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So the guy advertising his book got me to thinking about people who memorize scripture and then offer up single, isolated verses in conversation or to back up their argument.
A single verses isn't proof of anything; it's a sentence out of context and that allows for it to be twisted into almost anything. Doesn't it make much more sense to read it within the the chapter, or even better within the entire book, in order to see what it means?
So the guy advertising his book got me to thinking about people who memorize scripture and then offer up single, isolated verses in conversation or to back up their argument.
A single verses isn't proof of anything; it's a sentence out of context and that allows for it to be twisted into almost anything. Doesn't it make much more sense to read it within the the chapter, or even better within the entire book, in order to see what it means?
People have a tendency to only quote as much as will support their own opinion. While it is probably most common in religious discussions/debates, it probably happens in any field that has written text.
We are not going to change that, but we all should be aware that people will do so and when someone quotes to us we should take the initiative to read the source in it's full context before deciding if it is true or false.
So the guy advertising his book got me to thinking about people who memorize scripture and then offer up single, isolated verses in conversation or to back up their argument.
A single verses isn't proof of anything; it's a sentence out of context and that allows for it to be twisted into almost anything. Doesn't it make much more sense to read it within the the chapter, or even better within the entire book, in order to see what it means?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodrow LI
People have a tendency to only quote as much as will support their own opinion. While it is probably most common in religious discussions/debates, it probably happens in any field that has written text.
We are not going to change that, but we all should be aware that people will do so and when someone quotes to us we should take the initiative to read the source in it's full context before deciding if it is true or false.
The scriptures were not written as a single book, by a single author, with a single context . . . but the overarching context SHOULD be the TRUE NATURE of the God who inspired them. It is the mistaken use of a savage, barbarian War God as the overarching context that is responsible for the corrupt interpretations and understanding. A recognition that God IS Love provides the context that requires no "excuses or rationalizations" . . . and evil is recognized as evil wherever and whenever it is encountered in scripture, period.
To the OP: You have a very good point. Verses often are taken out of context, twisted mangled, and made to say things that are contradictory to what the scriptures teach. However, a single verse, can be used to summarize a basic doctrinal point. As long as one is careful to use it with its intended sense, its legit. What I often do is use several statements from different books of the Bible that say the same thing with different wording in order to make a theological point of doctrine. This is why doing serious theological studies requires more than a vague idea of the Bible and its teachings, or just what you heard from some TV preacher.
So the guy advertising his book got me to thinking about people who memorize scripture and then offer up single, isolated verses in conversation or to back up their argument.
A single verses isn't proof of anything; it's a sentence out of context and that allows for it to be twisted into almost anything. Doesn't it make much more sense to read it within the the chapter, or even better within the entire book, in order to see what it means?
A radio show I love to listen to emphasizes that there are 3 very important rules to sound Biblical understanding:
1. Context
2. Context
3. Context
One application of this rule is that I've seen the atheists post their lists of supposed contradictions on this board before. I'm not impressed. In context I haven't seen one of them that stand on their own.
A verse from the Bible is not a back up to an argument.
It only has value within the Christian community and even then, opinions can differ widely.
EXACTLY...the interpretation is always subject to the interpreter (and their bias)...and interpreters have some pretty wild interpretations sometimes. Just saying...
The Bible should be like a picture window into the heart of God. Sometimes people stand to one side or the other to look through that window. They get slightly different views.
But the real problem is when people don't look THROUGH the window, but AT the window. It's for that reason existentialist Christian preacher/author Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, "The thing we need to do is put all the Bibles in a huge pile and burn them."
Many Christians were up in arms about that statment written early in the 19th century. They were much like those that don't understand parables. Kierkegaard was trying to say that when the emphasis is on words rather than flesh, then God is left out of the picture. Because the real miracle for mankind is not the divinity of Jesus, it is the fact that God, Jesus, became a man.
Time and time again He refers to Himself as the Son of Man. He was flesh and blood. He laughed, He drank wine, He spit in mud, He was kind to every sinner He met.
The Bible should help us to look into the heart of the Son of Man, not find ways to divide ourselves, or judge one another--which is where the Christian Church has allowed itself to go once again.
When I was younger, I would go to church and hear sermons on how and why I needed to get my life right with God. Now churches spend an inordinate amount of time on preaching about drug addicts, gay people, prayer in school rather than prayer at home. They have begun looking at the window as opposed to looking THROUGH the window. I am still a man of faith. So is my wife. But we no longer attend any church. I'm sure there are still a few that try to help individuals look through that window, but after many attempts to find those churches we lost heart.
On another thread I shared this (not original from me):
It's easy to form a circle and pick up stones taking turns quoting Bible verses the whole time, ready to unleash those stones on the one who is guilty. It's another thing to be the person standing in the middle of that circle, desparate for one person, just one, to say, "Is any of you without sin?"
Those of you with ears to hear, then hear.
Last edited by Wardendresden; 12-21-2012 at 07:12 AM..
Reason: spelling
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Scripture
