Misunderstood

We like to think we have a good grasp of Scripture. Sometimes we don't. It's easy to pluck a verse out of context and make it say something it was never intended. Take, for instance, Hezekiah 3:7. "God helps those who help themselves." Okay ... obviously not in the Bible, but do you realize how many think it actually is? So let's look at a few passages that are so often misunderstood.

I've been told that John 3:16 used to be the most recognized verse, but now it's Matthew 7:1 ... "Judge not that you be not judged." It's typically used to prove Christians shouldn't judge. That's patently foolish since He clearly says, "First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matt 7:5). That is ... don't judge hypocritically (Matt 7:2).

Jeremiah 29:11 is very commonly snatched out of context and applied to mean, "God will make me prosperous." It's not. It's a promise to Israel in exile. The principle that God is faithful and does what is right and good remains ... just not the idea of a divine genie ready to serve up your wishes.

We've all heard, "Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst" (Matt 18:20). Typically touted as a good reason to gather and pray, most people don't even realize it's a verse in the midst of Jesus's teaching about church discipline. That's right. When we are doing "church discipline," remember ... Christ is there. Because you know you don't need "two or three" to pray or study the Word or ... have Him present. It's an accountability reminder, not a promise of presence.

Paul wrote, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28), but we typically ignore the rest of his thought ... the good He's working it together for. "He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom 8:29). That's why it's not just "good," but "good for those who love God. The "good" is Christ-likeness, not just a pleasant outcome.

That's a sprinkling. I hope you see some common threads. First, most of these errors are disassembled by simply looking at context. I mean ... immediate context ... the verses around it. Certainly all of Scripture ... because Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture. It is said that "a text without a context is a pretext." Then, there's the whole problem of "What I want to hear" verses "What it says." We need to let God be true though every man is a liar. We need to read God's Word for all it's worth ... not just all we want to get out of it.