Context Matters!
I have a confession to make: sometimes I honestly have no idea what to write about for the blog. When that happens, I pray for inspiration and then start flipping through my Bible. If I need to write a verse of the week post, I will google verses on a specific topic or just verses for women in particular (since that is the audience my blog is aimed at).
When I google verses for women either for the blog or just for my own spiritual enrichment, one verse keeps coming up — a lot. But I have never used this verse for the blog. Why? Because the verse that comes up has absolutely nothing to do with women! Instead, it is a verse that has been taken completely out of context.
Today I want to talk about the significance of context in the Bible. As Christians, we get upset when we see people in cults or in the secular world approach the Bible with an agenda and pull out verses and apply them in a way they aren't meant to be applied. Yet sometimes, we can be guilty of the same thing. So in this particular post, I will endeavor to do two things: 1) explain why we shouldn't take verses out of context and 2) show how to discern the actual meaning of a verse.
1. What's Wrong With Taking A Verse Out Of Context?
In the introduction to this post, I already pointed out one problem. This problem is inconsistency on our part. If we get mad at nonbelievers or people in cults for using a verse out of context, it is hypocritical for us to turn around and take one out of context.
I don't know about you, but I really don't want to be a hypocrite. You know who were hypocrites? The Pharisees. In fact, the Pharisees were hypocrites in many ways, and they just happened to also use Scripture out of context! In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pointed this out. I will give you one particular passage on the matter, but if you want more, I would suggest you go study Matthew 5. In Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus said this:
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (ESV)
"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," is taken from the books of Moses. You can find it in three different passages: Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. So, was Jesus saying that the Law given to Moses was wrong? Of course not! Jesus is God, and as such He was responsible for the Law given to Moses.
What Jesus was doing was pointing out that those words were being applied where they weren't met to be applied. If you read the passages in the Law, you will see that these words are talking about how to judge the people. It was talking about how to determine consequences for crimes. However, in Jesus' time, people were using it to validate taking vengeance and retaliating against those who hurt them in a way that wasn't a crime. Jesus pointed out to them that retaliating didn't show the love of God. In fact, there's another verse in Deuteronomy that points out that we should leave vengeance to the Lord:
"It is mine to avenge; I will repay...."
Deuteronomy 32:35 NIV
Also in Deuteronomy, we find two verses that point out the other issue with taking a verse out of context:
"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you."
Deuteronomy 4:2 ESV
"Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it."
Deuteronomy 12:32 NASB1995
Ok, so what does this have to do with context? Well, this verse tells us not to take away from or add to Scripture. Applied at the broadest scale, that would mean no adding words to or taking them from Scripture, which is definitely a rule that should be followed. But if we agree that no words should be added to Scripture, should we not also refuse to add a meaning to Scripture that is not there?
That is what happens when we take a verse out of context. We place on it a meaning that it did not originally carry. And by doing so, we end up adding to Scripture.
2. So How Do We Find The Actual Meaning?
CONTEXT! We need to look at the context surrounding a verse, both the immediate context — the verses surrounding our verse — and the broader context — the whole Bible. Let me show this to you with the verse I mentioned at the beginning of this post (the one I said was applied to women that shouldn't be). Psalm 46:5 in the NIV reads:
"God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day."
It's a beautiful verse, isn't it? A lot of other people think so. You can find all sorts of merchandise for women with that verse on it. But the verse is too often applied to women. If you look closer at the full Psalm, though, you will quickly see that the "her" does not refer to a woman at all! If we go back a verse to verse 4, we read:
"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells."
So actually, the "her" in the verse refers to the city of God! Now would it be wrong to say that a woman in whom God is won't fall? I don't think so, at least if we're referring to that which she does within His Will (although in that case, I think the words that would better describe it would be: "Because she abides within God's Will, she will not fall..."). However, that is not at all what the verse is talking about and thus we should not be using it in that context.
Apply It!
So what is my point in this post? I want to encourage you to do two things. First, I want to encourage you to be careful when searching for verses on specific topics in the Bible. Check the context to make sure that the verses you find actually mean what random websites say they mean. Second of all, I want to encourage you to look closer at verses that people use to make a point. Are the people actually applying these verses correctly? We need to be like the Bereans, examining the Scriptures to make sure any teaching, both the miniscule and the far reaching, are actually biblical (cf. Acts 17:11). By doing so, we will guard our hearts from false-teachings that may creep in. Also, if you think of any other verses that are normally taken out of context, feel free to share in the comment section!
Let's Pray:
Dear Lord,
Help us to carefully guard our heart from any false teachings, whether great or small. Remind us to diligently search the Bible to make sure of truth. I pray that You will keep us carefully searching the context of Scripture. Thank You for the many truths that You have given us in Your Word; please help us to apply them correctly.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen