10 most common Scripture twistings

[Claudiu]

I wanted to start a list of what people thought were the 10 most common exegetical mistakes. That is, the 10 most often mis-interpreted scripture quotes/usages. I will start the list with several I am thinking of...

1) Matthew 18:20

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.

2) Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

3) Matthew 7:1

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

4) Revelation 3:15-17

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

5) Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

6) 2 Opinions 2:1-2

You have a god-shaped whole in your heart. So just ask Jesus into your heart.

I was wondering how people use the first verse (Matthew 18:20) wrong? Do any of you have an experience of someone using this wrongly?

 

[jaybird0827]

1) Matthew 18:20

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.

...

I was wondering how people use the first verse (Matthew 18:20) wrong? Do any of you have an experience of someone using this wrongly?

Consider the immediate context of the verse. The lost sheep ... if thy brother shall trespass against thee ... two or three witnesses ... tell it to the church ... and so on.

The verse applies, for instance, to a meeting of the Session (what we Presbyterians call the elders collectively) of the local congregation. Telling it to the church may mean reporting it to the Session.

People misapply this verse it all the time to things like the noon prayer meeting or bible study at work, or a social gathering in which all those present are professing Christians.

 

[Reluctantly Reforming]

Serious question: are any of you troubled by the way 2 Chron 7:14 is hauled out and dusted off for the National Day of Prayer?

"f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Comments are often made that strike me as that if Americans would just start praying, we would see the transformation of our country into the Kingdom of God. Crime, abortion, soft economy, Democrats in power ... all gone!

For certain, God has hearkened to pagan, praying nations, unless we are to ignore Nineveh. But this verse is a covenant promise to Israel, and does not apply in the same way to other nations, ancient or modern.

Such use of the verse has always smacked of American exceptionalism to me. Am I alone here? Have well-meaning Christians in other nations attempted to apply it in their own context?

 

[Confessor]

Wayne,

1. My point still stands in that the original divines could not have meant that lest they contradicted themselves. That others subscribe to a later document does not negate this fact.

2. I am sorry if other Theonomists have been ungracious. But that doesn't mean charity shouldn't be pursued. And besides, Van der Molen's use of "twist" in that passage is in an entirely different context from this thread. His refers to a general misuse; this thread refers to more grievous contortions of the text (hence "top 10"). If you think that Theonomists are twisting Scripture, then that's okay, but please don't present it as if "everyone knows" that those crazy Theonomists just terribly twist Scripture. You didn't say that, but that is implied from its inclusion in a top-10 list.

That "others" Ben, most of the Reformed Presbyterian denominations in America subscribe to the 1788 WCF so your desire to take us back isn't going to fly with me.

This is just another example of the one sidedness of folks like yourself who can allow his comment to fly as if no big deal saying that those "crazy Dualist, it's obvious that they are twisting Scripture" and then jump on mine.

I appreciate your desire to moderate this thread Ben but if you are not a Moderator then I ask you at this point to take it up with one rather than trying to correct me publicly as one. I don't appreciate it.

Wayne,

I am sincerely sorry if I upset you.

Ben

 

[Knoxienne]

Serious question: are any of you troubled by the way 2 Chron 7:14 is hauled out and dusted off for the National Day of Prayer?

"f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Comments are often made that strike me as that if Americans would just start praying, we would see the transformation of our country into the Kingdom of God. Crime, abortion, soft economy, Democrats in power ... all gone!

For certain, God has hearkened to pagan, praying nations, unless we are to ignore Nineveh. But this verse is a covenant promise to Israel, and does not apply in the same way to other nations, ancient or modern.

Such use of the verse has always smacked of American exceptionalism to me. Am I alone here? Have well-meaning Christians in other nations attempted to apply it in their own context?

I think it's a fine scripture to use for any nation - I just don't like it used within the context of the pluralistic, vapid, "national day of prayer" movement.

 

[Denton Elliott]

I am currently listening to Paul Washer sermons as a preperration for him comming to Denmark in 3 weeks and he says that the number 1 most twisted scripture verse is "Judge not, lest ye be judged"

Yeah and then he likes to reply, "Twist not Scripture, lest ye be of Satan".

 

[jaybird0827]

Serious question: are any of you troubled by the way 2 Chron 7:14 is hauled out and dusted off for the National Day of Prayer?

"f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Comments are often made that strike me as that if Americans would just start praying, we would see the transformation of our country into the Kingdom of God. Crime, abortion, soft economy, Democrats in power ... all gone!

For certain, God has hearkened to pagan, praying nations, unless we are to ignore Nineveh. But this verse is a covenant promise to Israel, and does not apply in the same way to other nations, ancient or modern.

Such use of the verse has always smacked of American exceptionalism to me. Am I alone here? Have well-meaning Christians in other nations attempted to apply it in their own context?

No, you're not alone. Ever since realizing that the Israel of God under the NT is the church, it drives me up the proverbial wall!

Since II Chronicles 7:14 contains a covenant promise to Israel, then we have the hope that the promise continues to the church. If we desire reformation in the church (and I hope that we do), then we are the ones who need to humble ourselves before God and repent of our corporate sins, and then pray that God may graciously grant us that repentance and restore his favor to the church.

Sure, I hear "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD;" but the verse goes on to say, "and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12, AV). Would that God bless the nation in which his church is faithful!

 

[Sven]

One of the most abused verses is "let the children come unto me" and somehow supporting infant baptism from that.

It's usually used to say that they are considered part of the covenant community, the minor premise of a paedobaptist syllogism (Major: All covenant members are baptized; Minor: children of believers are covenant members; etc.).

I realize you would still disagree with that, but it's far from a twisting to use that for paedobaptism.

It's still twisting it. Come on, admit it...just a little bit.

I don't know of any paedo-baptist who says that this verse means that we ought to baptise children. What we do say is that this verse is one of many that teach that God includes children in covenant membership. It would be Scripture twisting to deny this.

-----Added 6/24/2009 at 08:25:02 EST-----

2 Tim. 2:15 (KJV) "rightly dividing the word of truth.

I did want to maybe take issue with the Rev. 3:20. Many reformed folk today want to deny that this is any sort of invitation by Christ. I understand that the door is not the door to the heart; however, historically the Reformed have understood this verse as a gracious invitation by Christ. James Durham says, "The offer of this gospel is … set out under the similitude of a standing and knocking and calling hard at sinners’ doors (Rev 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me) … which is an earnest invitation to make way for Christ Jesus, wanting nothing but an entry into the heart, whereby we may see how Christ comes in the gospel, and is laid to folks hands." (Christ Crucified, 80)

 

[kalawine]

Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (ESV). Too often this is used by well meaning Christians to try and provide comfort to those in grief.

Is the correct interpretation of that verse to be used only in the context of salvation? Even still, I've used that verse to comfort fellow brethren, knowing that no matter what happens here on earth, in the end we will be with Christ for eternity.

The point is that it doesn't apply to reprobates.

Right on! And I believe that it is often (falsely) applied to reprobates.

 

[Pergamum]

It's usually used to say that they are considered part of the covenant community, the minor premise of a paedobaptist syllogism (Major: All covenant members are baptized; Minor: children of believers are covenant members; etc.).

I realize you would still disagree with that, but it's far from a twisting to use that for paedobaptism.

It's still twisting it. Come on, admit it...just a little bit.

I don't know of any paedo-baptist who says that this verse means that we ought to baptise children. What we do say is that this verse is one of many that teach that God includes children in covenant membership. It would be Scripture twisting to deny this.

-----Added 6/24/2009 at 08:25:02 EST-----

2 Tim. 2:15 (KJV) "rightly dividing the word of truth.

I did want to maybe take issue with the Rev. 3:20. Many reformed folk today want to deny that this is any sort of invitation by Christ. I understand that the door is not the door to the heart; however, historically the Reformed have understood this verse as a gracious invitation by Christ. James Durham says, "The offer of this gospel is … set out under the similitude of a standing and knocking and calling hard at sinners’ doors (Rev 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me) … which is an earnest invitation to make way for Christ Jesus, wanting nothing but an entry into the heart, whereby we may see how Christ comes in the gospel, and is laid to folks hands." (Christ Crucified, 80)

Jesus says nothing about covenant membership when he invites children unto him.

 

[Confessor]

Jesus says nothing about covenant membership when he invites children unto him.

Again, when I brought that up, I was not trying to provide a quick silver-bullet argument for paedobaptism. I was just demonstrating that it's not an example of Scripture twisting; it's not as if people are so obviously wrong when they utilize that passage.

 

[Pergamum]

We would differ there.

 

[mvdm]

Secondly do you mean as charitable as this was by Mr Van der Molen to those who embrace Two Kingdom Theology?

John 18:36:

"My kingdom is not of this world."

Herman Bavinck counters the oft-encountered dualistic twist of Jesus' words:

Christ has indeed stated that his kingdom is not of this world, but he is not a spiritual king in the sense that he has absolutely no interest in external and earthly things. On the contrary, he assumed a fully human nature and came into the world not to condemn the world but to save it. Christ planted his kingdom in that world and made sure that it could exist in it, and, like leaven, have a transforming impact in all areas of life.”

There are variances among 2k-ers, some more radical than others. If the version of 2k that you hold can yet affirm Bavinck's quote, then I don't see why you find this "uncharitable". If you don't affirm Bavinck, then I can certainly understand your reaction.

 

[Caroline]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this one yet: james 4:2
"... ye have not because ye ask not"

 

[Sven]

Jesus says nothing about covenant membership when he invites children unto him.

2 Things: 1. The parents were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed. This was in no conceivable way any sort of baby dedication. Remeber these were Jews. Blessing and covenant go hand in hand. 2. Jesus Christ IS the covenant (Isa. 42:6).

 

[smhbbag]

2 Things: 1.

At first reading your post, I thought you were making a joke, citing a "scripture" people use that's not in the Bible....from the book of Second Things, Chapter 1.

 

[Sven]

2 Things: 1.

At first reading your post, I thought you were making a joke, citing a "scripture" people use that's not in the Bible....from the book of Second Things, Chapter 1.

 

[rpavich]

On the "cold or hot" thing?

I thought that Jesus was referring to the two neighboring region Churches Colassae and Hireopolis; both "good" churches, and both known for a certain thing: Hot springs, at one, and a cold water supply at the other, so when he refers to the water supply, He's indirectly speaking of the two churches and it really has nothing to do with their attitude; on fire or indifferent.

In other words...

"I would that you were either like the good church at Colassae or Hireopolis and not like you are!"

that's the way I heard it and it makes more sense to me than Jesus saying "I wish you were devoted to me or reprobate!"

 

[Grimmson]

Am surprised no one done 2 Peter 3:9, because it is one of the most common I hear from the pulpit. I just implied it in another post. Most people use it to say that God wishes to save everyone instead of looking at it in its eschatological background to why Christ has not returned yet; which is because He does not wish for any of us, his church, to perish and is waiting for all of us whom he died for to repent.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (NKJV)

 

[rpavich]

Yes yes yes..

Make it stop!! Please oh please Make it stop!!

I've heard all of these from the church I just left, and most of my Christian friends (none are reformed)

If even bring up the fact that these are taken out of context...

I'm slapped down like Michael Jordan slaps a basketball!

 

[Grimmson]

Sorry Robert, one more. I just ran across this in one of the blogs here and that from Rev. 22:18. Many try to apply the passage to the entire body of the Bible, but the context and genre makes it to apply only to Revelations.

 

[Confessor]

Sorry Robert, one more. I just ran across this in one of the blogs here and that from Rev. 22:18. Many try to apply the passage to the entire body of the Bible, but the context and genre makes it to apply only to Revelations.

I had always heard that it referred to the whole Bible, but I never knew why.

 

[rpavich]

Do we get a prize for the first one to work all of these twistings into a conversation?

 

[Grimmson]

Sorry Robert, one more. I just ran across this in one of the blogs here and that from Rev. 22:18. Many try to apply the passage to the entire body of the Bible, but the context and genre makes it to apply only to Revelations.

I had always heard that it referred to the whole Bible, but I never knew why.

As the song in Fiddler on the Roof would sing, "Tradition!" If you want me to go over why in detail its only for Revelations I can.

 

[Denton Elliott]

Thanks to all who participated! I think I got more than 10 common twistings with a dash of inter-denominational infighting mixed in!


I have decided to take a few off my list and add some others that some of you have mentioned that are good...err bad...examples.

 

[William Price]

John 14:9, "Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?"

One of the verses used by Oneness Pentecostalism to deny the Trinity. Talk about twisting. It's a car wreck involving three eighteen wheelers, two police cars, and a Krispy Kreme delivery van.

 

[Denton Elliott]

 

[Jake]

Sorry Robert, one more. I just ran across this in one of the blogs here and that from Rev. 22:18. Many try to apply the passage to the entire body of the Bible, but the context and genre makes it to apply only to Revelations.

Well, I have seen that quite a bit. However, even if that is only to be taken in context of Revelation (no s! it matters), we also have somewhat of a parallel in Proverbs:

Proverbs 30 NASB
5 Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Do not add to His words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

 

[BlackCalvinist]

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
Proverbs 18:24

In many circles it is pushed (as in dogmatically) that "the friend that sticketh closer than a brother" is Jesus.

That's the case in my church (not reformed).

My music minister quoted it with the singing of this song the other day:

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

Which I do not think is an appropriate song to sing during worship.

Why not ? Content-wise, what does the song teach ?

 

[JennyG]

1 John 4:8 - "...............God is love" (truncated)

God is cool, and would never send anyone to hell.

According to experience in this corner of the UK at least, -- should be right at the top of the list!