;what DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE A SCRIPTURE OUT OF CONTEXT?

Question

what is taking a scripture out of context: wouldn’t that be if that one scripture didn’t agree with many others on the same
subject,

Answer 1

You take a piece out that proves your point.

But you've failed to read the whole thing, why it was said, and what was happening when it was said.

That's why some of us have problems with people "quoting" the Bible.

Answer 2

"You agree to take a scripture out of scripture." Those are your words from the question you asked. I just mixed them up to change the meaning.

People use Jesus parable of the Rich man and Lazuras to prove people suffer in hell and bliss in heaven. Is this accurate truth? It was a story, not real. The purpose was to illustrate a point, to make it easily understood. Think. If you were suffering a the midst of fire, would you ask for ONLY a drop of water? Turn the fire hose on me!!! Pour a pond on me!!! I want a lake!! This is taking a belief "out of context".

The Bible at Eccles. 9:5, 10 says the dead are not able to feel anything or do anything so are incapable of pain or bliss.

Answer 3

It's on several levels. Taking a phrase from the middle of a verse.

Taking a verse from the middle of a paragraph.

Taking a paragraph from the middle of a thought

Taking a thought from the middle of a book

Taking a book out of the context of the whole bible

Not considering who wrote it and to whom it was written

Not considering that we can not impose Western liner thought to a eastern circular thought book

Not considering the specific culture and people the book was addressed to. A very good example of a book taken way out of context culturally is 1 Corinthians.

Believing that your preconceived notions are correct and all scripture must fit those preconcieved notions.

Trying to apply deeper spiritual principles to a clear passage when you haven't even begun to understand the clear meaning of the passage yet.

Thinking that people writing about the same event must get every detail the same or there is a contridiction. If you really think this is true ask a cop sometimes about how many versions of the same incident he hears in an investigation.

Answer 4

Anyone who tries to change what the author obviously meant, and tries to make the author sound like he is saying something else, is probably taking something that that author wrote out of context.

If you take certain statements made by Abraham Lincoln by themselves, then you can make Mr. Lincoln sound like a racist. Considering that this was the man who ended slavery, do you really think that he was a white supremest?

Common sense suggests that in order to understand what someone means by a certain statement, especially if taking about a statement written by someone who live a long time ago, then one has to consider the literary work as a whole (not just isolated sentences), the history, and the culture of the speaker in order to better understand what he was really trying to say.

Answer 5

It means taking it out of the paragraph or chapter it was in and trying to attribute meaning that doesn't occur in the context of the larger passage.

So like, John 11:35 "Jesus wept." In context, it can be taken to mean that Christ was weeping over the death of Lazarus. When your uncle takes a look at the belly shirt you're wearing with the belly button piercing surrounded by a tatoo, and says, "Jesus wept", he's taking it out of context.

A better example though would be of folks admonishing Christians to Matthew 7:1 7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 1 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 2 7:3 Why 3 do you see the speck 4 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 5 the beam of wood 6 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say 7 to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

The passage isn't saying not to judge, it's saying don't judge by standards you wouldn't be willing to have God judge YOU by. Essentially, it means using scripture to work in favor of your agenda when it really doesn't accurately apply.

Anyway, hope that made sense!

Answer 6

Taking a scripture out of context means trying to twist the words around to mean something it doesn't

Answer 7

Taking a scripture that was meant to prove one thing and use it to make an unrelated point.

Answer 8

It is like you overhearing me say something, and not hearing all of what I had to say. Such as I am caught up at work...which is what you heard, but you didn't hear for the morning. So to understand scripture, it needs to be studied with the rest of the subject it is with. And at times, it needs to be studied with all other scriptures on that same subject.

Answer 9

It generally means that the person is "interpreting" the scripture to support an idea or concept that is not being referenced by the scripture.

For example, those who teach "infant baptism" usually use these verses to support it..

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway."

The supporter of infant baptism insist that there were infants in the household, although there is no indication of this. Also, they do not accept the fact that only the believers, something an infant cannot do, were baptized and that those who were baptized "washed away their stripes (sins). An infant has not sins.

By using these verse to support their theory, they are "taking certain verses out of context", adding information to the verses that doesn't exist, and ignoring portions of the verses.

Another example is found below.

Paul and Silas were preaching in Philippi. They cast an evil spirit out of a slave girl. Her masters had used the demon possessed girl to make money by telling people's fortunes. When they saw their way of making money was gone, they falsely accused Paul and Silas. The two preachers were beaten and thrown into prison. That night, God sent an earthquake which freed the prisoners. The keeper of the prison thought they had escaped. He was going to kill himself, but Paul said: "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." The man fell down before Paul and Silas and said: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Those who teach sinners are saved by belief only stop at this point. But the inspired Word tells more. The jailer was told to believe, but we have already learned that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house." He could not believe until he had been taught. The preachers not only taught the jailer, but "all who were in his house." This means all his family were old enough to hear the gospel and understand it. There were no babies or small children who were too young to understand. Please notice verse 33: "And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized." What hour of the night was it? It was at midnight when the earthquake came (v. 25).

By stopping midway in the story, you take certain verses "out of context" to support your theories. By reading the rest of the story, its complete context, those theories are proven wrong.

That is what is meant by "taking a verse out of context".

Answer 10

2 Peter 1:19-21 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain



19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.