taking verses out of context

[deb1]

This is a rant-I admit it. Even though I try really hard to be polite to everyone on the boards, I think that I will loose it if I hear one more Fundamentalist quote a verse out of context.:tsktsk: I am coming from a Protestant background and was strongly encouraged to read the bible and memorize verses. Now there is nothing wrong with memorizing verses and all Christians should immerse themselves in the bible. Lately, though I am becoming more and more aware of a troubling practice among these same Protestants that I once belonged. By taken verses completly out of context and not including the surronding text Protestants misrepresent and misunderstand what the bible says. Take the verse on ‘call no man father’. Reading the surronding verses quickly tells the reader that Jesus is talking to hyprocritical Pharisees’. A lot of Fundamentalist call themselves ‘bible believing Christians’ and are very proud of the title. Yet they seem to actually understand very little of what the bible actually says. It is as though-I suppose that I did this once-they jump over anything in the bible that doesn’t match their beliefs! I am sorry to go on a rant but this is really begining to irritate me!

 

[Palatine]

I hear ya. I grew up Catholic but almost all my friends were Baptist, and I almost got sucked out of the Church until the Holy Spirit blew me back in–and into a Seminary at that!

Since my reconversion, I’ve been intense about apologetics, especially towards Protestants, and I continually see the same thing you do–verses taken out of context just to fulfill an agenda, or, amazing enough, simply because they took their Pastor’s teaching as truth (Sola Scriptora, right? ) and never investigated the verse themselves…

I don’t have much else to say, just sympathizing

God bless!

 

[Scott_Waddell]

While I certainly think the chapter and verses added to Scripture in the Middle Ages adds much convenience, there is a tendency for people clinging to the incoherent Bible-Alone presumption to see Scripture as the code of church law.

Scott

 

[geezerbob]

What bugs me as much as quoting verses out of context is ignoring all of the verses that contradict their theology. Then, when you bring them up, they tell you that you’re misinterpreting.

:banghead:

 

[Everstruggling]

Here is an on-topic joike:

A man decided that he was going to live his life in strict accordance to the bible. Every day, he was going to pick to verses at random and follow them to the letter. On the first day he picked up his bible and read “he went and hung himself”. Then flipped to a different page and read “go and do likewise.”

 

[ahimsaman72]

Everstruggling:

Here is an on-topic joike:

A man decided that he was going to live his life in strict accordance to the bible. Every day, he was going to pick to verses at random and follow them to the letter. On the first day he picked up his bible and read “he went and hung himself”. Then flipped to a different page and read “go and do likewise.”

very cute. I like that - even a sola scripturist can appreciate that joke.

 

[Liberian]

Everstruggling:

Here is an on-topic joike:

A man decided that he was going to live his life in strict accordance to the bible. Every day, he was going to pick to verses at random and follow them to the letter. On the first day he picked up his bible and read “he went and hung himself”. Then flipped to a different page and read “go and do likewise.”

That is a good one.

On the third day, he read “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

• Liberian

 

[Pug]

What annoys me is the post that consists entirely of scripture chained together to make a point that it clearly doesn’t make, and then if you ask about it, they just point back to it again. Grrr. Hardly helpful on a *discussion *board.

If someone just quotes a verse, I take it as an opportunity to discuss its meaning. I understand your annoyance, however. Frequently the verse has some code meaning for them that you have to have sat through the sermons that they have to know the context behind them. Watch out, Catholics do this too, but its meaning usually isn’t based on a sermon.

 

[laadan]

deb1:

This is a rant-I admit it. Even though I try really hard to be polite to everyone on the boards, I think that I will loose it if I hear one more Fundamentalist quote a verse out of context.:tsktsk: I am coming from a Protestant background and was strongly encouraged to read the bible and memorize verses. Now there is nothing wrong with memorizing verses and all Christians should immerse themselves in the bible. Lately, though I am becoming more and more aware of a troubling practice among these same Protestants that I once belonged. By taken verses completly out of context and not including the surronding text Protestants misrepresent and misunderstand what the bible says. Take the verse on ‘call no man father’. Reading the surronding verses quickly tells the reader that Jesus is talking to hyprocritical Pharisees’. A lot of Fundamentalist call themselves ‘bible believing Christians’ and are very proud of the title. Yet they seem to actually understand very little of what the bible actually says. It is as though-I suppose that I did this once-they jump over anything in the bible that doesn’t match their beliefs! I am sorry to go on a rant but this is really begining to irritate me!

Would you explain the contex to of the following verses used to explain purgatory?

Mt. 5:21-26; 12:32
Lk. 12:58; 16:19-31
1 Cor. 3:10-16
1 Pet 3:19; 4:6

 

[exoflare]

Taking verses out of context is a time-honored practice, used most famously by Satan when he tempted Jesus in the desert. Not sure if he was the first one to try it, though.