If something is commanded in the Bible, the command must surely be obeyed if we are to be true to the Bible. This is what many people think, especially when they hear representatives of churches today arguing about moral issues. In fact, the matter is not as simple as this, and at various periods of history, churches have had quite differing views on how biblical commandments should be understood, and on whether they can be applied to their situations, if at all. The book falls into two sections. The first sketches the history of the use of the Bible in social, moral and political questions...

At different times in history, churches have changed their understanding of how biblical commandments should be interpreted and applied. 'According to the Scriptures?' traces the history of the use of the Bible from New Testament invocations of the Old Testament to today. The book opens by outlining the history of how the Bible has been used to answer social, moral and political questions. It goes on to examine a range of case studies - sexual relationships, life issues, attitudes to authority, and the charging of interest - to assess how the Bible can illuminate contemporary concerns.