The preserved ruins of the city of Pompeii are a treasure trove for those interested in learning more about the ancient Roman empire. And one British Christian leader is convinced that Pompeii provides important lessons for Christians particularly those who want to use the Bible to persecute queer people.

The Rev. Canon Steve Chalke is a prominent evangelical Christian from the United Kingdom. In a video created for the Oasis Open Church Network , an organization Chalke heads that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion, Chalke preaches about the importance of understanding the context in which the Bible was written.

500 years ago, Martin Luther and Calvin didnt have the tools that we now have to assist us in our contextual understanding of the writings of scriptures. Weve come miles because of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, miles because of archaeological discoveries around Pompeii, and weve had all sorts of other cultural and linguistic leaps forward, Chalke told HuffPost. Its our job to use them and I think in using them, we find these old understandings really dont work anymore.