Why do some Christians pick one or two verses to belive?

Question

Being raised in a very strict Christan home, and denomination, I was often confused about what I was taught. Like Deut 22:5 Abomination to wear slacks for women. But if you follow pieces of the law, shouldn't you obey them all? If Jesus fulfilled the law and we aren't bound by it any longer like they teach, then why pick out several pet verses from the law, and make them your doctrine? And there are more scriptures that they would pick one verse out of to preach, and their interpretation was totally out of context with the rest of the chapter like the one for not wearing jewelry they quoted I Peter 3:3-4, but when read with the rest of the chapter it means you are to treat your husband well. When you point these things out, they say you have to take it on faith, or you aren't saved. Or you are rebellious and don't want to follow the Bible. I resolved for myself to follow the actual Scripture, but wonder how my family and old friends can be so decieved.

Answer 1

Bottom line is that the people don't actually read the Bible. They listen to their preacher or preist interperet the Bible and tell them that this verse says they can't be gay or this verse says they can't have a tattoo.

They don't acutally know that the same passages prescribe death for anyone working on Sunday, suggests killing any male who cuts the hair around his temples, allows them to own slaves and sell their children into slavery and suggests death for anyone eating seafood without fins or pork. Most do not follow those rules, because they are not preached in churches on Sunday.

Anyone holding up one verse as a maxim or law is trying to support their own personal agenda by implying that God wants it this way. I can find support for just about any action, good or bad, by picking a single verse out of the Bible. The fact that the Bible is unwaveringly interpreted as God's law is mistake of huge porportions. The bible was written by man and is subject to cultural, temporal and personal biases. I know that people will start saying that the writers were inspired by God, but it would seem that God would know the difference between leprosy and common mold, yet Lev 13 and 14 says that anything with mold on it must be burned or put though an arcane pruification ritual because it is a form of leprosy. That is written as God's law, but surely God would know that mold is not leprosy.

People just need to read more and start thinking for themselves.

Answer 2

The problem is when people don't read scripture in its full context to understand the point. You can pick out any one verse in the Bible to make it say what you want it to, however in order to really understand the Bible you need to read the entire passage surrounding the verse, and think about the historical situation. The example in Deuteronomy (one of the most difficult books in the Bible to decipher) about women not wearing men's clothes may have been a problem back then. There were no slacks or pants back then, everyone pretty much wore robes.

When people take one passage and make it say what they want, that is a sign of a corrupted version of that religion. It means that someone who claims to be a leader in that religion is not there to do God's work, but to do their own work in the name of God. They are basically using that religion for their own personal gain and power. Check out the book "When Religion Becomes Evil" by Charles Kimball.

I hope that helps!

Answer 3

What is lacking in most cases is a accurate understanding of the Scirptures.And yes,some do have favorite Scriptures they like to use out of context to back up their belief.
The Bible teaches that Satan is "blinding the minds of the unbelievers so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ who is the image of the invisible God might not shine through"(2Cor.4:4).
It suits Satan's purpose to deceive people so that they dont come to an accurate knowledge about God and his purpose for mankind.

Answer 4

I think its important to realize that no man could have followed the law completely to every letter...i think God new that and Christ removing the burden of the law and opening the age of grace was his plan.

Its also important to remember that when you say the law is gone to fully define the law. God is the same now and than and always so what he exoects of you really has not changed. Christ summarized the law into this:

Matthew 22:36-39
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.


The law in the aspects of sacrificing animals to cover sins, and other levitical laws are gone and passed. Grace covers your transgressions but there is still a good bit of OT law that although covered by grace should still be paid attention to. For example tithing. I hear people say that tithing is old law and therefore no longer should the church adhere to it. Well first look at it logically the church has bills and as the body of believers of that church we have a obligation to assist with those and the help of missionaries ect. Also look for the promise associated with it. Did you know that tithing is the only place in the bible that God actually tell you to call him on something?

Malachi 3:10
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

dont be so quick to dismiss the old testament...like you said christ came not to dismiss the law but to fullfill it.

Answer 5

Well it sounds like you did the right thing in using your brain and reading it for yourself to see what it actually says. So many Christians are blindly following their preachers, pastors, fathers, etc. there is no man who does not sin and no man who does not make mistakes. Therefore if you read it for yourself and ask God for guidance in understanding I think you will get a much closer actual interpretation of what was meant in the scripture.

Answer 6

Your point is valid. People do very often make the mistake of interpreting the Bible incorrectly. Their very mistake is in that--the purpse of the Bible is to live by it, to prayerfully read the Bible, asking God to give you the understanding of what you read and the implications of it for your life.

You made a very good point when you stated that some people isolate one verse without reading the entire context from which it is taken. One must also remember the context in which the author of each book was writing. For instance, it is important to know that in Paul's letters, he is writing to new converts to the faith all the while thinking that Jesus was to return in his lifetime. Was he wrong about that? Sure! But what he writes to his converts contains spiritual wealth and advice for us today.

Answer 7

Deut. 22:5 Reads "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this." If you take it at face value that Men and women should not wear each others cloths but if we look deeper into the verse it say that men should not pass themselves off like women and women should not pass themselves off like men.

Answer 8

There is some absolute craziness in there. See this link for some examples: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp

You can't take everything in the Bible at face value, no one does that. It just depends on how much you want to follow and how much you want to ignore. Christians are given the choice of taking parts of the Bible or dismissing all of it because of a few "bad apple" verses; most of them choose to follow as much of it fits with their own moral compass.

Answer 9

Over all that nitpicking stuff in the bible. It all comes down to one thing. Are you born again. If you are you know what that means. Basically have you accepted Christ as your saviour and Lord. Do you have a relationship with him?? first and formost that is the only important thing you need to know/have.
God loves you just the way your are no matter what you wear. I dont think clothing, jewlery or hairstyle is that important as your relationship with him.

Answer 10

So, what do you want me to say?...you should always follow the Bible for all matters of life and faith. People can always find reasons not to follow and obey God Word.