How Theology Turns Into Violence Biblically

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Series: You Cannot Love Jesus and Slander Catholics and Jews!
Episode 2: How Does Theology Turn Into Violence?
Mary, Jews, Catholics, and the Sin Underneath It

Theology turns into violence the moment truth is separated from covenant ethics and love of neighbor.

Let me ask you something that might sting, but it might also heal you.

How does theology turn into violence, biblically?  Not just violence with fists, but violence with words that make harm feel righteous.

Because here is what Mary, the Jewish people, and Catholics have in common in today’s Christian climate. They are often wounded by Christians who believe certainty is permission to harm.  And if we want to be followers of King Jesus, we have to let the Bible tell the truth about our mouths.

Have you ever assumed harm only counts if it was intentional? Tell me honestly in the comments.

What I Mean When I Say Theology Turns Into Violence

I do not mean that disagreement is violence.
Honest doctrinal debate is not violence.
Careful argument, handled with integrity, is not violence.

What I mean is this.
Theology turns into violence when it becomes a moral permission slip.
A permission slip to caricature.
A permission slip to accuse without proof.
A permission slip to treat image bearers like enemies instead of neighbors.

Once you justify harm, you normalize harm.
Once you normalize harm, you excuse harm.
That is the pipeline.

The Bible Connects Words and Blood
If you want one passage that exposes the modern Christian problem, start here.

Leviticus 19:16 to 18, Side by Side
LEB

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor; I am Yahweh.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely reprove your fellow citizen, and you shall not bear sin on account of him.
You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the children of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

CJSB
Do not go around spreading slander among your people, but also don’t stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake; I am ADONAI.
Don’t hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won’t carry sin because of him.
Don’t take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am ADONAI.

Leviticus is covenant instruction delivered through Moses to Israel.
The audience is a redeemed people being formed into a holy community in an Ancient Near Eastern world where rumor, vengeance, and scapegoating were normal social tools.
God is building a different kind of people.

Notice what God does in the text.
He places slander next to blood.
He ties speech to neighbor safety.
Then He seals it with covenant authority.
I am Yahweh.
I am ADONAI.

That means your mouth is not private property.
If you belong to the covenant God, your speech belongs to Him.

False Witness Is Not a Minor Sin

Here is the commandment that gets quoted, but ignored, especially online.

Exodus 20:16, Side by Side
LEB - Lexham English Bible Link
You shall not testify against your neighbor as a witness of deceit.

CJSB - Complete Jewish Study Bible Link
Do not give false evidence against your neighbor.

Narrative Context, Author, Audience, ANE Backdrop

Moses is speaking to Israel at Sinai.
In the Ancient Near East, testimony could destroy inheritance, legal standing, honor, and even life.
That is why God forbids false witness.
A community that tolerates false evidence becomes a community where the weak get crushed.

Now bring it forward.
Screenshots can be false witness.
Clipped audio can be false witness.
Lazy summaries can be false witness.
“Everybody knows” can be false witness.

Here is the hard line.
False witness is not only when you lie knowingly.
False witness is also when you do not care enough to verify, and you spread something anyway.

Negligence becomes sin when it harms your neighbor.

King Jesus Puts Words Under Judgment

This is where people want to pivot away.
But you cannot follow Yeshua and pretend speech is spiritually neutral.

Matthew 12:36 to 37, Side by Side
LEB
But I say to you that every useless word that people will speak, they will give an account for it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

CJSB
I tell you that on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken; for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned.

Narrative Context, Author, Audience, Second Temple Backdrop

Matthew presents Yeshua as Israel’s Messiah and rightful King.
Yeshua is speaking in a Second Temple Jewish world where speech and testimony shape communal reality.
Words ruin reputations.
Words fracture families.
Words can trigger courts.
So He warns that even careless words come under judgment.

Here is the diagnostic question.
Do not only ask, “Is my theology correct?”
Ask, “What is my theology doing to my mouth?”

Why Mary, Jews, and Catholics Expose the Same Sin

Mary, the Jewish people, and Catholics are not the same. Their theology and histories are different. But they often reveal the same root sin in Christian spaces.

Pride.
Fear.
Insecurity.
Tribal victory.
Contempt dressed as courage.

Mary Tests Whether We Honor Biblical Obedience

Luke does not present Mary as a trap.
He presents her as a faithful young Jewish woman whose yes is costly.

Luke 1:38, Side by Side
LEB
And Mary said, Behold, the female servant of the Lord. Let it happen to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.

CJSB
I am the servant of ADONAI, said Miryam; may it happen to me as you have said. Then the angel left her.

You can reject doctrines that go beyond the Bible.
You can....
But you cannot erase Mary’s biblical dignity.
Mocking what the Bible honors is not discernment.
It is insecurity.

The Jewish People Test Whether We Hear Paul or Our Tribe

Romans 11 is a warning against arrogance.
Not a suggestion.
A warning.

Romans 11:17 to 22, Side by Side 
LEB
Do not boast over the branches. Do not be arrogant, but fear.

CJSB
Don’t boast as if you were better than the branches. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified.

Paul is speaking to a mixed community in Rome.
He is warning Gentile believers against boasting over Jewish people.
So if your Christian identity has room for contempt toward Jews, your identity is malformed.

Catholics Test Whether We Love Truth or Love Tribal Victory

You can critique Catholic doctrine.
You can debate the papacy, sacraments, and justification.
But you cannot bear false witness while doing it.
If you have never read primary sources, you are not ready to accuse.
That is not boldness.
That is negligence.

A Simple Covenant Model You Can Use This Week

Here is a practical model for the digital age.
1. Verify.
2. Steel man.
3. Speak.
4. Repair.

Verify means you do not share what you cannot prove.
Steel man means you represent the other view accurately in its strongest form, not meme form.
Speak means you tell the truth with clean tone, without mockery, without contempt, without pleasure in harm.
Repair means if you got it wrong publicly, you correct it publicly.

Where have you seen confidence replace compassion in Christian spaces? Name one example in the comments.

The Challenge and the Choice

Here is the challenge.
Examine not only what you believe, but what your beliefs produce.

This week, before you share anything about Mary, Jews, or Catholics, stop and ask.
Is it true?
Can I prove it?
Is it fair?
Does it produce love of truth, or love of contempt?

Here is the choice.
You can keep your certainty and stay unchanged.
Or you can keep your King and be transformed.

Join the LIVE Chat!
Episode 2 airs LIVE Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 6:30 PM EST, with live chat.

This episode is brought to you by my book, True Word, Faith for LIFE! You can find it in the BUY my Book HERE!

Dr. Shawn M. Greener, MTh., D.I.S., DPTh., is a Follower of the Way and the host of True Word, Faith for LIFE! He teaches the Bible in its Hebraic worldview through Ancient Near Eastern language, culture, and context, calling believers to covenant faithfulness to King Jesus.

STUDY GUIDE 
Study Guide Title:

How Theology Turns Into Violence, Biblically
Series: You Cannot Love Jesus and Slander Catholics and Jews!

Episode 2: How Does Theology Turn Into Violence?
Subtitle: Mary, Jews, Catholics, and the Sin Underneath It

Purpose
This guide equips followers of the Way to evaluate Christian speech and theological claims using covenant ethics. Scripture treats slander and false witness as threats to neighbor safety and communal trust. When theology detaches from humility and love of neighbor, it becomes a weapon that produces real casualties.

Core Truth: When theology disconnects from humility and love of neighbor, it becomes a weapon and produces real harm.
Image: A scalpel designed to heal, swung like a club.
Application: Submit beliefs, tone, and claims to covenant ethics, primary sources, and truthful speech.
Invitation: Repent of contempt, refuse false witness, and let King Jesus cleanse the mouth.

Summary
Scripture frames violence as more than bodily assault. In Torah, “violence” language can include injustice and harm that makes society unsafe. Torah places slander beside blood, indicating that speech can endanger life and destroy community integrity. Yeshua teaches that careless words come under judgment, linking speech to the heart’s condition. Paul commands believers to strip off falsehood because the body of Messiah cannot survive on misrepresentation. James warns that cursing image bearers is incompatible with blessing God. These texts form a covenant ethics standard for public speech about Mary, the Jewish people, and Catholics.

Primary Texts, Side by Side

Leviticus 19:16 to 18
LEB
You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor; I am Yahweh.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely reprove your fellow citizen, and you shall not bear sin on account of him.
You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the children of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.
CJSB
Do not go around spreading slander among your people, but also don’t stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake; I am ADONAI.
Don’t hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won’t carry sin because of him.
Don’t take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am ADONAI.

Exodus 20:16
LEB
You shall not testify against your neighbor as a witness of deceit.
CJSB
Do not give false evidence against your neighbor.

Matthew 12:36 to 37
LEB
But I say to you that every useless word that people will speak, they will give an account for it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
CJSB
I tell you that on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken; for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned.

Ephesians 4:25
LEB
Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
CJSB
Therefore, strip off falsehood and speak truth each one to his neighbor, because we are intimately related to each other as parts of a body.

James 3:8 to 10
LEB
But no human being is able to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made according to the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so!
CJSB
but no one can tame the tongue; it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison!
We use it to praise ADONAI, our Father; and we use it to curse human beings, who have been made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, it shouldn’t be like this!

Luke 1:38
LEB
And Mary said, Behold, the female servant of the Lord. Let it happen to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.
CJSB
I am the servant of ADONAI, said Miryam; may it happen to me as you have said. Then the angel left her.

Romans 11:17 to 22 (Selected emphasis)
LEB
Do not boast over the branches. Do not be arrogant, but fear.
CJSB
Don’t boast as if you were better than the branches. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified.

Historical and Cultural Context, Author and Audience

1. Leviticus 19: Speech as covenant holiness
   Moses delivers covenant instruction to Israel as a redeemed people being formed into holiness in an Ancient Near Eastern context where social stability relied on honor systems, kin solidarity, and legal testimony. Slander and false accusation were not harmless. They could trigger retaliation, legal loss, and community fracture. The text pairs slander with blood, suggesting that speech can contribute to danger and societal breakdown. Love of neighbor is not sentimental. It is covenant obligation rooted in God’s identity as the covenant Lord.¹
2. Exodus 20:16: False witness as social destruction
   The Decalogue addresses a community that must be built on trust. In ancient legal settings, testimony could determine property rights, inheritance, and life outcomes. Torah prohibits deceitful testimony because it weaponizes social power against the vulnerable. Modern equivalents include sharing unverified claims, clipped audio, and insinuations presented as certainty. The covenant logic remains. If you cannot prove it, do not spread it.²
3. Matthew 12: Speech and judgment in Yeshua’s teaching
   Yeshua speaks in a Second Temple Jewish world where words create communal reality. Careless speech can destroy honor, trigger conflict, or destabilize families. Yeshua’s warning is not mere etiquette. It is moral accountability. Speech reveals the heart’s governance and comes under judgment.³
4. Ephesians 4:25: Truth as the ethic of the new humanity
   Paul commands believers to strip off falsehood because the body of Messiah cannot survive on misrepresentation. Truth telling is not simply accuracy. It is loyalty to the communal life of the body. Falsehood tears the body. Truth preserves unity in holiness.⁴
5. James 3: The tongue as allegiance indicator
   James addresses Jewish believers dispersed among the nations, confronting the contradiction of praising God while cursing image bearers. James calls the tongue deadly poison because it reveals divided allegiance. Covenant life cannot coexist with contempt driven speech.⁵

Key Terms, Lexical Notes
Chamas, Hebrew, violence, wrong, injustice
The Hebrew term often translated “violence” can include unjust harm and societal corruption, not only bodily assault. This supports the biblical framing that harm can be inflicted through power, speech, and communal permission, not merely fists.⁶
False witness, Hebrew legal and covenant category
Exodus 20:16 addresses covenant community survival. False witness is not merely lying. It is community sabotage that endangers neighbor welfare.⁷
Careless word, Greek moral category in Matthew 12
Yeshua warns against speech that is ungoverned, irresponsible, or destructive. The term emphasizes moral accountability for the social consequences of words.⁸

The Triad as Diagnostic Lens
Mary
Mary exposes whether we honor biblical obedience without turning her into a tribal battlefield. Luke frames her as courageous, covenant faithful submission under real social risk. Minimizing or mocking her often reveals discomfort with embodied obedience and humility rather than fidelity to the biblical portrait.⁹
The Jewish people
Romans 11 exposes whether Gentile believers practice gratitude and fear, or whether they boast. Paul’s warning directly confronts arrogance toward Jews as spiritual danger for the Gentile believer. This frames Christian contempt toward Jews as covenant failure, not doctrinal preference.¹⁰
Catholics
Catholic critique must be governed by truth telling and primary sources. One cannot claim to “discern” what Catholicism teaches without consulting official sources. This guide does not require agreement with Catholic doctrine. It requires obedience to the ninth commandment, accurate representation, and refusal of contempt. Including a primary Catholic reference here is intentional, because it models what it means to critique using official claims rather than rumor.¹¹  Vatican Archives Link

Discussion Questions

1. In Leviticus 19:16 to 18, why does Torah place slander next to blood?
2. What is the difference between truthful rebuke and contempt driven accusation?
3. What modern habits most commonly produce false witness in Christian spaces?
4. How does Yeshua’s warning about careless words change the way you post, share, and comment?
5. In Romans 11, what does Paul mean by “fear” or “be terrified,” and how should that shape Christian speech about Jews?
6. If you disagree with Catholic doctrine, what would a steel man representation look like showing the strongest, most accurate version before critique?

Practical Application, Covenant Ethics for Digital Speech
The Four Step Discipline

1. Verify: Do not share what you cannot prove.
2. Steel man: Represent the other view accurately in its strongest form.
3. Speak: Tell the truth with a clean tone. No mockery. No contempt. No pleasure in harm.
4. Repair: If you got it wrong publicly, correct it publicly.

A Weekly Practice
Before you speak about Mary, Jews, or Catholics, ask:
1. Is it true?
2. Can I prove it?
3. Is it fair?
4. Does it produce love of truth, or love of contempt?

What is one way you will clean up your speech this week, starting today?

Truth that produces contempt is not truth fully obeyed.
Covenant ethics is not softness.
It is holiness.
It is love of neighbor under the Lordship of King Jesus.

Shalom b’Shem Yeshua
© 2026 Dr. Shawn M. Greener. All Rights Reserved.
True Word, Faith for LIFE!

Footnotes, Turabian Style, Annotated

1. Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus 17 to 22: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Yale Bible 3A (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000), 1600 to 1625. Annotation: Standard scholarly treatment of the Holiness Code, helpful for speech ethics and community formation in Leviticus 19.
2. John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006), 297 to 320. Annotation: Provides conceptual and legal background for why testimony and social truth claims were high stakes in ANE communities.
3. Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 356 to 362. Annotation: Connects Matthew’s discourse context with honor, speech, and accountability, supporting the claim that words create social realities.
4. Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians, Word Biblical Commentary 42 (Dallas: Word Books, 1990), 279 to 285. Annotation: Strong technical discussion of Ephesians 4 ethics, especially truth telling as the moral fabric of the body of Messiah.
5. Scot McKnight, The Letter of James, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011), 263 to 280. Annotation: Careful exegetical explanation of James 3, including the tongue as a moral and communal threat.
6. Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, and Johann Jakob Stamm, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, s.v. “חָמָס” (Leiden: Brill, 1994 to 2000). Annotation: Lexical basis for chamas as violence and wrong, broader than physical assault, supporting the biblical claim that harm includes injustice and oppression.
7. Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 517 to 521. Annotation: Explains covenant law as community formation and clarifies why false witness destabilizes justice and neighbor safety.
8. R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 487 to 490. Annotation: Provides additional scholarly support on Matthew 12, emphasizing moral accountability for speech and its heart revealing function.
9. Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1 to 9:50, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 139 to 146. Annotation: Strong historical and narrative analysis of Luke 1, including Mary’s social vulnerability and covenantal courage.
10. N. T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013), 1450 to 1465. Annotation: Supports the reading of Romans 11 as a warning against Gentile boasting and as a posture shaping text for the mixed community.
11. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997). Annotation: Primary source for official Catholic doctrine. Included to model accurate representation and primary sourcing before critique, consistent with covenant truth ethics.

Bibliography
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 1:1 to 9:50. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994.
Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.
France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.
Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009.
Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, and Johann Jakob Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: Brill, 1994 to 2000.
Lincoln, Andrew T. Ephesians. Word Biblical Commentary 42. Dallas: Word Books, 1990.
McKnight, Scot. The Letter of James. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011.
Milgrom, Jacob. Leviticus 17 to 22: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Yale Bible 3A. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000.
Walton, John H. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006.
Waltke, Bruce K. An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.
Wright, N. T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013.