Twisted Scripture

Starting next week, I'm going to start a series I'm calling “Twisted Scripture.” It will address a verse or passage that is commonly used in contexts where it does not belong, or pulled out to mean something that it does not mean. As Christians who want to ensure that we “rightly divid[e] the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), we must consider issues as we come to a passage of Scripture:

• To whom was this written?
• What do the verses around this say?
• What would the original audience have understood the message to be?
• What principles apply to this today?
• Where the Bible speaks to this issue in other places, what does It say?

The goal is to ensure we understand the literary, historical, and textual contexts of a passage, as we work to understand exactly what it means. Of course, there will be passages where good-willed people will differ on interpretations; generally speaking, though, it's pretty easy to spot twisted Scripture.

Up first - Matthew 7:1.