On Scriptures Taken Out of Context

Type of Doctrine: Debated

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

-2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

Why Does It Matter?

What are we to think when someone takes the Scriptures out of context? Specifically, not just lifting a verse out and quoting it (although that can sometimes be problematic), but I mean when someone interprets or applies the Scriptures incorrectly. This article will provide a few thoughts on that subject.

But first, let's do some hard work to triage this issue. This is a challenging topic for theological triage. It doesn't seem to be a secondary issue, since we wouldn't say: "Some churches think it's okay to take verses out of context and other churches do not." Though some preachers may take verses out of context, I don't know anyone actively arguing for taking verses out of context. We wouldn’t treat it like baptism, church government, or another secondary matter like that.

Likewise, it doesn't seem to be a tertiary issue, since we wouldn't say: "Well-meaning Christians disagree about whether you can take verses out of context and still attend the same church."

The fact that we're talking about the interpretation of God's words seems to imply this would be a primary issue. Moreover, Satan seems to be the master of deceptively twisting verses. However, among Christians, often a verse seems to be taken out of context by accident. We've probably all misinterpreted or misapplied a verse before. When a preacher takes a verse out of context, that is more surprising (since extensive study should help prevent it). While a primary issue could mean someone is not a Christian, surely if someone makes this mistake that doesn't necessarily mean the person is not a Christian.

As you can see, it is a debated issue concerning triage. Still, we should strive to interpret and apply God's words faithfully. Imagine an ambassador in a foreign country misrepresenting their country. We do not want to mislead other people or stand before God having to answer to him for misrepresenting him.

What Is It?

So, what does it mean to take Scripture out of context? Typically, when this phrase is used it means to say, teach, interpret, or apply a verse in a manner that is incorrect and incompatible with the context of Scripture. Occasionally this can happen by simply lifting a verse out of it's context and quoting it where it seems to mean one thing when it doesn't. However, this article will focus on the typical usage of the phrase: when someone teaches, interprets, or applies Scripture in a way where it seems like it violates the context.

Paul wrote to Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15 ESV). Listen to this note from the ESV Study Bible,

Do your best, i.e., "Be zealous" (Gk. spoudazō). The believer must zealously pursue God's approval. One way to do this is to make sure one is rightly handling Scripture, which contrasts with the meaningless disputes of the false teachers.[1]

In the context, Paul is talking about the false teachers who continually engaged in meaningless arguments. Paul is telling Timothy that is not the correct way to handle the Scriptures. Yet, we know that Paul had no problem arguing about significant theological issues (e.g., Galatians). Also, Peter says this:

15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 

-2 Peter 3:15-16 ESV 

Thus, the right way to handle the Scriptures is by avoiding meaningless arguments and disputes while also interpreting and applying them correctly!

"There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures." - 2 Peter 3:16b

Here are a few thoughts on interpreting and applying Scripture:

• Keep in mind exegesis vs. eisegesis

  • Exegesis = extracting the meaning out of the Scriptures

    • This is what we want!

  • Eisegesis = importing a meaning into the Scriptures

    • This is what we want to avoid!

  • When we approach Scripture, we should focus on pulling out what is actually there rather than reading our own ideas into it.

• When we read Scripture, it is important to consider this: It can't mean now what it never meant back then.

• Now, that should be qualified. Sometimes Scripture fills in more details later on. For example, we shouldn't interpret the Old Testament as a Jew would. Instead, we have a New Testament which gives us the rest of the story. Therefore, we should interpret the Scriptures in a Christian manner.

  • Click here for more on the different views on that subject, "How Is the Bible Relevant Today? | 4 Views."

• It is debated by scholars concerning whether there is one main idea in a passage or multiple main ideas.

• Further, there are multiple contexts. What is the context? The sentence? The paragraph? The chapter (which wasn't original)? The book of the Bible? All of the books by that author? The portion of Scripture (i.e., law, prophets, wisdom, gospels, epistles, etc.)? Or the entire Bible? Or perhaps we should interpret in light of all of these contexts?

• A postmodern, relativistic view of truth is often subjective. In other words, someone may say: "This passage means this to me." However, Scripture is an objectively true document. In other words, the passage means something regardless of my thoughts and feelings. It is objectively true.

• Concerning application:

  • There are often many valid applications.

    • This is why you may hear many pastors preach the same passage and yet it sounds different. If they have interpreted it correctly, they will all arrive at a similar place on the interpretation (of course unless it happens to be a passage which discusses a secondary or tertiary matter). However, there are often many valid applications from a text. A pastor who knows his sheep may discern that one or a few of those valid applications would be the most helpful for his sheep at that time.

  • BUT . . . there are also invalid applications. In other words, there are some applications that are simply wrong and unbiblical.

Application

We should work hard to figure out what the text meant to the original audience. Then, we should determine the application(s) for us. It shouldn't mean something for us that it never meant for them.

Where Can I Learn More?

End Notes:

[1] ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008), 2340.