Using Scripture Out of Context

A God of Feelings
or Jesus the High Priest?

There are those who will use a Scripture out of context because it fits the point or "application" they are trying to make. They treat Scripture as though it is a series of wise sayings (proverbs) to be used in many different ways, according to one's present agenda. Their mantra is "Scripture has one meaning; many applications."

Some people believe that mantra because that's what they have been taught. Others believe it because it makes topical sermon preparation easier. It is, however, a patently false mantra and leads to false doctrine. "False doctrine" is a lie about Scripture's meaning. It implies that the Word of God is about us, instead of about Him.

In Hebrews 4:12, for instance, we read the words: "...Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword." I recently heard that Scripture used to support the idea that God is a Father who cares for our feelings.

God IS a Father who cares for our feelings, but that idea is not addressed by Hebrews 4:12. Such an "application" is wrong and is therefore a heresy. Let me explain why.

First of all, as quoted above, it leaves out the word, "For," with which the verse starts. "For" is a coordinating conjunction. That means what follows is connected to and a part of what went before; a preparation for a treatise on God's New Covenant between Him and those who (Jew or Gentile) will be saved.

Secondly, Hebrews 4:12 is not about our feelings in any way, shape or form. It is connected to and a part of *Paul's preparatory remarks to introduce the Priesthood of Christ. That dissertation is connected to the previous revelation about Jesus being greater than Moses. And THAT one is a continuation of the nature and identity of Jesus.

Thirdly, such an application is about as shallow as an understanding of God's Word can get. It is an attempt to reduce Scripture to a "touchy-feely" level that is sophomoric and without spiritual depth.

The book of Hebrews has absolutely nothing to do with God being a Father who cares for our feelings. It is not even about the power of Scripture to accommodate our life needs. In fact, it is not about US at all. The only correct application of  Hebrews 4:12 is that it is about Jesus and His relationship to God, His High Priesthood and His being the New Covenant between God and those who trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. Contextually, Hebrews 4:12-13 is to be seen as support for *Paul's contention that Scripture accurately portrays God and properly predicts the establishment of that New Covenant in the High Priest, Christ.

The sad thing is, preaching Hebrews 4:12 as though it somehow relates to God's being a Father who cares for our feelings, results in "Amens," and "Preach it brothers" from a congregation ignorant of the majesty of the true meaning of the verse, chapter, book, Testament, Covenant and the Bible, itself. After all, "God being a Father who cares for our feelings" sounds really good and serves as great "ear-tickling."

In fact, Hebrews 4:12 is part of a book that is so exciting that, properly understood, it is heart stopping and goose-bump producing!

What message could possibly be more relevant than the one that tells us God has given us a High Priest, greater than even Melchizedek, who can not only lead us by the heart in the right paths, but who can absolve us of our sin debt? What message could possibly be more exciting than the one that tells us that the un-keepable Law has been kept for us? What message could possibly be more exciting than the won that tells us that our sins have been forgiven by the blood of the New Covenant?

Why would ANY honest, truly saved person twist Scripture to mean what it does not mean in order to apply it to some trite philosophical idea?

Why can't we learn to let the Word of God be the WORD OF GOD...the Word of the revelation of God's character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption?

*Contrary to what some theologians teach, I believe Hebrews to be a commentary to the Jews on Paul's book of Romans. Romans was written by Paul to Gentiles, while Hebrews was written by Paul to the Jews. The book of Hebrew's teachings about Jesus parallel the book of Roman's teachings about Him.

The Proper Use of Scripture

IJohn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Many people have that verse as their favorite Scripture. They may use it as a source of comfort. They might consider it some sort of release to sin; being assured that there is forgiveness for them. For some people, every time they sin they “claim” this verse to soothe their conscience.

God does forgive. He has forgiven us in Christ. He sees us as perfect through the shed blood of Christ. But this is not the proper application of this verse. (The idea that there is only one interpretation but many applications is born of ignorance and is untrue. Scripture is not intended to be “applied” randomly and “as needed.”) The statement in John 1:9 is true, of course, but it is meant to be applied to the context of the entire book, not as a stand alone passage.

The verse in question is a part of a great dissertation by John, one who had seen Jesus with his own eyes as the one who created the entire universe, including mankind. It is not about us, it is about Him. It is John’s message about Him to us. In this book John is proclaiming what he has seen (Jesus) and what he has heard (Jesus message of the Kingdom of God).

Because the Scripture has been chopped up into chapters and verses (using the excuse that it is therefore easier to “find one’s way around in the Bible”), there is a tendency to ascribe to short parts of it that which is not a part of the whole. That’s an eternal mistake.

The book of John is about the magnificent salvation that has been made available to any person. In keeping with Paul’s message in Romans, John recognizes that we all sin. He also tells us repeatedly that in Christ, God has provided forgiveness for our sin because He is our atoning sacrifice. It is about the evidence God has placed in our hearts under the New Covenant (Christ) of that salvation.

He tells us in no uncertain terms that there is only one Christ. He says there will be others who claim to be Messiah (and some who just think they are Jesus, not even knowing who Jesus is), but that they are imposters. Those who are in Christ will immediately recognize the imposters because we have the Holy Spirit who gives us discernment. He tells us we can know teachers of false doctrine by the power of the Holy Spirit so we can test them.

John is concerned about teachers of false doctrine. He warns us about those who would lead us down the paths of heresy, legalism and religious behaviorism. He implores us to keep our focus on Christ alone. He tells us that the love of God for us causes us to love one another. That reflects what Christ said when asked about the greatest commandment (love God and love your neighbor as yourself).

He says, “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,” a reminder that the New Covenant is written, not in stone or on paper, but in our hearts.

John concludes by telling us why he wrote the book. It was not to give us platitudes to live by, but to assure us of the nature of the one who was from the beginning: Christ, our Lord and Savior. He proclaims that if we continue to focus on sin instead of Christ, we are not saved and need to take a look at our eternal condition before God. But, he says, if we are saved, we will recognize and run from sin, keeping our focus on no other but Jesus. Jesus is the one true God and everything else is just an idol.

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 1-31

The book of Proverbs is about growing in faith. Soloman addresses his son with a pattern for growth from being a babe in faith to becoming mature. It is a narrative, not a chopped up mess of “wise” sayings. No verse can be applied out of its contex and order without missing its point and drawing false conclusions.

For instance, if you take Proverbs 16:16; 22:1-2; 23:4-5; 28:20; 30:7-9; 15:27; 21:6; 22:16;28:6, 8 and 24; 3:9010; 11:28 and 16:8 and conclude that they speak about general financial responsibility, you will being a disservice to the verses, the chapter they’re in, the book of Proverbs, the Old Testament, the Old Covenant and the Bible. Do you want to do such a disservice? All of those verses DO speak about financial matters, but they are neither designed nor intended to be dealt with apart from theit context.

Just because a Scripture verse contains a word that goes along with what the reader is trying to prove, does not mean that’s what the verse means. Without the flow of the narrative, not one single verse of Scripture can be properly understood, interpreted or applied.

Those verses are where they are because they are part of a narrative that reveals the stages of growth that occur when one fears the Lord: knowledge and Wisdom. Wisdom, in proverbs, is a picture (type) of Christ. The verses are where they are to be a part of the consecutive growth of a person’s walk of faith.

When you realize that the chapters used above (3, 11, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29), you begin to understand that they are grouped in such a way as to show the growth stages of Solomon’s son.

Does that mean that Proverbs does NOT encourage us to exercise financial responsibility? Absolutely not!

But Proverbe does so much more than that. Proverbs gives us a PROGRESSIVE look at HOW a person grows in wisdom. Proverbs starts off with the way a young boy (or young Christian) would look at the various elements of his stage of life. Then it proceeds to cover the same topics the way an older boy (perhaps a Christian with some years of Sunday School under his belt) would deal with the same issues. After that, Proverbs reveals the development level a young man (growing Christian) would deal with the temptations and issues of life. It then shows the same things for a young adult, then a maturing adult and finally an elder (mature person).

There are five indications of Christ in Proverbs: 1. Proverbs is Wisdom personified in Christ.
2. Proverbs is Wisdom fulfilled in Christ. 3. Proverbs is Wisdom exemplified in Christ.
4. Proverbs is Wisdom provided in Christ.  5. Every verse in Proverbs is about wisdom and righteousness as revealed in the life of the Lord Jesus.

Proverbs progresses like this: How someone young in the faith starts out life in the home (church). How someone young in the faith begins to grow up and moves beyond the circle of the home(church). How someone young in the faith listens to God’s law of mercy and grace, as he turns to his family in the faith (church). How someone growing in the faith remembers  the instruction of his father (church family) How someone growing in the faith. is counseled to live a pure life for the sake of his home(church family). How someone growing in the faith deals with conflicting world view. The characteristics of someone maturing in the faith.

In chapter 30, we find an oracle by an unknown sage (not Solomon, Agur) who warns the person young in the faith to subscribe to sound doctrine and not to go to ridiculous extremes or to grow weary in the faith. He warns the growing young adult that the world will pull at him from all sides. He encourages the one growing in the faith to recognize God above all others.

Proverbs wraps up in chapter 31 with a mother counseling her son (a young adult in the faith) to choose a life partner after he has matured enough to recognize what’s important in choosing a mate. He does not really want her to tell him what to do (isn’t that just like us), but she persists. The mother lays out what he should look for in a wife. She also lays out the things he must do and be in order to demonstrate integrity.

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 10-29

Proverbs is all about growth

The book of Proverbs is not about various topics. The book of Proverbs USES various topics to demonstrate the characteristics of GROWTH IN THE LORD. It is the story of that growth in a person from infancy to maturity. A so-called “topical” study of Proverbs will always miss the point of what Solomon is saying.

Here is the way the story of the young man’s growth (and ours, as Christians) progresses:

I. Chapters 1-9 of Proverbs illustrates the growth in Wisdom (Christ) and contrasts it with a growth built on folly (the ways of the world – the world system).

Newborn humans and new Christians (babes in Christ) begin by learning about the world around them. Those new in the Lord learn about the basic tenants of the faith. They move beyond the circle of the home. They begin acquiring knowledge, by the fear of the Lord. (Wisdom comes later – in chapter 9).

The young man learns about God and His character, hopefully by hearing what his parents teach him. He makes friends and enters the big, bad world. He is counseled to remember what his parents taught him. He learns that there are no secrets from the Lord. He learns about relationships and the value of hard work. Morality will be a part of his learning,

The growing young man (and the growing Christian) prepares himself to the next stage of his life. He begins to understand that not only does the fear of the Lord lead to knowledge, it leads to Wisdom (Christ).  Some growing up (in Christ) learn wisely, others foolishly.

II. In chapters 10 – 24, we see the growth of the young man as he learns about the order of things.
(As Christians grow, they, too, become aware of the sound doctrines of the faith). He learns more and more about the Lord. Business, commitments, what’s more important than beauty, how to choose a wife, when to speak and when to keep quiet and how to face obstacles are all part of his training.

He learns that God is always present, that he needs to learn to think correctly and how not to rationalize his conduct. He learns integrity in thought and how to think straightly.  He learns about friendship and the importance of choosing friends wisely. He learns to be a friend. He learns that there are eternal consequences to his choices.

As our young man grows up, he learns how to overcome life’s obstacles and how to exercise his faith. He learns about attitudes and motives for both right and wrong.  Selflessness is among the lessons he must learn. He must also learn self-control.


III. In chapters 25-29, the young man learns to study God’s precepts and examples. He learns the importance of proper study. He learns that he will be in trouble if he answers a fool. The fool is in trouble if he doesn't answer the wiser young man. The fool will think he is smart.

The young man will learn, as he grows, that the wicked live in fear, regardless of what he might claim. At the very least, he fears death. The young man does not fear death, he fears God, the source of wisdom. He will discover the importance of not just asking God for things, but of listening to God. He will know that someday God’s Word will be written on his heart.

What a tragic mistake it is to study Proverbs as a bunch of chopped up wise sayings about this or that. How much more insight into Solomon’s wisdom and the wisdom of God is gained by seeing the book as a presentation of the progression of growth.

Take note that almost all of Proverbs’ subjects are repeated at least four times. Each time each subject is brought up, Proverbs presents it in more detail and understanding. This is how we are to grow. As we mature, we should learn more and more about Wisdom. We should learn more and more about controlling our tongues and why. We should learn more and more about the importance of diligence, integrity and life.

Wisdom will ultimately lead us to Christ and His saving grace. All else is folly.

What about Teaching the Bible?

In the first place, let me be clear that I don’t care what you call it. You can call it Sunday School, Bible Study, Bible Study Groups, Small Groups, Family Groups, Life Groups or anything else you want to call it as long as its purpose is to find the actual meaning of God’s Word.

The text book for Bible study is…wait for it…the Bible. It is not some denominational publication, some bestselling book or some opinion session about God. The text book is the plenary, inspired, literal, infallible Word of God, the Bible. Use it and you will NEVER run out of relevant material and its message is 100% as current as it was in the eternity God first thought of it.

In order to properly teach the Bible, Bible study leaders must be steeped in it themselves. They must know the perfect context of every word of it, in terms of the words used, the verse in which they are used, the chapter they’re found in, the book of the Bible they’re in, the testament they’re in and the Bible as a whole.

They must realize that the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. They must not deviate from this revelation.

If you teach the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter or from beginning to end, you will not miss any topic ever conceived in the mind of man. That is why exegetical teaching is superior to topical teaching.

Topical teaching carries with it the danger of becoming a philosophy study backed up by random verses that may or may not genuinely apply to the topic. Thousands of cults, sects, and heresies are formed just this way, and you are not smart enough to resist allowing Satan to lead you in the same direction.

The Bible does not exist to support your spiritual philosophy, your mind set or your ideology. It exists to reveal to you the mind of God and to conform you to it. It exists to reveal to you His plan of salvation. Its theme is the gospel. It has no other. Its objective is to bring people to God through Christ.

A Bible study leader/teacher would do well to understand those truths before beginning any Bible study session.

While college and seminary education has some value, any priest can properly interpret the Bible if he sets his mind to discovering its truths in their context. By the way, if you are a Christian you ARE a priest, and thus can rightly divide the Word of God if you use the proper approach.

Every Bible study teacher should have and make use of a good concordance, such as Strong's or Young's. He should also have a good Bible dictionary, Internet access (although you have to be careful on the Internet. There's a lot of very bad misinformation out there) and maybe a Greek/English, English/Greek lexicon (again, be careful. These can easily be misused and misunderstood). A really well put together lesson plan book can be helpful if it is not used as a substitute for the real text (the Bible).

Bible study can be as shallow or as deep as you want it to be. It can be geared to preschoolers, grammar school students, teens, young adults, middle adults and any age groups in between. And it should be. Every Bible study lesson should be targeted to the group studying it. More mature Christians require a different approach from those younger in the Lord, as well as in age.

The Bible should NEVER be MADE relevant. It IS relevant. It deals with the deepest needs of the darkest corners of every heart. It is the vehicle by which you can be introduced to the presence of God! It is the revelation of the greatest gift any person has ever received, the gift of salvation through Christ.

All Bible study should lead to that end. It should have as its point that whosoever will may come to God blameless if they place their trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

EIGHT COVENANTS OF THE BIBLE-Under Which Covenant Are You? Part 3

THE NEW COVENANT

The most important thing to know about the NEW COVENANT is that it is not a legal document, it is a PERSON and His name is Jesus.

The second most important thing to know about the NEW COVENANT is that it supersedes and fulfills all aspects of all of the previous covenants.

While there were, indeed, Unconditional Covenants that will never pass away, they are all fulfilled in Christ. He is their completion. Through Him Israel will get their land, the Law of Moses will be satisfied, the promise to Abraham will be fulfilled and the sin of Adam will be atoned for.

In the New Covenant, there is not one iota of the Old Covenant(s) left to deal with. The New Covenant is a NEW DEAL that is instituted by God. It is the completion of God’s character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption. There is nothing you can add to it and there is nothing you can take from it.

The New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31ff, and referenced many times by the writers of the Old Testament. It was provided directly for Israel and extended to Gentiles.

Galatians is all about those who corrupt the New Covenant by trying to add to it things like circumcision, tithing, rules and regulation. Galatians builds on the principles laid out in Romans. It sets the stage for the book written to the Jews to show them how their hope of a Messiah had been realized in Jesus…the book of Hebrews; specifically chapters 4-10.

Through the New Covenant, sin is more than atoned for, it is forgiven. The forgiveness is not through the shedding of the blood of animals, but of the Son of God. The New Covenant does everything the Mosaic Covenant could not do. The Mosaic Covenant could do no more than cover (atone) for sin. The New Covenant takes sin away.

The New Covenant is not written in stone, on tablets or on paper, it is written in the hearts of believers. It is made manifest by indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It provides a new temple; a temple of believers. Our bodies are now God’s temple.

The New Covenant contains the Law of Moses and fulfills it perfectly.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, needs to be added to it to make it better. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can be taken from it to make it less inclusive.

When Jesus said, “This cup is the New Covenant of my blood,” He was not speaking insignificantly. His shed blood was the very purpose for His coming.

The Bride of Christ, His church, personifies the New Covenant. The church has not replaced Israel, it is a partaker with Israel.

There are those who insist that the Law of Moses, or at least some aspects of it,  must be kept by Christians in order to please God. They are referred to as “Judaizers.” They are people who call themselves Christians, but find it necessary to apply some of the attributes of Old Covenant Judaism to their Christian walk. They call themselves “Bible believers,” but mean by that that they follow the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. That is untenable under the New Covenant.

Far too many “Christians” try to live with one foot in the Old Covenant and one foot in the New Covenant. That is patently impossible. Not one single part of the Old Covenant is relevant to Christians. They have a NEW DEAL in Christ. In Him ALL things have become new, not just select things.

The New Covenant is the basis of the “Dispensation of Grace.” It is an Unconditional Covenant, eternally in effect, between God and anybody who puts his trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

CHRISTIANS!  LET GO OF THE OLD COVENANT! ENJOY THE BLESSINGS, FREEDOM AND REWARDS OF THE NEW COVENANT! LET THE HOLY SPIRIT WRITE GOD’S WILL IN YOUR HEARTS AND DON’T BE BOUND BY ANY ASPECT OF THE OLD COVENANT! YOUR SALVATION IS COMPLETE IN CHRIST!

The Proper Use of Scripture

Most people have read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, but what if you had not? If someone turned to chapter 4 and read, “I know your purpose is to do me good…” and then read, “Scrooge advanced to listen to their talk,” what would you conclude the book is about?

The answer is you would not have any way of knowing what the book is about. Any answer you gave would be pure conjecture. The two quotes have no context and without context it is impossible to know the story from these short quotations.

The same principle applies to Scripture. You just cannot select a section, read it and understand it apart from its context of the word used, the verse it is in, the chapter it is in, the book it is in and the Bible as a whole. Any time you do that, you are not “preaching the Bible,” you are preaching your philosophy.

Take for example 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. By itself, it seems to be a short discourse about difficulties, wherever we find them and the necessity to rely on God and not ourselves.

Both things are contained in the passage and both are true, as far as they go. Paul had difficulties and so will we. We need to rely on God and not on ourselves. But to think this is the point of this passage is a mistake and does a disservice to the Word of God. This passage cannot be applied haphazardly as some form of encouragement to the church when things are hard, or some vague, mystical positive attitude.

Sadly, somebody divided Scripture into chapters and verses that were not there in the original texts. They are there to make it easier for us to find our place, but they tempt us to quote sections and apply them incorrectly. The old adage “Scripture has only one interpretation but many applications” is simply not true. Scripture has only one application: the revelation of God’s character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

This passage is about God’s faithfulness, but that’s not all. It is about why we can count on Him in every situation because of Christ. The pivotal verses are verses 19 and 21: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us – by me and Silas (or Silvanus) and Timothy – was not ‘yes’ and ‘No,’ but in Him it has always been ‘Yes.’”  “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm IN CHRIST. He (God) appointed us, set his seal of ownership on us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, GUARANTEEING WHAT IS TO COME.”

That, and only that, is true to the narrative from verse 1 through the end of the book.

We would all be better off if we would stick to using Scripture as it was intended to be used; not a series of truths to be applied as we need them, but as the Truth, who is Jesus.