A man wanted to know what God´s will was so he flipped open his Bible and pointed his finger down. It read, “So Judas …went away and hanged himself.” (Mt 27:5) He thought maybe he should try again so he came to the verse, “go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37). Still not satisfied he found the verse, “what you are about to do, do quickly” (John 13:27).
Now the above is a somewhat extreme but humorous example of determining what God has to say to you through his Bible. The sad fact is though, that this isn’t too far from the truth. Think about it for a moment. For anyone that’s read the Good Book, many would agree that one of the major difficulties is taking an ancient text which was written in languages we don’t speak, in countries we don’t reside, in societies and cultures completely foreign (pun intended) to us, and trying to figure out what it means… much less what it means for us in the here and now. Others however find it to be quite an easy process. Simply read a verse and superimpose a meaning (eisogesis) on it so that it applies to whatever your current situation is. This is often an extremely useful method to come up with the ever popular “life verse”. Let’s take a look at some common examples:
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. – Phil 4.13
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jer 29.11
Now who wouldn’t take comfort in the fact that Christ would empower you to win the Boston marathon without any training. Or to know that God has a very specific plan for you… one that involves a lot of money and no broken bones. The truth of the matter is that you unfortunately have to consider a minor thing called context when reading and interpreting Scripture.
Now what the heck is context? I’m glad I asked. A good definition of context could be summed up as follows: the parts always make sense in light of the whole and the whole always makes sense in light of the parts. Another way to think about it: words are parts of sentences which are parts of paragraphs which are parts of chapters which are parts of a book.
Context means everything, and without it…. actually, let me use the following to help make my point:
The publicists for the 2003 movie Dumb and Dumberer must have had a hard time finding a critic who liked it: Its Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer rating—an average of critics’ ratings—is 11% or “Rotten”. Metacritic‘s Metascore—a similar system for averaging critics’ ratings—is 17, which is described as suggesting “overwhelming dislike or disgust from critics”.
Nonetheless, they did manage to find one blurb for the newspaper ads:
“A slap-happy time at the movies!”
—Eleanor O’Sullivan, Gannett News ServiceHowever, taken in context, this is not as favorable as it sounds taken out of context:
“All in all, Dumb and Dumberer…is a slap-happy time at the movies, if you enter with bottom-feeder expectations.”
Here’s another great example from one of my personal favorite sitcoms of all time (which unfortunately left the air way too early).
Now let’s take a look at some popular Bible verses (including the “life verses” mentioned earlier), but this time in context.
Jer 29.11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (immediate context: written to the Judah exiles about their restoration upon repentance – 29.10-14 / broad context: the prophet Jeremiah is instructed by God to deliver the tough message to Judah of their judgment and eventual repentance)
Rev 3.20 – 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 him, and he with me. (immediate context: written to the lukewarm congregation in the church at Laodicia asking for them to answer the call to repentance – 3.14-22 / broad context: John writes Revelation during a time of persecution for Christians to encourage them to overcome and to inform his audience that the final showdown between God and Satan is imminent)
1 Thes 5.22 – Avoid every kind of evil. (immed. context: Paul is here writing to this congregation regarding examining prophecies or charismatic type speaking inside the church and avoiding them if they are found to not be of the Spirit – 5.19-22 / broad context: Paul wrote this letter to encourage recent converts of Christianity and to provide instruction for them.)
Mt 18.20 – For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (immed. context: dealing with process of disciplining another believer 18.15-20 / broad context: Matthew portrays Christ as Messiah in his gospel and arranges his book around 5 discourses (ch 18 being one of them))
Phil 4.13 – I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (immed context: Paul explaining how he was able to be content in any type of circumstance 4.10-13 / broad context: Paul writes to the Philippians to report of his circumstances, the encourage them to stand firm during persecution, and to rejoice regardless of circumstance)
Now I’m sure many of us are familiar with several if not all of the above verses. But how many of us are familiar with the actual context of these? I know, after taking the actual context into account, they don’t sound as sexy as many have made them out to be. But, it’s important to realize that the author (as inspired by the Holy Spirit) intended these and other verses to communicate a specific message to a specific audience. It should be our goal to determine what that message was for that audience, how they would have understood it (exegesis), and then and only then figure out how it applies to us in the here and now. Or, you could just go off and hang yourself.
So how ’bout you? What are some of your all time favorite “out of context” verses?
I think the mass use of out of context scripture comes from the longing desire that a lot of people have for the scriptures to have been written directly to them. It’s their unending need to have a personal relationship with God/Christ. The scriptures are all (well at least most) we have as a window into who Jesus was and how God relates to the world. For these “out of contexters,” they are trying to further their relationship by making the scriptures as personal as possible – who’s faith may be shattered by the fact that the scriptures were actually written for someone else, a long time ago. What they don not know or understand that by taking scripture out of context, they actually end up doing a disservice to scripture and are not able to learn the truth to how it can be relevant to us today. Radical things have been done from taking scripture out of context (genocide, segregation/apartheid, bombing of abortion clinics, judging of others). It also happens by those who long for power over others. In both cases, the word of God is completely lost. In the end, I am not sure that God so worried about having a “personal” relationship with Him (or Her, gasp!), but rather that we have personal relationship with each other. I am a firm believer that the only true way we can love God is by how we treat and love one another. If we continue to use scripture out of context to personalize God or to prove our point, this often pushes us way for one another and causes us to act very unloving towards our “neighbor.” When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, he said to love God and your neighbor – key word being the latter. That is who we are to focus our energy on. Hopefully I didn’t take scripture out of context…
Hi Ammon! I’m so glad that my first comment is following one of yours on one of Micah’s posts. It just feels right. I want to ask you a question that surfaced as I was reading your comment. Would you say that the bible is outdated for me, living in Durham, speaking English in the year 2010? Would you say you use as more of a reference manual? How is a story about restoring the broken relationship of God and man…throughout the OT and NT…mainly about how we treat each other?
Hi Leslie, I hope you are doing well… Let me try to answer each one of your questions as best as I can when I should actually be in bed
1. I would never say that the Bible is out date, that would imply that it is not relevant. It is a fact that it does have a date though, and to deny that fact would cheapen its value and lose it’s true meaning. The fact is, it was written a long time ago in a different world and a different time. That doesn’t mean we can’t learn from it and that it doesn’t have value for our lives.
2. It is much more than a reference manual. It’s more of a life manual. Understanding Jesus’ teachings helps me know better how to live my life and how I am supposed to relate to the world. I’m not going to sit here an lie though. I place Jesus’ teachings just as important as the resurrection. For me, if it were not for his teachings and his ministry, the resurrection means nothing.
3. The restoring of the broken relationship is only possible through our treatment and actions towards others. You can’t say you are restored with God and then go and call all Muslims terrorist and condemn them for actively taking part in that restoration.
That’s all I’ve got for this moment…. must go to bed.
I would highly recommend Scot McKnight’s “The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible”. Very much in line with BA’s thoughts on context. It talks about how we all filter and interpret Scripture through various lenses, regardless of whether we’re consciously aware of it or not. (And it’s an easy read… not overly academic.)
There is a right way and a wrong way to interpret scripture (2 Tim 2:15). And there are those who are called “Scripture Twisters” (2 Peter 3:16). The unfolding of His word gives light and gives understanding to the simple (Psalms 119:130). But the only way to be able to handle the Word correctly and receive it’s light and understanding is if one actually READS it. And that must be done more than just on Sundays.
Most Christians don’t read the word in it’s entirety and therefor don’t have the bigger “context” in which to correctly apply certain individual verses. Good post Balaam’s Ass. I would add to your list of “most taken out of context” verses Matt 7:1a – Thou shalt not judge… If people would actually read the REST of that passage they would find out that it is actually giving instructions on HOW to judge! Ironic…
Ammon, what do you mean when you say “The only way to restore our relationship with God is by the way we treat others?”
You also said: “You can’t say you are restored with God and then go and call all Muslims terrorist and condemn them for actively taking part in that restoration.”
Are you implying that if one has treated his neighbor with love then his relationship with God is restored? How would you describe the status of a devout Muslims relationship with God even though he treats his neighbor well and with love?
Also, if God’s main focus is on how we treat others to bring us back to him, then why didn’t he just tell Adam and Eve to be nice to each other if they wanted to restore their relationship to Him?
I don’t typically respond to anonymous posts, but I just couldn’t resist. Let me start by looking at the scripture you quoted in your first sentence. The passage is not about a right way and a wrong way to interpret scripture, but rather to stand up against false teachers which in this case are Hymenaeus and Philetus. Whether they were proof texting, misinterpreting scripture, or just making stuff up is unclear. These letters to Timothy and Titus were mostly dealing with the uprising of Gnosticism, not taking scripture out of context. And to answer your questions… just continue to read 2 Timothy. I think you will find that Paul (or we assume it to be Paul) is giving instructions on how to treat others. He used words like “love” and “peace.” My point is that the way you treat others is a direct reflection of our relationship with God. How can someone say that have a personal relationship with God and the treat others like poo?
Hmmm…so when it says “rightly dividing the word of truth” you don’t think Paul is referring to a “correct” way to use/interpret the scriptures? How do you take the word “rightly” then? The NIV translates it even better: …a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. If “correctly handles the word of truth” doesn’t mean exactly what it says, then we’re going to have to agree to disagree.
If you don’t like my use of 2 Tim, then how about 2 Peter 3:16: He (Paul)writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Maybe that one is clearer?
Gnostics were taking verses out of context to justify their beliefs, which is why Paul told Tim to “study” so he could use scripture correctly and defend the faith (against the Gnostics or false teachers)that was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3).
The only way one could “stand up against false teachers” (who handle the word incorrectly) is if one was familiar with the Word and how to handle it correctly.
If you are correct in saying 2 Tim 2:15 not a passage about a right way or a wrong way to interpret scripture, then I better go tell Dr. Geisler he’s been yanking that verse out of context for the past 36 years…
Smiley,
I typically don’t engage in debates with someone who doesn’t identify themselves. But I do like what you have to say, so I just want to make a couple of points. I don’t think that we are too far apart in that we both agree scripture should not be taken out of context. However, I will again state that the 2 Timothy reference misses the mark as a strong reference against proof texting. Again, this was a remark by the author in response to a specific situation dealing with Hymenaeus and Philetus who probably weren’t using scripture to support their beliefs that the resurrection had already happened. They more than likely came about this belief through their Greek philosophical background and the belief that the body and all material things are inherently evil and the idea of the body being resurrected was horrifying to them. This more than likely led them to the belief in a spiritual resurrection. The author stating “rightly dividing the word of truth” probably means that there is an over all truth (found in scripture) and Hymenaeus and Philetus are way off base – not even using scripture for their beliefs. The word in Greek (orthotomen) that is being translated as “divided” actually has a meaning of “guiding in a straight path.” So probably an even better translation could be “guide the word of truth along a straight path.” So the author is telling Timothy to encourage his listeners not be turned aside by worldly debates such as Hymenaeus and Philetus’. You also have to remember that what we know as scripture (OT and NT) were readily available to just anyone and in the case of the NT, it wasn’t completely written. I will agree that this scripture is about understanding the truth, but to say it is about proof texting is probably a stretch. Agree to disagree. However, if Dr. Geisler said it is so, then who am I to question him.
Okay, so here is one of my favorite scriptures taken out of context….
Hopefully I do not offend too many people, but it is the ubiquitous use of 1 Corinthians 13 in weddings. This letter was written to a church that was at odds with each other and not acting very loving. Paul would have probably been screaming at the top of his lungs at them. Love is the key, without it we are nothing and the only way to love is how we treat others (see a theme here?). So if the couple getting married don’t like each other all that much and have a hard time loving one another, well then this would be a good scripture for their wedding.
One other common out of context verse I hear is Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” Now I hesitate on this blog post to even comment on what this verse actually means. I do know that I have heard lots of Christians use this verse in a way that sounds like delighting in the Lord is a means to a greater end. We all know that delighting in God is the greatest end. I doubt the Bible is saying if you delight in God you can have whatever you want. What my untrained reading and studying tells me is that when we delight ourselves in God, He becomes our heart’s desire. We get more of Him.
When I read my bible I approach it this way: general read of chapter, passage. Prayer. Ask who is writing and to whom. Ask why the author is writing the book. What the context of the chapter is. How this verse fits into that setting. How it applies to me in that context/setting. Prayer on how I can change, be encouraged, or whatever the purpose behind the passage is. Even though each book was written in a diff time to a diff people, I deeply believe that in the grand scheme of things we are not much different than the people and situations mentioned in the bible. We rebel against God and hurt each other in the same ways.
Eph 6:12 is another one I’ve heard taken out of context. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” I’ve heard people use this one as a way of blame shifting. Sometimes it’s not the schemes of the devil. Sometimes you have to live out the consequence of a bad choice. We don’t like to admit when we have sinned or made a bad choice so we say it’s Satan’s fault.
Ammon,
I could be wrong…believe it or not it’s happened before ;0)…
“The only way to restore our relationship with God is by the way we treat others?”
You said that you didn’t mean this how it sounded. (“My point is that the way you treat others is a direct reflection of our relationship with God. How can someone say that have a personal relationship with God and the treat others like poo?”) Given the context of all the posted responses, it does sound like you’re saying that we can be a Christian simply by loving others. You seem to be giving this the primary focus in your writings…and placing the gospel as secondary.
As to avoid taking the ENTIRE bible out of context, let’s keep first things first.
We are restored to a right relationship with God because Jesus obediently took the punishment that we (those chosen to believe) deserved because of our rebellion against God. The bible is primarily about who God is and secondarily about creation and people.
Leslie,
As you know, I’ve been around the church my whole life and I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff. I’ve seen far to many people proclaiming to be a Christian, yet they are quick to judge, condemn, and act very ugly towards others. All I am saying is that if as a Christian, you are not loving others and treating them as you would want to be treated, well, you may want to reevaluate your beliefs.
I feel like you are reading way too far into what I am saying and trying to find a flaw or something so that I am wrong. If I am wrong about this (how we treat others as a direct reflection of our relationship with God), well, then maybe I will change my faith and career path.
On another note, I read the Bible as primarily about God and God’s relationship with humanity.
1 John tells us that we can’t say we love God and then hate our brother. I can certainly see what you’re saying. We can’t give to someone else what we have not first received from God. I apologize for the way my type “sounded”. I was not intending to pass judgement or condemn what you were saying. It is a very good example as to how writing can be viewed in light of the reader’s filters. I will be more careful how I read and take it in light of what I already know about the writer’s character and experience.
I think theological discussions are ripe for misunderstandings and the taking of issues personally. As it should be very personal. No hurts?
Leslie,
oh gosh, definitely no hurts. I just felt that you weren’t completely understanding what I was saying. now we are on the same page