Making the Bible Say What We Want
A risk in the Christian life is making the Bible say what we want. We all do it, but it is never good, Let’s think about this.
God moved people to write certain things in the Scriptures. These people were real people in real cultures at a real place and time. God and the writers meant something when they wrote. Many times their situation or culture makes what they did seem not right to modern Western eyes. However, we can know what they meant. The Scriptures also have several different genre. We cannot read Proverbs like we read Galatians or like we read Ecclesiastes.
Given that this is true, going to the Scriptures to prove something that we think is doubtful is a problem. We may be able to make the Bible say something that is not actually in God’s heart for us. That is not good. We would hate to put words in God’s mouth.
How Often Are We Making the Bible Say What We Want?
I often recall a verse when I write here. That is different then my going to the Bible to prove God loves Democracy. I may be able to find verses to support my idea that God loves Democracy, but that was not God’s or the writer’s intent when they wrote the Bible. I should not try to prove that from the Bible.
Sometimes, I think the Bible said a certain thing, and I look for it and am disappointed as, apparently, the Bible did not say what I want. I have to back off of my idea as my thesis was wrong.
Many times the issues are more subtle. We do not even realize it, but as we read the Bible, we are making it fit our view of life.
In Hebrews 10:24,25 the Bible says:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The only text in the Bible that commands us to be in fellowship says we must be mutual. All of us face risks that we will make God say something that he does not. As we speak aloud our ideas, we can get insight from others to help us not go astray. It is invaluable in such settings to have people from different cultures in our mutual fellowship. All Americans could have some similar biases, but a guy from Honduras may have a different bias. Each person, by their own family upbringing and personality, also bring certain biases to the faith.
We need to pay attention to reading into the Scripture as opposed to getting God’s thoughts out. When we are making the Bible say something, we ought to know it and back off.
