What's the point in quoting scripture?

Question

I mean, if I read Green Eggs and Ham, I can start quoting particular sections off of it and live my life telling people not to eat certain foods with certain animals in certain locations, OR I can realize that the message of the story is to not form opinions of things before I try them.

So, in context: the Bible is a collection of stories. Instead of nit-picking over 2-3 lines of text at a time (ie. those few about homosexuality, etc...) shouldn't you (and you know who you are) be more concerned in reading the WHOLE story and getting the WHOLE message? Maybe something about being nice to other people?

That makes a lot of sense to me. And yet, everyday I see people taking the Bible as completely literal because it says it is and telling other people to live their lives by what uneducated farmers and merchants thought was ethical thousands of years ago.

Have you ever thought that maybe the overall message is more important than what is said?

Answer 1

Even the devil can quote scripture so I agree with your dilemma

Answer 2

That's like saying that the whole car is more important than the engine. You can't have the whole without the parts, and that's particularly true in the case of the Bible.

When I quote Scripture, it's to support a particular point that I'm trying to make. I'm not negating the entire message of the Bible by using one part of it because I've got a pretty good idea how the quote fits into the overall pattern.

And those "uneducated farmers and merchants" were inspired by the Holy Spirit when the Bible was written. They were entrusted with writing down what they were told, but the message was straight from the mind and heart of God.

So you're right in that we have to look at the whole picture and not just cherry-pick the verses that we like and ignore the rest. But there are times when it is a valid scholarship method to use individual verses in support of one's argument.

Answer 3

You are correct when you say "So, in context: the Bible is a collection of stories. Instead of nit-picking over 2-3 lines of text at a time (ie. those few about homosexuality, etc...) shouldn't you (and you know who you are) be more concerned in reading the WHOLE story and getting the WHOLE message?"

However, when someone asks a specific question such as "what does the Bible say about __________?" one uses specific verses to show an over all view of what the Bible says about that subject. In the case of homosexual actions there are many places where "men lying with men" is said to be wrong. However, it is only one sin among many.

The overall message is more important. That message is "do the will of God. Believe in Jesus as Saviour." God's will is to have us by his side. We cannot be there if we willingly sin. It's that simple.

Kev

Answer 4

On the one hand I agree with you. A person needs to know the whole counsel of God's Word and not "cherry pick" verses to try and make a point. My Pastor teaches a series called Grace & Truth About Homosexuality. He doesn't use the Bible to club gay people over the head. Instead he talks about how God loves everyone just the way that they are, but He loves us too much to leave us the way that we are.

On the other hand, the Bible is ultimately authored by the Holy Spirit of God who inspired men to put God's communication to us down in writing. Some of the men were people like Moses who was raised in the King of Egypts household and who had the highest education available to people in those days. The Apostle Paul was a student of one of the most respected teachers in Jerusalem in the 1st century AD. But there are also books like the book of Amos who was a simple shepherd.

So while the overall message is important, your statement that the Bible is telling us what uneducated farmers thought was ethical doesn't do this great book justice. Either we have a Creator who cared about us enough to communicate to us in a supernatural way and more than that, to send his Son to die for us so that we could be with Him for all eternity, or we are all just a big cosmic accident, lost souls spinning down through the vast corridor of eternity with nothing to look forward to but an open grave and oblivion.

Answer 5

Im undecided if I understand what you're asking, besides the shown fact that, i visit assert this: i'm bored stiff in persons quoting scriptures, its meaningless, particularly to those that dont have faith. you would be able to desire to as nicely quote from a Dr. Suess e book. You waste your breath once you quote. All those expenditures are are undemanding strains written via an old guy back in the day. howdy what else grew to become into there for them to do, yet take a seat and write and invent memories. I havent examine the full Bible, yet i certainly have interpreted issues in a diverse way in the Bible from my mom, so i'm assuming that categorical issues in the Bible are interpreted in different techniques, which may well be a reason human beings think of in a diverse way approximately what the Bible truly says.

Answer 6

do you know WHAT the whole message is? can you identify a unifying theme? to me, it's like listening to your favorite song...say, free bird-you can enjoy the song as a whole, but when you're listening, don't certain parts of the song stand out? can't you pick out a particular part where you really dig on the keyboard work, or the drums, or a particular lead run? for me, there is a rest just before an intense lead riff that just sends chills up my spine...what i'm trying to say is, that if you reduce the bible to one homogeneous 'theme', you miss a lot of the nuance, the drama, the pinpoint-straight-to-the-heart answers to what's going on in your life, right here and right now...if you can sum the bible up as nothing more than 'something about being nice to other people' and 'what uneducated farmers and merchants thought was ethical thousands of years ago', you haven't even read a cliff's notes version of the bible, and have completely missed out on the most important part of the whole thing-Jesus Christ-His life and ministry, His teachings and miracles, His death and resurrection...for the understanding you've shown in your post, you might as well stick to dr seuss...

Answer 7

Often when I see the quotes from the scripture here in response to a question, there is no point. I too have read 'Green Eggs and Ham', and I appreciate what Dr. Seuss did for children's education more than sending them to Sunday School. You have raised a good point, it is up to us to continue in the tradition of Dr. Seuss, and be creative for the future generations, and not nit-pick whether we could eat green eggs and ham in a box with a fox or not. Of course the overall message is more important than just a passage.

Answer 8

I believe that you are certainly right on the point that we should be much more courteous toward others and I have been much too negative this evening. I am sorry for that. I personally believe that the BIBLE is GOD's inspired Word and that it is important to read, study, and obey it as it is written. I am sure that you do not believe this is the case and I will never argue with you on that. I do generally mention Book, Chapter, and Verse so that a person may find where my scripture comes from. Please do not fault me for that. I certainly would not fault you for living your life from the Green Eggs and Ham Book if you chose to do so. I do not mean to aggravate you over this. Have a great evening and a wonderful week!
Thanks,
Eds

Answer 9

What's funny is that in the King James Version, the words homosexual or homosexuality do not exist. That's just an aside though.

The reason that Christians quote the Bible is that they believe the Bible to be the complete unerring text given by God to man as a complete set of rules as to how a life should be lived. The quotations are justifications for their positions and rebukes towards other people. It's much easier to point to a perceived deficiency in another than in oneself. Basically, we all like to point to the wrongs in others, and it's much more "fun" if you have "the word of god" to back you up.

Answer 10

Quoting scripture? When the question asks what the Bible says or what Christians should believe or do, I feel that an answer WITHOUT scripture is not a legitimate answer to the question. I realize that many people call themselves Christians and do not study or try to live by the Bible, but that claim alone does not make one a TRUE CHRISTIAN:

Matthew 7:21 “NOT EVERYONE who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. ONLY those who do what my Father in heaven wants will enter.
22 “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord! Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we drive out demons in your name? Didn’t we do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will tell them clearly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!’

Hummm. What makes you think that the change of medical opinion in the 1970's, if I remember right, was actually CORRECT?

Until some time VERY recently, homosexuality was considered a mental illness by psychiatrists. The Bible clearly teaches that it is a CHOICE and many of those who have been "cured" of it over several centuries agree with that assessment...

People like a friend of mine:

http://www.dennisjernigan.com/About/DJsTestimony/tabid/85/Default.aspx

Dennis Jernigan, a popular Christian singer and song writer was FORMERLY HOMOSEXUAL. This is a link to his testimony. It may help you better understand the truth.

Answer 11

All the individual parts of the bible are in fact part of the greater message. And as long As these quotes are in context they still support the greater messeage, the better way to live ones life.