--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Sins of Scripture is an interesting…" description: "\"The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.\" — John Shelby Spong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png" --- # The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people… ![“The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png) > “The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.” [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The title juxtaposes moral failings with sacred texts, highlighting discomfort with confronting religious authority's imperfections. **In simple terms:** Challenges the sanctity of scripture by pairing it with sin. Key Takeaway Provokes critical reflection on religious texts. Themes Religion Critique Language Culture Psychology Mood Provocative Reflective Skeptical Type Observation Provocation When to use this quote - Theliminal, - Academic debate - Personal faith crisis - Media commentary Key Concepts Authority Moral ambiguity Narrative framing Practical Applications - Theological analysis - Public discourse Questions to Reflect On - Why do we resist acknowledging flaws in sacred narratives? - How does language shape our perception of religious authority? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Sins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sins/) ## Related quotes > [In my book, The Sins of Scripture, I traced the development of tribal religion, which included ideas like God's killing the Egyptians because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/in-my-book-the-sins-of-scripture-i-traced-the-development-of-tribal/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some parts of the Bible are dreadful. In fact, my working title for The Sins of Scripture was "The Terrible Text of The Bible."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-parts-of-the-bible-are-dreadful-in-fact-my-working-title-for-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [It's too early for there to be any coffee. I stare dully at the empty pot in the common room, while Sam picks up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/it-s-too-early-for-there-to-be-any-coffee-i-stare-dully-at-the-empty/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [because wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/because-wherever-i-sat-on-the-deck-of-a-ship-or-at-a-street-caf-in/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“Touch her, and I'll freeze your testicles off and put them in a jar. Understand?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/touch-her-and-i-ll-freeze-your-testicles-off-and-put-them-in-a-jar/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [If your calling is media, if your calling is media, fine, if your calling is sports, whatever it is, but you've gotta be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/if-your-calling-is-media-if-your-calling-is-media-fine-if-your/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) > [There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-is-no-night-life-in-spain-they-stay-up-late-but-they-get-up/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [It's like a jar of salad dressing sitting on a shelf... most of the seasoning settles to the bottom of the bottle. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/it-s-like-a-jar-of-salad-dressing-sitting-on-a-shelf-most-of-the/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Everyone knows I drink a lot of Diet Coke, so...I drink chocolate milk after races as my recovery drink, and you won't ever find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-armstrong/everyone-knows-i-drink-a-lot-of-diet-coke-so-i-drink-chocolate-milk/) [Kristin Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-armstrong/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [we cannot break a law of eternal justice, however ignorantly, but throughout the entire universe will there be a jar of discord that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-saunders-cushman/we-cannot-break-a-law-of-eternal-justice-however-ignorantly-but/) [Charlotte Saunders Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-saunders-cushman/) > [What you call disorder is nothing else than one of the laws of the order you comprehend not and which you have erroneously named…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/what-you-call-disorder-is-nothing-else-than-one-of-the-laws-of-the/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [How much more of the mosque, of prayer and fasting? Better go drunk and begging round the taverns. Khayyam, drink wine, for soon this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-khayy-m/how-much-more-of-the-mosque-of-prayer-and-fasting-better-go-drunk-and/) [Omar Khayyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-khayy-m/) > [If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [The Dutch look like a huge jar of marmalade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-davies/the-dutch-look-like-a-huge-jar-of-marmalade/) [Barry Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-davies/) ## More by John Shelby Spong > [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. It was and is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/when-a-human-life-is-open-to-all-that-humanity-can-be-humanity-and/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I don't see Jesus as rescuing the fallen; I see Jesus as expanding the potential of life. The primary reason the old idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-see-jesus-as-rescuing-the-fallen-i-see-jesus-as-expanding-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible interprets life from its particular perspective; it does not record in a factual way the human journey through history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-interprets-life-from-its-particular-perspective-it-does-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I want the traditional family upheld, but I don't want it upheld to the detriment of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but-i-don-t-want-it-upheld-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We are in a survival mentality, and that's hard-wired into our humanity, because we are the winners of an evolutionary struggle of millions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-are-in-a-survival-mentality-and-that-s-hard-wired-into-our/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. They're deviant only if you say that anyone who is different from me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/benedict-xvi-kept-saying-that-homosexuals-are-deviant-they-re-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I find it fascinating that Paul \[the apostol\], writing to the Galatians, responds to the question, "What does it mean to live in Christ?"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-find-it-fascinating-that-paul-the-apostol-writing-to-the-galatians/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > ["You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor's." Your neighbor is clearly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/you-shall-not-covet-your-neighbor-s-wife-nor-his-ox-nor-his-ass-nor/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Explore all 236 John Shelby Spong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-shelby-spong-1488_bible_the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting_26005.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same…” — John Shelby Spong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Shelby Spong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Sins of Scripture is an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```