The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
February 10, 2008
In
This Issue:
Seven
Abused Scriptures
by
Steve Klein
Seven Abused Scriptures
Over the centuries, there have been few passages of Scripture that have completely escaped the abuse of men. Generally speaking, if it's in the Bible, someone somewhere has been able to misinterpret it, misunderstand it or purposely misuse it. The apostle Peter wrote that people who were "untaught and unstable" would "twist" the epistles of Paul "to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). Note that not only were the writings of Paul being twisted, but the rest of the Scriptures as well.
I'm certainly not the judge of which Scriptures have been the most universally abused. God knows. However, in my limited experience I've observed that some passages are wrongly handled more regularly than others. In this article, I would like to present seven such passages for your consideration.
But before we get to that, it might be good to consider the question, "What leads to the abuse of Scriptures?" Any number of poor motives or unsound methods of interpretation might be cited, but the following three errors are among the most commonly made:
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Failing to consider all God has to say. In every case, the most abused Scriptures listed below are abused by being isolated from other Scriptural truth. When we fail to consider all that God has to say on a matter, we're sure to get it wrong. The "entirety" of God's word is truth (Psalm 119:160). We must take the "whole counsel of God" if we are to "rightly divide the word of truth" (Acts 20:27; 2 Timothy 2:15).
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Failing to consider the context. Contextual considerations often determine the precise meaning of words and their application. When looking at any Bible passage, we should be aware of the following: What is the topic under discussion? Who is speaking? Who is being spoken to? When did the event occur? Under which covenant did the teaching or event occur?
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Failing to desire truth above all else. Those who don't really want the truth are not likely to find it. "Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding" (Proverbs 23:23).
With these things in mind, notice with me seven frequently abused passages:
1. Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Here is a command addressed to the Israelites under the Old Testament concerning what to do and not do on the seventh day of the week. It is often abused by trying to make it apply to what Christians living under the New Testament should do or not do on the first day of the week.
2. Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." Here is a Scripture that is misused to teach that men inherit Adam's sin. Notice that the passage itself says exactly the opposite. "Death spread to all men" not because they inherited Adam's sin, but "because all sinned." Ezekiel 18:20 says that, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son."
3. John 14:17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you". This passage is misused to teach that Christians all receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, the context shows that Jesus is speaking exclusively to His apostles, whom the Holy Spirit would cause to remember everything Christ had said (John 14:26) and guide into "all truth" (John 16:13).
4. 1 Corinthians 14:2 "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" (KJV). This passage is abused to justify the gibberish that passes for tongue speaking among some charismatic groups today. The problem Paul is addressing in the context of 1 Corinthians 14 is that some were speaking a REAL LANGUAGE that was simply unknown to the hearers, and therefore the church was not being edified. Paul commanded that those who possessed this Spirit-given ability were not to use it in the church unless someone could interpret (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
5. Luke 18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" The tax collector's prayer, or something like it, has been used as a model for the Sinner's Prayer which people are told to pray in order to become Christians and be saved. In the context, this prayer was prayed by a Jew before Christ died on the cross. He did not become a Christian when he prayed it. Those who instruct men to pray the sinner's prayer typically ignore the Scriptures that teach sinners to be baptized for the remission of sins (cf. Acts 2:38; 22:16).
6. Luke 23:42 (The thief on the cross) said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Many use this passage as a model for their salvation. They claim to want to be saved "like the thief on the cross." They fail to consider that the thief on the cross was pronounced saved before Jesus died and was raised. He was saved while the Old Testament was still in force. He was not a part of the church which Jesus died to purchase, for Jesus had not yet died and the church had yet to be established.
7. 1 Chronicles 13:8 "Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets." Here is a description of worship under the Old Testament that many use to justify similar practices in the New Testament church. If we can and should do what David did in worship, then we should burn incense and sacrifice animals too.
Someone has said that "You can prove anything by the Bible." And you can, if you have no respect for it as God's word, if you don't care to take all of it, if you fail to consider the context, and if you don't really love the truth.
-- Steve Klein