Most Abused Verse Ever
So..............what verse do you think has been the most misused, abused, misappropriated, wrongly applied, misinterpreted, and any other term you can think of that I am leaving out, but is applicable? I have one picked out, but I want to wait and see what the consensus is. I will give you a hint..........mine is in the New Testament.
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Have you ever heard of Imad Mughniyah? If not, you might want to do some research. From what I am reading and hearing, he makes Osama look like a Dollar Store shop-lifter or small town con artist. There are evil people out there, folks. Duh.
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Just two more days before the Shepherding Conference at Pleasant Valley. I get the feeling several of the churches here in Searcy did not even promote it to their folks. It would be interesting to find out WHY they didn't do so. My guess is FEAR. There are several congregations around here that operate out of a FEAR mentality. All you can do is pray for them and love them...........and hope the scales fall off of their eyes and hearts some day.
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Lynn Anderson is our Sunday morning speaker for Downtown this coming Sunday. Services will be held in the Benson at 9:00. If you are not a regular at DT and want to come hear Lynn, please know that we would LOVE to have you visit!! I can promise that you will be blessed by sitting at his feet. I know the time of praise will be awesome also.
18 Comments:
I'm not thinking of a particular verse, but I think the worst misuse of scripture is using it in fear of doing something wrong, to the exclusion of the real message of joy and hope which it gives. This is easy to do, especially if the reader is a new babe, but inexcusable from anyone who has had any experience with Jesus and has seen his own reaction to the Pharisees and Scribes misuse of scripture in the same way.
My son and I were just talking about what I think is the most abused verse. Philippians 4:13. "I can do everything thorugh him who gives me strength." We have used that for a self-help verse for many years. "You can do anything!!!" Read the context. Paul is talking of contentment. He can be content in any and all circumstances because Jesus is his strength. That's my abused verse. Thanks for the challenge!
One of them would have to be 1 Timothy 6:10. Most people think it says that money is the root of all evil.
In reality it says, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..."
I will go with Revelation 22:18 (b)
"If anyone adds anything to what is written here , God will add to that person the plagues described in this book"
Of course the "a" part of the verse says "And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the PROPHETIC WORDS OF THIS BOOK...
For the CofC--Eph 5:19--sing and make melody in your heart--means no instruments. ???
Are you going to the Shepherding Conference--if you do--please enjoy--and give us a full report when you get back!
Ok, I take the bait. There are several:
Amos 3.3, "Can two walke together, except they be agreed?" (KJV)
Leviticus 10.1-10, Nadab & Abihu
2 Sam 6, Uzzah
Phil 2.12, "work out your own salvation in fear and trembling" (we never get around to finishing the sentence in v.13)
1 Cor. 14.40, "decent and orderly" (but we completly ignore v.39 "do not forbid speaking in tongues")
2 Jn 9, "Whoseuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God" (KJV, sic)
James 2.24, "you see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."
I better stop because my list could grow considerably.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
http://stoned-campbelldisciple.blogspot.com/
Hey David,
Great question.
One is Matthew 18:20. "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." I have heard so many people use this verse to skip church and go to a ballgame. As long as I go to the game with my pal, there's two of us and we can consider it "church". This used to bug me to death when I was little, because I thought, "Does this mean if I don't have another person with me, then God ISN'T with me?" This verse is in the context of church discipline decisions. There's one.
Also, Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." No one bothers to read ahead, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." This doesn't mean we cannot call something evil "evil". It just means that the same standards we use on others will be used on us. Therefore we ought to be forgiving and merciful if that's what we want. Certain things we should judge very critically, such as the crowd we let our children run around with. Is it wrong and judgmental to forbid a teenager from hanging around a bunch of potheads trying to influence them for evil? This verse is often quoted by people to say, "don't use discernment". I don't believe that was its intention. We just need to be ready to take what we dish out.
That's really cool that Lynn Anderson is coming. I wish I could hear him. Talk to you later.
My $.02:
"Judge not, lest ye be judged" - the agnostic's favorite weapon against principled, discerning believers
OR
The ever-present John 3:16 Bannerman football ad... that has morphed into the Austin 3:16 WWF wrestler's schtick.
How about:
1 Corinthians 14:34
...women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.
I'm tired of some of the old interpretations of that one.
hey, ldqn, i think that verse applies to blogs, as well :-)
There are some good nominations out there. As soon as I read the question I thought of the same verse as Jim White - Philippians 4:13. But those others are good considerations as well...so what's YOUR answer?
Touche', Don.
Hearty chuckle!
I'll go with I Cor. 13:10: "...but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." That some use this to "prove" that the Holy Spirit has somehow "disappeared" is completely beyond me. That interpretation presumes to know what "perfection" or "that which is perfect" is, and that it has come. It often assumes that the Bible - written, collected and canonized hundreds of years later - is the aforementioned "perfection." It therefore accuses the Holy Spirit (or at least the idea of giving man the Holy Spirit, or of giving man the gifts of the Holy Spirit) of being imperfect.
'Scuse me?!?!? Wasn't it God's idea?
There just isn't an atom of evidence for the point of view that God's gift of the Holy Spirit had an expiration date.
2Tm:3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
When we include New Testament writings here we do error. Paul wrote this at least three hunderd years before the new Testament was cannonized. Unless Paul was a prophet he could not have been talking about New Testament.
If you notice Paul refers to Old Testament when talking to Timothy about his upbringing.
From Dan Campbell: the most abused verse is "Thou shalt not kill." This is really saying you shouldn't murder, but has been applied to police action, wars, etc.
i've not heard of Imad, but your comparison is enough to cause an uneasy feeling about what plan he's cooking up to outdo Osama.
As far as C of C misuses, for me it would have to be Eph.5:19, and Col.3:16 to mandate accapella music in the assembly as doctrine. I love accapella but its not the only type of music that lifts me up. Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp and FFH are just a few artists who help me worship my God every day of the week.
So what is your most misused verse Mr. Underwood? Inquiring bloggers gotta know!
Keith
David,
Just read your post and came away thinking about your comments regarding fear. Unfortunately, that is the posture of far, far, too many churches. I suspect such a posture has some profound implications for people in those congregations.
Thanks....
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