Taking Single Verses out of Context?

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Starwynd

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Why do people ignore the context of a verse when using it to support their interests and don’t look at the entire chapter for it? It seems to be to be a disingenious tactic, but a common one among believers and non-believers.
 
I think many times people don’t really know the context. They repeat what they’ve heard. For example, one of the most quoted verses is *Judge not, that ye be not judged. *(Mat 7:1)

But you rarely hear this verse quoted, *Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.(Joh 7:24)

*When taken in context these verses do not contradict each other, but people often find the first one more useful for their purposes.
 
Starwynd said:
Why do people ignore the context of a verse when using it to support their interests and don’t look at the entire chapter for it?
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Because it’s easier to learn short verses than entire passages, and because these short verses are passed down through word of mouth more easily.
 
Three other reasons, because the verses
  • are short and pithy
  • seem to enscapulate all the person wants to say
  • are difficult to argue against on their own
 
To read a verse in context, one must read the entire chapter. To read a chapter in context, one must read the entire book (letter/epistles). To read a book in context, one must read the entire New Testament. To read the New Testament in context, one must read the Old Testament. Thank God for the Church who has been working on this for 2000 years to assure we receive the correct interpretation.

May the peace of the Lord be with you,
Prodigal Son1
 
Starwynd said:
Why do people ignore the context of a verse when using it to support their interests and don’t look at the entire chapter for it? It seems to be to be a disingenious tactic, but a common one among believers and non-believers.
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Well, Tim Staples taught us something to the effect that
A text without a context is a pretext for an argument.
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😉
 
Whenever there is a reading at mass- I just don’t read the pericope but read the whole chapter before or after Mass.Clarifies a lot
😛
 
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