how to read troubling biblical passages

quote from The Reason for God
by Tim Keller,
founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City

a recommendation for how to approach sections of the Bible that seem confusing:d

Many people run from any consideration of the Bible once they find such a biblical passage. I counsel them instead to slow down and try out several different perspectives on the issues that trouble them. That way they can continue to read, learn, and profit from the Bible even as they continue to wrestle with some of its concepts. One possibility I urge them to consider is that the passage that bothers them might not teach what it appears to them to be teaching. Many of the texts people find offensive can be cleared up with a decent commentary that puts the issue into historical context.