Twisted Scripture
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Intro:
Intro:
Good morning. We’re going to get right into it this morning because I have a lot I want to cover!
2 Peter 3:16 in the broad context of dealing with false teachers says about Paul:
as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
He goes on to say in verses 17-18:
2 Pet. 3:17-18
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
This morning our sermon title is: “Twisted Scripture.”
We want to look at several commonly twisted Scriptures this morning, and show how they are to be used correctly, and point out how they are commonly twisted to one’s destruction.
I’ve got ten or so picked out (and I could have gone with a lot more), so we want to go fairly quickly through each one.
(I’ve also started with a couple of quick and easy ones, in my opinion, and then they will progressively get more difficult, I think).
Quick Ones:
Quick Ones:
Php. 4:13 - (Now I have included this one. I don’t know that a misunderstanding of this particular verse would lead to DESTRUCTION, but this one still is very commonly misunderstood, so I went ahead and included it).
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
What’s the meaning of the verse? “Christ helped me score that touchdown,” or “Christ helped me kick that field goal.” (Tell briefly about “miraculous” field goal in Facing the Giants — Is God capable of helping someone kick a miraculous field goal — Certainly, He has that power).
(But Philippians 4:13 is talking about having the strength to overcome TRIALS as a Christian — much more important than touchdowns and field goals!).
Matt. 18:20 — Now this is a big one that some use toward their own destruction. Why?
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
They use it to their own destruction when they say, “Well, it’s just me and the Lord out there on that fishing boat,” or “in the deer stand,” or “on the golf course” on Sunday morning when we should be in worship services.
Matt. 18:20 has nothing to do with worship services actually — It has to do with the Lord being WITH US in the very difficult task of church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20).
Just like He will be “with us” when we evangelize (Matt. 28:20)!
Same idea.
It’s definitely not talking about, “Hey, use this verse so you can get out of the worship assembly on Sunday.”
Jer. 29:11 — This is an easy one, and like Php. 4:13, if you misunderstand this one, I don’t think you’d be in trouble, but we still need to know what it’s actually talking about!
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
A lot of people put this as their favorite verse for graduations, or just a general outlook on life …
And the verse IS talking about a good outlook … But who’s it for?!
It’s for the Jews coming out of Babylonian Captivity if you read it in context! (So do that sometime).
It’s a very big stretch to take it out of context and say: “Well, I know you worked really hard, and now the Lord knows the plans He has in store for you,” or what have you.
So those were three quick and easy ones in my mind.
Now let’s move on to some other ones.
James 1:26-27:
James 1:26-27:
This one’s not too bad either, but a LOT of people have the wrong idea on verse 26!
James 1:26-27
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
“This one’s religion is useless” (or “vain.”)
A LOT of people ( ironically in the religious world around us today) believe in their heart of hearts that all religion (think PRACTICING of religion) is vain!
Think worship, think morality and lifestyle as a Christian — Now is it true that a lot of people just “go through the motions” and “check off boxes” in the name of Christianity.
Certainly!
But don’t dog the word “religion” because of a few bad actors (or many)!
James is comparing and contrasting BAD religion and GOOD, true, “pure and undefiled religion” in this context!
Matt. 7:1:
Matt. 7:1:
Now we get into the big ones!
Matt. 7:1 —
“Judge not, that you be not judged.
… And a lot of people stop right there!
But what does the rest of it say?
Matt. 7:2-5
For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
In other words, Jesus is dealing with hypocritical judgment in this context!
Same concept is dealt with in Romans chapter 2 when Paul tells the Jews that they are hypocrites in their judgment of the Gentiles!
The same idea is taught in James 4:11-12:
Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
In other words, God is the FINAL Judge/the final authority of whether we are saved or lost — and we better be content to let Him do His job!
But you’ve also got the principle of “judging righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
Jesus says, “Do not judge according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment!”
We’ve got to be able to call sin, sin, and “call a spade a spade.” (Otherwise, who am I to get up here and preach every Sunday?!)
But we’ve got to do so without being hypocrites, without removing specks from our neighbor’s eye when we haven’t removed the beam out of our own!
There’s one more passage we need to reference very quickly here and then we will need to move on, and that’s 1 Corinthians chapter 5:
We need to remember that, ultimately, we have the responsibility to deal with sins “in house,” that is, “in the church,” not those who are not Christians!
(Look at 1 Cor. 5:9-13 and explain the meaning).
John 3:16:
John 3:16:
This may be the most famous of them all!
Certainly this is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, a very important verse — our salvation absolutely is dependent on the concept of this verse!
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Sometimes this passage is summarized as “the greatest.”
For God — The Greatest Being
So Loved — The Greatest Love
The World — The Greatest Group (or Greatest Audience)
That He Gave — The Greatest Action
His Only Begotten Son — The Greatest Sacrifice/The Greatest Savior
That Whoever Believes in Him — The Greatest Action (on OUR part)/ The Greatest Faith
Should Not Perish — The Greatest Escape
But Have Everlasting Life — The Greatest Gift/Greatest Reward
That’ll preach, won’t it?!
But does this verse teach “faith only?”
A lot of people think it does!
But it doesn’t.
It teaches the need to respond to the Gospel SYSTEM of faith, sure!
But not faith, that is belief, ONLY!
How do we know? (Well, because what the rest of the Bible says about the plan of salvation) …
But also because of what the rest of THIS CHAPTER says about the plan of salvation!
John chapter 3 — The same chapter that mentions John 3:16 — also says that one must be BORN AGAIN to be saved!
John 3:3-8
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Furthermore, why did God have to SEND His Son into the world?
Verses 17-19 gives the answer:
John 3:17-19
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
“He who does not believe is condemned already” — Why?
“Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,” AND — “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved DARKNESS (sinfulness) rather than light, because their DEEDS were evil” (sinful actions).
Thus, what is HEAVILY implied here, in ADDITION to the fact that being born again of WATER and the SPIRIT is needed?
Heavily implied is the need to do what with those sins that caused Jesus to come to the cross?
The need to REPENT — Which is exactly why John and later Jesus and His apostles were preaching, “REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It’s why in Mark 1:15 Jesus preached “REPENT and believe in the Gospel!” (You see, we have to take the complete picture, not just bits and pieces like a “buffet.”
Of course, we also know that another part of the complete picture is found in Acts 2:38 - “Repent, and be baptized everyone one of you for the remission of sins!”
But finally, in John chapter 3, also notice verse 36:
John 3:36
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
“But the wrath of God abides on him!”
Why would the wrath of God abide on such an unbeliever?
Because he has not repented and been converted (see Acts 3:19) of his evil deeds — the ones we read about in verse 19 that were the reason Jesus had to come to His cross!
(I think this would be a good time to come to a stopping point and finish part two of this sermon at a later time — Offer Invitation).
Matt. 23:23-24:
Matt. 23:23-24:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
You can keep reading (actually, read the whole chapter for Jesus’ SCATHING rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees)! (We will read some of it in a minute)
Now I want to be careful with this particular passage — We certainly should be careful with all Scripture, making sure we interpret it correctly. (Of course, no Scripture is of any PRIVATE interpretation — 2 Pet. 1:20-21 — Scripture did not come by the will of MAN, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Meaning?
Meaning that there IS a right way and a WRONG way to interpret the Scriptures.
It says what it means and it means what it says.
And as we have been discussing, many untaught and unstable men TWIST the Scriptures to their own destruction. (2 Pet. 3:16)
Therefore the care that we need to take in reading the Scriptures, and the reason for this two part sermon!
2 Peter 2:1 says -
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
Question — As we’re about to read in Matthew chapter 23, could we lump the sins of the scribes and Pharisees in with the sins of the false prophets and teachers that Peter mentions here?
Well, certainly they are in the same vain!
Question — Was everything (and key in on the word “everything”) that the scribes and Pharisees were teaching sinful?
(The answer is no.)
And actually, not EVERY single Pharisee was sinful — We read about a few of them who seem to have been on the right track - Nicodemus in John ch. 3 being one of them — Paul (after his conversion being another one) …
But Jesus is painting with a broad brush here in Matthew ch. 23! GENERALLY speaking, the scribes and the Pharisees were wicked hypocrites (as a whole).
Notice:
Matt. 23:3 - “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that OBSERVE AND DO, but do not do according to THEIR works; for they say, and do NOT do.” (Now why would Jesus tell them to observe and do what they said if EVERYTHING they taught and did was wrong?)
You see the problem with the Pharisees was a HEART problem — They claimed to be followers of God and honored Him with their lips (and even their actions at times), but in actuality their HEARTS were far from Him!
I wish I had time to go through this entire chapter, but for sake of time skip to verse 5 - “But all their works they do TO BE SEEN BY MEN …” (and then Jesus gives evidence of that)
Verse 12 — “And whoever EXALTS HIMSELF will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” — Why did He need to say that here? Because that’s what the Pharisees and scribes were doing in their pride!
(Read quickly verses 13-22 and quickly comment, leading up to the verses we want to look at).
We finally come to verses 23-24 …
Matt. 23:23-24
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
The Pharisees & scribes “missed the forest for the trees,” so to speak — They completely missed the point, and it cost them — They were FAR from God because their hearts weren’t right!
And Jesus tells them — “You pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin — (that is, you get down to the nitty gritty details) — and have neglected the WEIGHTIER matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.”
… And a lot of people read that, and they stop right there — And some unfortunately draw the conclusion that the details don’t matter to God!
Is that what Jesus is teaching here?
No — He says further: “These you ought to have done (the detailed stuff) WITHOUT LEAVING THE OTHERS UNDONE.”
In other words, they’re ALL important …
And the reason you do the “smaller stuff” is BECAUSE of the weightier stuff!
Why should I try my best to get the details right?
Because I’m trying to get the weightier matters right (“justice,” “mercy,” “faith” — we could also mention others like “truth,” “love,” “grace,” etc. because there are plenty of verses that stress those, too) …
You see, the weightier matters are like the big umbrella under which a whole host of “smaller” (in focus) things fall!
Jesus goes on to stress in verse 24 that they were “Blind guides, who strain out a (tiny) gnat” (overreached their authority in the name of keeping the details), meanwhile “swallow(ing) a CAMEL!” (swallowing MAJOR ERROR in the self-righteousness)
The point being in including this section in my list of Scriptures that people twist?
Don’t take the side of the Pharisees!
But also, don’t go too far the OTHER direction and think that the details don’t matter at all (because many DO take that approach unfortunately) …
And we should all approach God’s Word HUMBLY with this attitude in mind:
“Hey, if I’m wrong about something, please show me so I can make correction.”
The Pharisees didn’t have that attitude at all!
Isa. 64:6:
Isa. 64:6:
This one we won’t spend as much time on because it’s similar in scope to the one we just looked at.
But a lot of people will take this verse, and run too far leftward, as well …
Isa. 64:6
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
This is very similar in the point it’s making to Rom. 3:10-12 -
As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”
It’s also very similar to Luke 17:10 -
So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
The idea being that, at the end of the day, were all sinful creatures in need of Savior — and we STILL sin from time to time — but those of us who are SAVED have been moved from the classification of sinner to SAINT — hopelessly lost to sanctified!
Now, here’s where incorrect interpretation becomes problematic with Isa. 64:6 — When someone reads, “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags …” so righteousness doesn’t matter.
Excuse me?
Then why does the verse RIGHT BEFORE IT say, “You (God) meet him who rejoices and DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS, who remembers You in Your ways?” (Isa. 64:5)
It goes on to say, “You are indeed angry, for we have SINNED — In these ways we continue; and we need to be SAVED.”
You read the whole chapter, and it’s a prophecy of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and essentially a letter of repentance to God!
The Bible says over and over again that God requires righteousness:
“Everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29)
“Blessed are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times” (Psa. 106:3)
Matt. 5:20 - “Unless your righteousness EXCEEDS the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
And we could keep going!
But the point being, we are required to live righteously in God’s sight — not SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY (Because even our BEST is not good enough compared to God’s best), but He still requires our best.
Jesus, then, takes care of the rest because …
2 Cor. 5:21 says -
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Eph. 2:8-9:
Eph. 2:8-9:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
This one we’ve dealt with many times, and we will continue to deal with it many times I’m sure because the world gets this so wrong …
But just very quickly — Are these verses saying that grace and faith are the ONLY things that matter when it comes to our salvation?
No, within that big umbrella of grace and faith, you have:
God giving us His Word so we can hear it and produce faith! (Rom. 10:17)
His Word leading us to godly sorrow, which leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-10)
Repentance leading to salvation (again, 2 Cor. 7:10 talks about that).
But JUST repentance? (No, also confession - Rom. 10:9-10) and baptism (1 Pet. 3:21).
And if we look at the conversion of the Ephesians (to whom Eph. 2:8-9 was written), they did those things!
(Read Acts 19:1-10, 18-20).
If the Word grew mightily and prevailed, what does that mean there at Ephesus?
It means that people were being converted (just like those 12 men in the first part of the chapter who had to be baptized in the name of the Lord) …
They were receiving the Word, repenting of their sins, confessing, being baptized — Why? Because of the FAITH that the Word produced in their hearts when Paul and the others preached to them!
Finally, last one …
1 Pet. 4:8:
1 Pet. 4:8:
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
Is that verse true?
Of course! And in the ultimate scheme of things, it’s GOD’S love that we talked about in John 3:16 that covers our sins!
But, does this verse mean that I can just keep on sinning willfully and say, “Oh, love will cover it?”
No, because to think like that flies in the face of the sacrifice of Christ!
Heb. 10:26-31
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1 John 1:8-10
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 John 2:1-2
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Again, love DOES cover a multitude of sins — In fact, that’s a quote from Prov. 10:12, which says …
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
In other words, you’ve got two polar opposites — hatred, which only makes things worse!
And LOVE, which leads to reconciliation after strife.
We are to choose the latter — choose love!
That’s why in 1 Pet. 4:8 Peter says “and above all things have fervent LOVE for one another” because love covers a multitude of sins … Because we NEED that love in order to get along and help one another in the Lord’s church!
Why was Peter able to call Paul his “beloved brother Paul,” even though Paul rebuked him to his face one time (Galatians?)
Because they loved one another as brethren!
Why did Paul write his famous chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13?
Because they were bickering and fighting over tongue speaking in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and chapter 14!
So we need to remember these things when we are working with one another as Christians …
But the verse is NOT saying — “Eh, just sin as much as you want because love will take care of it.” (Rom. 6:1-2)
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
I hope that you have enjoyed this two part sermon on “Twisted Scripture.”
As I have said, I could have talked about many more verses along these lines, and maybe I’ll revisit this at some point.
But for now let’s always remember that ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, it is NOT of any private interpretation, and God has given us ALL things pertaining to life and godliness through it!
(Give invitation).