Misquoted Scripture: Introduction

Before I begin to look at what gives me the heebie-jeebies, Scripture that is misquoted, I want to spend a little time in some introduction. This will give you a basis for why I call these Scriptures misquoted and more than often misused.

First of all, I have to say with complete conviction that all of the Bible is God’s word. Every word in the Old Testament is just as viable and true for today as the day it was written. In fact, I have a hard time when people deliniate the two testaments. To me there is no Old Testament or New Testament, it is ONE Testament. It is God’s ONE and complete Word. So bear with me when I get impatient, if that is the word, with those who will only use the “New” Testament. It does not matter whether it was written in Hebrew, Greek or whatever, it is God’s word, it is one word, and it is truth. Does that mean I will blindly accept it: God said it, I believe it, that settles it is a head-in-the-sand way of thinking. God said it, I believe it, let’s talk about it, let’s explore the depths of it, let’s have on-going, sometimes heated arguements about it, is more what I have in mind. Pastor Rick Warren said that too often Christians check their brains at the door of the church. If you study history you will find that some of the greatest thinkers were Christians. So let’s look at this ONE Testament that God had written by over 40 different authors, over the course of 1500 years. And let’s see if we can keep it all in perspective.

Secondly, let us keep in mind that this ONE Testament was written to God’s people. It was not written to the world, but to God’s people. Does that mean that nothing in this book applies to the world? Of course not! But what it means is that we as God’s people have an obligation to obedience. For this is God’s word to us. It does not become God’s word to us until we are born again. Once that happens we are under an obligation to obedience. We cannot hold the world to the same standard as we. Does that mean that things like the Ten Commandments have no meaning for the world? Of course not! Let’s take the commandment, Do not steal. For the world this is at most a legal thing, with maybe a little morality thrown in. For us as God’s people this has a legal obligation, a moral obligation and a spiritual obligation. There is a depth to our obligation that the world will never understand and can only understand when born again.

It is from these two perspectives that I will look at heeby-jeeby texts. I hope we can have some fun with this as well as some really good discussion. I will write again soon,