those wounded by scripture in this candid conversation.
Growing up in a Southern Baptist megachurch during the "fundamentalist takeover," Lambert experienced firsthand how the Bible can be weaponized. Disagreeing with the pastor's interpretation is often treated as disagreeing with God. This authoritarian approach created spiritual trauma that eventually led Zach to seek healthier ways of engaging with scripture.
Zach challenges the notion that there's one "plain reading" of the Bible, noting that everyone interprets scripture through various lenses. Some lenses—like literalism, apocalypse, moralism, and hierarchy—often produce harm, while others—focused on Jesus, context, flourishing, and fruitfulness—lead to healing. The key differentiator is the fruit they produce. "We should be asking with any given biblical interpretation: is it producing more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness in me and in the world around me?"
The conversation tackles difficult topics like biblical violence, biblical inerrancy (see our episode on this topic here), the subjugation of women, and LGBTQ+ inclusion, offering fresh perspectives without abandoning the text. Zach suggests we view scripture as John the Baptist pointing to Jesus rather than an end in itself: "Jesus didn't say 'here is the truth, believe it.' He said 'I am the truth, follow me.'" This shift from a text-centered to a person-centered faith can transform our approach to scripture.
Whether you're deconstructing harmful theology, seeking to reintegrate the Bible into your spiritual life, or simply curious about healthier interpretive frameworks, this episode provides thoughtful guidance for transforming scripture from a weapon of harm into a tool of healing.
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