Season: 10 Episode: 150
Listen to episode 146 in Spanish:
Summary:
How do you know if someone is misinterpreting Scripture? Shanda goes through some of the most misintepreted BIble verses today and how to spot when someone takes a verse out of context. You’ll learn the top three rules to properly study the Bible, and how to choose the right teachers that will help you grow out of the milk of the gospel.
Quotables:
Recommended Resources:
Cross Examined Article: Is Teaching Your Kids About God Child Abuse?
Website: shandafulbright.com
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Email: hello@shandafulbright.com
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Register for Shanda’s next class: The 7 Churches in Revelation where you’ll not only critique the churches of the 1st century and how their problems relate to the 21st century church, but you’ll also learn how to study the Bible like a scholar: https://www.shandafulbright.com/shop/
Episode 229 Notes
Today we’re talking about the most misunderstood verses in the Bible and that has a lot to do with not knowing the skill of studying the Bible. Studying anything properly is a skill. But any skill must be taught, it is not innate, meaning it doesn’t come naturally. In college, I had to learn how to study to pass my classes. So how much more do we have to learn how to study the Bible?
I thought it would be fun to do an episode on the most misused and misunderstood verses in the Bible, and as I was thinking on some of the pushback I get over certain verses, the more I realized that there are quite a few and we might not be able to address them all in such a short period of time. So we’ll do our best for this episode.
Classes and Updates
Before we get into that, I have a couple of things you might be interested in coming up. First, I am teaching a class on the 7 Churches in Revelation – it’s 9 weeks and not only will you learn the content for these first 3 chapters of Revelation, you will also learn how to study the Bible because the study guide walks you through when to look up words, what tools to use in the study, and how to answer the questions you need to know for proper interpretation of the text.
I taught this class before and the ladies loved it. It was very in depth but not too much where you don’t understand or feel overwhelmed with the content. So go to shandafulbright.com/shop to register for the class. You get 9 zoom sessions with PPT teachings with me, the links to the recordings, and the PPTs in case you want to teach this class after you take it. If you don’t want to join the zoom sessions, you can still print the study and do it independently. When I say this is a great study, I mean it’s a great study. I love this one!
Retreat in Asheville, NC
Next month I’ll be in Asheville, NC for a women’s retreat and we are going through my study Reflections of Eve. If you are hosting a conference or event and need a speaker, email me at hello@shandafulbright.com and I’d be happy to be part of it.
Also, we are going to dedicate the spring episodes to marriage, family, and parenting. How do we raise teens? If your kids are young adults and still live with you, do you let them have free reign or do you have boundaries in your home? If marriage is hard, is divorce easier? How do you have a relationship with adult parents? I want to talk about things that most podcasts don’t talk about. I don’t feel like there is a lot of help for parents of teens, and I have so many questions and some things I’m figuring out on my own (with the help of my husband, of course), so I want to talk about that with you. That will begin around April and we have lots of great episodes coming before then.
Alright, so this is what we have planned today:
- How do you know if someone misinterprets scripture?
- What are some of the most misquoted and misinterpreted verses?
- How do we make sure it doesn’t happen?
How do you know when someone misinterprets a verse?
To interpret means to understand or to bring meaning. So the purpose of proper interpretation of Scripture (the fancy word for it is called hermeneutics) is to understand what God is saying to us. The number one reason for misinterpreting scripture is when we isolate the verse.
For example, I’ve talked about this before but people quote Matthew 7:1, Do not judge or you too will be judged” all the time. Or they’ll just say, “Don’t judge.” But is that what Jesus is telling us? When you pull one verse out of a passage and only quote that one verse, that is called taking a verse out of context. The definition of context is, “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.” So if you isolate a verse, you will misinterpret it if you do not fully understand its context.
I am going to explain how to make sure this doesn’t happen in the third segment of this episode, but if you see one verse or hear someone quote one verse, you have to ask if that verse is taken out of context and the only way to know is to go back to the passage the verse is in and read it in context.
Does that mean you can’t quote a verse at a time?
No, not at all. But if someone says the Bible tells you not to judge and they give you Matthew 7:1 as their proof, you might look up Matthew 7:1 and see that they’re right. But if you go to Matthew 7 and read from verses 1-6, you will come to a different conclusion and realize Jesus never said not to judge – He’s telling you how to judge correctly.
So be on alert when someone quotes one verse.
What are some of the most misinterpreted verses?
Whenever I post that you are not supposed to love yourself first, so many people get upset and tell me that God does say to love yourself before you love your neighbor. But let’s go back and look at the command:
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Notice here that Jesus is being tested by an expert in the Law.
That means we have to go back to the Old Testament since that is where the Law was given, and this expert specifically wanted to know what the first and greatest command is. Deuteronomy 6 tells us about the Shema – to hear. And It says, “Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one .. and you will love the Lord your God with all your hear, all your soul, and all your mind.” Leviticus 19 lists other laws against your neighbor and verse 17-18 says to love your neighbor as yourself. When you look at the Ten Commandments, you will see that verses 1-4 are all vertical commands – your relationship with God. Verses 5-10 are horizontal commands – how this effects your relationship with others (aka, your neighbor).
And then we have other verses in the Bible that tell us to deny ourselves, think of others more highly than we think of ourselves, that our hearts and deceptively wicked in all its ways and who can know it? Does that sound like God is telling you to love yourself? I mean, if God is telling us to love ourselves based on this one portion of Matthews 22:37, “love your neighbor as yourself” then we are really stretching this verse and there is nowhere else in scripture where love yourself is commanded, confirmed, or even written.
My question is: why do people want to love themselves so much?
Why is it so important to love yourself? It’s the same as forgiveness. So many Christian women say they need to forgive themselves. Where in the Bible does it say you are supposed to forgive yourself? It doesn’t say that. God loves you and God forgives you. You don’t wrong yourself when you disobey God. You wrong God. God’s love, as well as His forgiveness, is enough for you to accept and then extend that same love and same forgiveness to others. That’s why the commands of God are vertical – your relationship with God first – and then horizontal – your relationship with your neighbor. There is no third option for your relationship with yourself. That’s just weird.
Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear.
Another verse is, “Perfect love casts out all fear.” This is found in 1 John 4:18. People have quoted this verse to me when I was struggling with anxiety and I never understood it. How does perfect love cast out fear? Does that mean we don’t love well enough if we fear? Once again, this verse is taken out of context. For full context, let’s revisit 1 Jon 4, starting at verse 15. It says, 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.“
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
Notice here that John is speaking of God’s judgment.
When we are in Christ, we do not fear God’s judgment because those who are in Christ will not suffer God’s wrath. But those who are not in Christ are under judgment and they should fear. John’s not talking about our perfect love, He’s talking about God’s perfect love toward us. His love for us gives us confidence on the day of judgment rather than fear. Those who fear are not confident. Likewise, those who are confident do not fear. So this isn’t about being anxious and worried about anything – it has to do with God’s judgment and the context really helps put this into perspective.
Do you see how putting the verse back into the passage helps it make sense right away? You don’t even need to go to a commentary for the understanding. But isolating verses is so dangerous.
The next one is Romans 8:28.
This is one of my favorites and I quote it a lot. Again, looking at the whole context, Paul refers to the sufferings in this life. He mentions that creation itself cries out for redemption because it too is subject to the Fall. But the fall does not have the final say. God is still sovereign over all and His plans cannot be thwarted by the evil and the hardships in this world. Paul goes on to say what our response should be in the hardships of life and the reality that God works all things together for our good – if God is for us, who can be against us. in verses 31-38 that nothing can separate us from His love.
What this doesn’t mean is that I can sin and do what I want because God will work it for my good anyway. Someone once told me that maybe God allowed her to get pregnant outside of marriage because it made her a better person. Is that what this verse means?
Does it mean we can sin and violate God’s commands because it will work for our good?
Go back up to the beginning of chapter 8 and re-read. The entire reason for the mess this world is in is because the enemy told Eve she could eat from the fruit and be like God. He told her she wouldn’t really die. The consequence is death. Did God remove the consequence of sin, which is death? No, He did not. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to redeem us back, but we will live in a fallen world. We still suffer. We still groan. The earth still cries out. Hebrews warns us not to use grace as a license to sin. So we must understand what this verse means.
I think Joseph’s life is the best example of this. He was sold into slavery at the hands of his jealous brothers. He was wrongly accused by Potipher’s wife and thrown into prison. Joseph was forgotten by Pharoah’s cupbearer and bakers until God decided to use him. He ended up being second in command of Egypt and by the wisdom God gave him, he saved many people from one the most, if not the most horrific family in world history, and was able to say, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good and saved many people through me.” May it be said of us – is what Paul is saying. I don’t want God to use my sin for His good. I want God to use what the enemy meant for evil and use it for His good. That is what Romans 8:28 is about.
Ok, the last one we’re going to talk about is Matthew 18:20.
Many people often quote this verse when a small group is gathering to pray. Jesus says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” So does that mean when you pray alone Jesus isn’t with you? What does Jesus mean when He says that when two or three gather in His name He is with them?
Let’s put this verse back into context and find out. We’ll start at verse 15. “15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
What does it mean?
Notice here that Jesus first mentions the two or three when He talks about the second step in church discipline – taking the witnesses with you asa you confront the brother or sister in Christ who will not listen to you. Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 19:15 which says, “15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. bOnly on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”
Jesus is saying that the witnesses are not the only ones bringing the accusation against the brother but He is there with them. The two or three witnesses do not get to wrongly accuse the brother or sister. The judgment is in accordance with God’s word and with a loving and humble spirit.
But the point here is that this verse does not mean Christ is with two or three who gather in prayer. We know that. If He never leaves you nor forsakes you, then it follows logically that He is with a group of people – large or small.
How do we make sure we do not misinterpret scripture?
Rule number one: never read it out of context. If you take a verse out of context, you are likely going to misinterpret it and if you misinterpret it you will misapply it. There are many other verses taken out of context that we didn’t go over. But the rule of thumb is to always read the verse in context for proper understanding.
Rule number two: check the meaning of the words. I check for the original language and I always look up the meaning of the words. Looking up certain definitions is a natural part of my study time. Don’t assume you know what words mean. You might also read the verse in multiple translations. I feel like it helps with understanding from every angle.
Rule number three:
Use the proper study tools like commentaries, Bible Hub, Logos Bible software, and other study tools. I think it’s ok to do bible studies written by people but you won’t learn how to study the Bible on your own that way and you are being led down what I call a funnel of study – which is that author’s teaching and then application.
Right now, those in my Patreon group and I are studying the book of Ruth. One study is by Kelly Mentor and the other study is by Life Change. Kelly Mentor’s study does draw more of the emotion out of the study. What I mean by that is she really hones in on Ruth’s position of being a Moabite in a foreign land – Israel. She discusses the pain Naomi went through going back to Israel, describing herself as bitter and empty. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a lot of the application questions are about the times in our lives we’ve felt like an outcast, or we prayed for something and it didn’t turn out like we wanted or we had to wait for the Lord. None of those things are bad in any way.
I do think there is a time and place for these types of studies. But I will say that this type of study will stunt your growth as you become hungry for more of God’s word. They will not teach you how to observe the text, ask questions, define words that YOU struggle with, and allow the Holy Spirit to convict you through questions of His own. It can happen of course, but it could be more difficult to nurture. These are just some things I’m noticing and things that might challenge each of us to take our studies further.
As a teacher, I know a few things a student doesn’t often thing of:
- Your teacher can either stunt your growth or help you grow. That’s it. That might seem obvious but let’s break that down for a minute.
Jesus tells us in Luke 6:40 “A student is not superior to his teacher; but everyone, after he has been completely trained, will be like his teacher.” So let’s dive into this deeper – You will not be greater than your teacher, meaning, you will not grow beyond what the knowledge of the one teaching you. Think about it. Your only option is to know as much as him or her.
Jesus said, “Once a student is fully trained, you can be like your teacher.”
A fully trained student will know as much as the teacher, not more. That means you can outgrow your teacher. Or your teacher can stunt your growth. Hopefully you get a teacher who can take you to the depths of knowledge they have gone and are going because a teacher is forever a student too. Now let’s apply this to some of these women’s bible studies – if you are a baby Christian, hopefully you are learning from a wise Bible teacher. But at some point, you are going to outgrow these Bible studies and want more.
When I taught the youth at my church, I started to do Bible devotionals with them to encourage them to get into the word. But there were several months when that is all I did. My time consisted of devotionals and I started to feel unsatisfied in my own time spent with the Lord. I knew right away that I was turning back to the milk and needed solid food. So I started doing my own studies again.
So be mindful of your teachers.
Be mindful of the content you are studying. And then ask yourself how to keep making steps toward growth. The author of Hebrew says this in 5:12-24, “12 By now you should be teachers. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the first things you need to know from God’s Word. You still need milk instead of solid food. 13 Anyone who lives on milk cannot understand the teaching about being right with God. He is a baby. 14 Solid food is for full-grown men. They have learned to use their minds to tell the difference between good and bad.”
These people are being rebuked for their lack of growth. My goal for everyone who listens to me – especially on this podcast because this is where I teach once a week. If you take my classes then that means you also get to learn focused content from me. But my goal is that you learn, that I motivate you to read and learn what you believe and why you believe it, and that you create these spiritual disciplines in your own life SO THAT you can become the teacher.
Now, I’m not saying everyone should sit behind a mic or stand behind a podium, but if God calls you to it and that burns in your hear, go for it.
But you can teach a small group in your home.
You can teach in children’s ministry. You can teach your own kids at the table or in your living room or in the car on the way to soccer. My kids probably wished I wasn’t a teacher, but it is what it is. Teaching is a skill and a skill can be learned. But you cannot teach what you don’t know so for the love of all that is good and holy, don’t try it.
Close:
Alright, so we started this episode by taking about he most misquoted, misunderstood bible verses today and I wanted to bring awareness to this so that you understand why this happens: When scripture is isolated, it is misinterpreted, and if it’s misinterpreted it’s misapplied. That’s called eisegsis. The definition per Oxford is, “the interpretation of a text (as of the Bible) by reading into it one’s own ideas.”
That is the wrong way to interpret scripture.
We want exegesis: “critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.” Scripture cannot mean something today that it didn’t mean when it was written. We have to learn how to study the Bible and then we will be biblically minded and live it out.
In the future, I hope to have an honest critique of both of the Ruth studies I mentioned here. My Patreon group will be done with the both studies by April 13th and then I will pull out the pros and cons for my listeners. I hope to do this with more women’s Bible studies – not so that I can be critical, but so that you are more equipped to choose the right studies for your level of learning and then push beyond that for growth.
Remember if you want to join my Patreon group, find me there at Shanda Fulbright and if you want to join my 7 Churches of Revelation class, go to shandafulbright.com/shop to register. It’s going to help you learn how to exegete scripture. If you have any questions for me, email me at hello@shandafulbright.com and I’ll catch you on the next one!
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