Any Bible verse can either harm us or give us life, depending on how it is used. To understand a verse well, we must put aside our own understanding of what it means and let the Holy Spirit minister it to us afresh. That way, its meaning is grasped by revelation and interpreted in our hearts by the Spirit of God. If we force verses to fit into dogmatic boxes, we become ensnared by confusion. We cannot understand the Bible with our intellect alone, but only by a deep, interactive relationship with the Holy Spirit.
It should be no surprise, then, that some of the most beautiful and potent passages of scripture are commonly misused, trapping God's people in cages unfit for the human soul.
Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
This verse is often taught to mean that everything is essentially under God's control and that even if we can't see the reasons behind our hardships, it's all working together for our good. This might sound comforting, but it does terrible damage to a person's relationship with God. If something tragic occurs, such as the untimely death of a loved one or, God forbid, the death of a child, the idea of an inscrutable plan loses all power to comfort. The believer is left with a monstrous image of God, subconsciously fearing who he will 'take' next. In the context of the passage, Romans 8:28 can only be about God bringing us through to victory, working in all things for our good. He is on our side.
Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Much like Romans 8:28, this verse is often quoted to offer comfort to a person who is struggling with a difficult circumstance, the message being – 'God knows what he's doing.' This is a major misinterpretation if we consider the context. The preceding verses talk of God freely pardoning us and having mercy upon us, and the verses immediately following show how mercy unfolds into a blessing, culminating in the promise that we will go out in joy and be led forth in peace. The higher ways of God, therefore, are mercy and pardon, abundant blessing, joy, and peace.
Job 1:21b
"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
This verse, too, is used to justify the idea that God is in control of everything that happens to us. It's important to remember that Job is a book in which most of the material does not reflect the nature of God. For example, in Job, God and Satan could be interpreted as a tag team that works together to test the righteousness of human beings – a common misunderstanding in the Old Testament, where God is seen as the author of both good and evil and Satan is essentially his minister of wrath. Jesus corrected that understanding, but in the book of Job, God is not well understood by either Job or his three friends, and many of their theological statements are simply untrue. If we believe that God 'takes' our loved ones, we have zero chance of trusting him.
Romans 9:21-22
"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?"
The book of Romans ought to be understood as an argument where Paul presents both sides of the debate. In context, Romans 9 is about God choosing the Gentiles as recipients of his grace, which was something many Israelites struggled to accept. Until that time, the Israelites had seen themselves as God's chosen people, and Paul established that it was God's right to choose who he would be. Ultimately, God has compassion for both Jews and Gentiles, which means that he has exercised his sovereign right to choose by choosing everyone.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."
This scripture is used to justify the repression of women, enforcing a 2000-year-old culture in modern society. In the not-too-distant past, Bible verses were used to justify the institution of slavery and to argue against its abolition. This verse, specifically, was quoted to argue against giving women the right to vote. Such passages need to be reframed by their cultural contexts and applied entirely differently today.
Matthew 25:46
"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The words "eternal punishment" here are mistranslated. The word "aionios" is better understood as "an age" or "an eon," with a beginning and an end. For the first 500 years after the ascension of Christ, Christian teachers taught and wrote about "aionios" in this temporary way, but tragically, the repainting of God as a vengeful, eternal torturer altered the very heart of our faith. Similarly, the word for punishment is "kolasis," which is best understood as a redemptive process that is inflicted for the betterment of the person being punished. Kolasis is the chastening of the soul, leading to the acceptance of grace.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
To put it simply, 'God-breathed' and 'useful' do not mean flawless. The writers' weaknesses and limitations must also be taken into account. Jesus is the Word of God; the Bible is a resource the Holy Spirit uses to point us to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears."
This verse is used to argue that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased to function after the Bible was canonized in 382 AD. This doctrine—cessationism—is not a sensible interpretation of this verse and robs believers of a close walk with the divine.
2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
This verse was a promise to Israel, who had a covenant with God that he would protect their worldly territory if they were faithful to him. The Kingdom of God, however, is not of this world. It has no borders or territories and does not expand itself by force. This verse is often claimed as a promise of God supporting Christian Nationalism, but Christian Nationalism is against the Gospel and anti-Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul called us competent ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Let's approach the scriptures humbly, with our hearts and ears tuned to the Spirit and our eyes firmly on Jesus, who is faith's ultimate fulfillment.
The Bible is a treasure trove of wisdom, but its power lies in the Spirit, who breathes life into its words, not in rigid or misapplied interpretations. When we approach scripture with humility and an openness to the Holy Spirit, its true purpose—revealing the heart of God—becomes clear. Let us remember that Jesus, not dogma, is the living Word, and through Him, every verse finds its ultimate fulfillment.
