The other day, someone wrote to a discussion list and asked what a particular verse meant. The smart aleck in me almost won out; I was very tempted to write, “Nothing.” I guess that’s a little extreme, but a verse read completely out of its context means very little.
Some would point out that the New Testament writers often quoted verses out of context. That’s true, but it pays to remember that people at that time tended to know much more Scripture than we do today. Like the Jewish people today. Ray Vander Laan tells of attending a Jewish school where the professor would quote a verse, and the students were expected to quote the preceding and following verses. To a large degree, people would tend to hear verses in context.
I do recognize that at times passages were used out of context by the New Testament writers. Though this was their practice (and that of many Jewish teachers at that time), I don’t think we’re justified in doing the same.
I recently read an article at BibleStudyTools.com with the title: “Never Read A Bible Verse.” I like that title. In the article, the author encourages people to always read, at minimum, an entire paragraph, rather than a verse.
It hasn’t helped, of course, that many King James and American Standard Bibles (among others) print each verse as a separate paragraph. I can’t help but think that has encouraged people over the years to take verses by themselves, rather than in context.
Nor has the old style of preaching helped, where preachers would spout dozens of verses during the course of one sermon, almost none of them given with any context at all. I grew up thinking that Paul’s letters were like the book of Proverbs, isolated sayings with little to no connection between them. I was greatly surprised to discover they actually presented a flowing thread of arguments and reasoning.
If you missed them, commenters yesterday provided some excellent examples of out-of-context passages (I think Randall won the prize for most outrageous). Feel free to add to the list in the comments on this post.
The very arrangement of scripture that was intended to aid us in Bible study actually created a proof text [typically out of context] mentality. Good article, Tim.
What a fantastic article! That really makes me re-examine the way I preach. Thank for the admonishment brother!
First, let me admit that I have been guilty as charged through the years. But here are some I hear often (though Randall’s is hard to beat. oh my!)
1) “…there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus…” from Gal 3:28 used by egalitarians when the context has absolutely nothing to do with the issue they promote.
1b) A note in conjunction with that, people saying “oh that was just the culture of the time” when reading the latter part of Eph 5. But Gal 3:28, apparently, is this magical verse that is outside of culture (never mind it has nothing to do with what Eph 5 is addressing).
2) Matthew 7:1. “Judge not, that you be not judged.” In other words, “you can’t judge me!” Really? Because in verse 5 Jesus says that after one considers his own sins, then he can address the speck of his brother. In other words, we CAN judge, but it must be in humility after some self-consideration and repentance. [btw – D.A. Carson has recently said Matt 7:1 has topped John 3:16 as the favorite of the day. That may be true.]
3) Speaking of John 3:16. This has to do with “so” being misinterpreted as a quantitative word (“so much”) instead of what it is in the Greek, a simple adverb (like, “thus” or “in this way”). Also in the context of the entire chapter 3, the verse is dealing with belief=eternal life and unbelief=condemnation. In other words, John 3:16 is not as flowery a text as it is made out to be. Additionally, the verse has nothing to do with the capability of believing, it only says that those who believe have eternal life.
4) Rev 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” A few ways this verse is misconstrued: Usually it’s taken as a flowery image with Jesus patiently waiting outside knocking. But in context, this Jesus, as we are reminded at the beginning of every letter, is the Jesus from 1:12-16; the same Jesus that made John fall “at his feet as though dead” in fear (1:17). This picture is not Jesus knocking at your heart like a desperate love-sick lord.
5) Mal 3:10. “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse…put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts…” How many collection sermons have been based on this one?
6) 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4. In their context, there are specific people in mind with these verses.
7) And of course there is: “God helps those who help themselves” from 2 Opinions 2:4.
Grace be with you –
Jr
This is why I cannot recommend enough the book by Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, “The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story.” This easy-to-read book does an excellent job of getting the reader to see the story scripture is telling (including an understanding of the worldview held in scripture) which I think would help combat some of the most ridiculous proof-texting.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
I just wanted to add that I believe there are sometimes larger principles revealed in scripture that are not isolated or invaludated by context. Romans 8 cannot be said to apply only the church at Rome or only to churches where the equality of Jewish and Gentile believers is an issue.
So I would have to disagree with some commentors’ examples of out-of-context “misuse.”
But I’m on an iPhone and short of free time right now, so I’m not going to be more specific than that.
It is no doubt true that a passage of scripture directed to one group of people in one time and place may be fairly applied to another person/people in another time and place – for their encouragement, edification and to glorify God. Still, it may well be important to know/understand the original cultural setting and context of that passage of scripture in order to determine if it is a fair application of the scripture.
Hesed,
Randall
Absolutely, Randall. Well-said.
I always see these posts about two days later (time delay), so am jumping in late, but here goes.
I agree completely that we need to read and teach in context. I love the imagery of the thread and the knitted garment.
What I wonder is this: when we see the sermons in the Bible (Peter, Stephen, Paul – all in Acts) do we not see topical sermons using scripture from various areas? Is not the very point made – that Paul’s letters have a clear message and should not be broken down into single verses – show that he has a topic, a theme in his writing of that letter? And could not the same imagery be applied in this instance – using certain threads of scripture to knit a complete message?
I come from a different background, so am not as familiar with the “old” way of preaching with the many verses. And I learned that topical preaching was “wrong”. But I believe this, too, needs to be nuanced. If I am preaching about how Jesus is clearly shown to be the Messiah (as Paul did in the synagogues), then I will use scripture from various places to point this out. Point being, of course, that this scripture, too, should be presented in context.
Thanks for the thoughts! I really love the challenges and discussions.
In Him,
Scott
As Tim mentioned in the post that New Testament writers often used verses out of context for a purpose, and Scott speaks of us using verses for the same reason, I think we need to be aware two things.
1) There is obvious double-fulfillment of Scripture. Meaning, in God’s providence, Old Testament words were spoken/written so that they would mean something for those who heard them at that time, and, they also pointed to something greater. We are familiar with Paul writing concerning the mysteries now being revealed; and as it is written by Peter in 1 Peter 1:10-12, in part, “…the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit…”
And that is a perfect segue to my second point: We, in no way share, the same authority as the Apostles (i.e. “those who preached the good news to you”). In reading the Apostolic Fathers like 1 Clement (mid-90s), it is clear they appealed to authority purely based on how they were connected to Jesus in the flesh. That is, the words of Jesus were automatically and unquestionably authoritative (even if only via oral tradition) and the Twelve, since they were connected to Jesus, also shared in this authority (being directly related and given authority by Jesus, Luke 10:16). But once that connection was removed, the authority waned. Therefore, if we go with this thinking, we do not have the authority to go beyond what Jesus or the New Testament authors did in using Old Testament or New Testament texts out of context and for our own purposes. We simply do not have that authority.
Grace be with you –
Jr
Let me be clear – I am NOT saying that we can take verses out of context. I think that point is well made in these posts. What I am wondering is if the first century Christians, apostles and others (Stephen was not an apostle, and yet he did a great summary of the Old Testament), spoke, preached and taught topically. I don’t see them sitting down with the Christians in Corinth and having a study of 1 & 2 Kings (for example). They did however (and certainly I am not saying that we have the freedom to interpret scripture as we will) preach about Jesus as the Christ. They did teach about the gospel of grace. And to do this they incorporated scripture from the OT, teaching from Jesus, and the inspiration given by the Holy Spirit.
Is it possible, then, for us to preach the gospel of grace, using OT scriptures, NT scriptures (for example the gospels including the teaching of Jesus), and the words inspired by the Holy Spirit, penned by Paul, Peter and others. I do not think that this would, per se be using scripture out of context.
At the same time – I certainly understand the frustration with proof texts and laughed (bitter-sweet) with the examples given.
In Him,
Scott