People trying to make a case against Christian faith often quote Bible texts that say things that are repulsive to modern ears. However, we should not quote the Bible indiscriminately. A barrister, hoping to make an impression on a jury, once quoted the Bible and said: ‘We have it on the highest authority that it has been said: “All that a man has will he give for his skin.” But the other barrister, who knew the Bible better, said: ‘I am much impressed that my learned colleague regards as the highest authority the one who said, “All that a man has will he give for his skin.” Those words come from the Book of Job, and were spoken by the devil. And that is whom he regards as the highest authority!’
It reminds me that one of the first things I learned as a theological student was that ‘a text without a context is a pretext.’