n The Bible Doesn't Say That, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman walks the reader through dozen
s of instances of mistranslations, misconceptions, and other misunderstandings a
bout the Bible. In 40 short chapters, Hoffman covers fundamental theology, moral
ity, lifestyle, and biblical imagery: The famous New Testament quotation "God so
loved the world" is a mistranslation, as are the titles "Son of Man" and "Son o
f God." The Bible doesn't call homosexuality a sin, and it doesn't advocate for
the one-man-one-woman model of the family that has been dubbed "biblical." Jesus
had siblings, in spite of the Catholic rhetoric about the "ever-Virgin Mary." T
he Ten Commandments don't prohibit killing or coveting. Even many of the Bible's
details end up distorted: the fruit in the Garden of Eden wasn't an apple, it w
asn't a whale that swallowed Jonah, and many animals marched onto Noah's ark in
groups of seven, not pairs.
