Why taking verses out of context is one of the most dangerous things we can do
By Josh Loveless
Image Source: tonyandtawni.com
Though in the Bible in its original form is inerrant,
our interpretation of it is not. Being in a position of trying to understand
God’s Word is an intense place to stand. How we think about the Bible affects
how we think about it applying to our lives.
Though all of us carry the responsibility differently,
the weight of seeking to translate the message and the meaning of the story of
God requires a sober assessment of what we’re actually reading. And especially
how we apply it to our lives.
The truth is, I could find a section of Scripture and
use it out of context to imply just about anything I wanted. I can make the
Bible seem to support modern polygamy, slavery, hatred and homophobia,
violence against women and even crusades against people of other faiths. This
is not a hypothetical conversation. The Bible has become a tool for many to
push selfish agenda that don’t represent the heart of God.
But not all of us are using Scripture to start a war.
Some of us have just gotten lazy with doing the work required to interpret and
apply Scripture. Whether you’ve had formal training on scriptural interpretations
or not, we are all susceptible to misrepresenting a passage of the Bible.
The ultimate hope is that we would filter the
individual commandments, verses and stories in the context of the Grand
Narrative. It would help us to look at Scriptures like a puzzle to be put
together.
Here are a few commonly misinterpreted verses that
need a closer look:
In Matthew 18:20, Jesus says, “For where two or
three come together in My Name, there am I with them” (TNIV).
I hear
people use this regularly to back up the need for multiple people to come
together and pray. It’s also used during prayers when we let God know we have
the right number of people for Him to be among us. The real context has nothing
to do with how many people need to be around for God to show up. A simple
reading of the previous verses reveals this verse is specifically in reference
to handling relational conflict.
In John 8:32, Jesus says, “Then you will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Most people believe this verse is referencing truth –
as in not telling a lie. But the appropriate understanding of this passage is
that Jesus is the Truth, and to believe in Him will set you free from the
sin He mentions later in the chapter. Though I believe Jesus is all for
honesty, this verse has nothing to do with not telling a lie.
Philippians 3:13 says, “…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining
toward what is ahead.”
This is commonly used to tell people to forget the
negative experiences they’ve had and move on toward the future. Though Paul had
plenty to be ashamed of in his past, he wasn’t speaking of that here, but was referring
to his past achievements which he didn’t want to rest on.
Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with Me.”
This is a very personal verse for many people and can
be found on countless tracks but the context of the verse shows Jesus’
message of knocking is written to a collective church in need of renewal. Jesus
coming to eat with us in our individual lives may be a beautiful image but
that’s not the message this verse intends to communicate.
It’s not uncommon for worship leaders to quote Jesus’
statement in John 12:32: “And I, when I am lifted up from earth, will
draw all people to Myself.”
So the message for the worship leader is this: If we
“lift up” Jesus and ascribe glory to Him, the power of Christ is released to
transform the hearts of those listening and they are drawn to Him; but that’s
not what Jesus is talking about.
If we continue on to verse 33, we’d see the actual context
of the verse.
“And I, if I be exalted before the people, will draw
all men to Myself. He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.”
(John 12:32-33).
We see now, being “lifted up” clearly means to be
crucified.
The Bible is a love story collected together as a
series of books, poems, histories and tragedies. Each of us has been guilty, at
some point, of misinterpreting it. But the power of Scripture lies in its
ability to communicate that love story to all of us, even if we mess it up from
time to time. And that love story has the power to change lives.
Josh Loveless is the senior
editor of Neue from which this article was taken. Source: www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/21844-misreading-the-bible
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