

Did God Command Genocide? | Tremper Longman on the Canaanite Conquest
57 snips Feb 12, 2025
Tremper Longman, a Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, joins the discussion to tackle the controversial question: Did God command genocide in the Old Testament? He navigates complex themes like divine judgment, the ethical dilemmas of warfare, and differing interpretations of scriptural texts. Longman addresses how these narratives relate to modern faith and morality, emphasizing the need for contextual understanding and thoughtful teaching on spiritual warfare as highlighted in Jesus' teachings.
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Interpreting Divine Warfare
- Two main schools of thought exist regarding the Canaanite conquest.
- One emphasizes discontinuity between testaments, prioritizing the New Testament's portrayal of God.
Discontinuity View
- Discontinuity proponents argue the violent Old Testament God isn't the true God.
- They believe the Israelites described God from their limited cultural perspective.
Boyd's Interpretation
- Tremper Longman III disagrees with Boyd's interpretation of the Canaanite conquest.
- Boyd suggests Joshua shouldn't have listened to Moses' command to annihilate.