Most Misunderstood Bible Verses?

[Krissy Cakes]

What are some of the Bible verses that you believe are most commonly misunderstood?

 

[atpollard]

For DELIBERATELY misunderstood, I encounter 1 Peter 2:24 (who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.) shortened to "by whose stripes you were healed" and used in support of a 'name it and claim it' call for God to remove your back pain or the bunion on your foot. Now I believe that God can heal as much as anyone, but THAT verse is not about physical healing ...

1 Peter 2:18-25 NKJV
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
​
22 ​​“Who committed no sin,
​​Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
​
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

... We have been healed from SIN and born to RIGHTEOUSNESS by Jesus' stripes. It ain't about bunions and having "enough faith" for God to heal them.

 

[tango]

If we're talking verses that are taken out of context I'd start out with:

Job 22:28 - "You will declare a thing and it will be established for you". I've seen churches (and some so-called "prophets") use this verse as if it means we can declare something and it will happen. They literally talked as if they could speak things into being. Sadly the context doesn't support this at all. The words in question weren't spoken to us, they were spoken to Job. Furthermore, they weren't spoken by God, they were spoken by Eliphaz the Temmanite, and we can see what God thought of what Eliphaz had to say in Job 42:7.

Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not, lest ye be judged yourself". Often used as justification to refuse to judge anything because, you know, we shouldn't judge. Except once again the context shows something else. Jesus said we shouldn't try and remove a speck from our brother's eye while we have a log in our own, but goes on to say that we should remove our log so we can see clearly to remove our brother's speck. No sense that we shouldn't be removing the speck, just that we should remove our log first.

Psalm 103:2-3 - "Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases". Wow, God will heal all our diseases? Awesome. Sadly it's something else taken out of context. The psalm was written by David who is recorded in 1Ki 15:5 as being righteous in all things, save the matter of Uriah the Hittite. So if David knew his sins were forgiven he must have written the psalm after the incident with Uriah. So either David wrote the psalm between being confronted by Nathan and his son dying, or after his son died. Given his words after his son died "He cannot come to be, but I will go to him" it suggests that David knew his son was healed but not in the way that today's blab-it-and-grab-it preachers would have us think. He knew his son was in heaven, suffering no more.

Phillipians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ which gives me strength". Great... maybe this overweight 40-something guy can be an Olympic athlete after all. Hey, I can do all things through Jesus, right? Er.... no.

 

[MennoSota]

A top 5 abused verse...
Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)
11*For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Most people completely neglect the verses in front of this where God is sending his elect into exile.
Christians abuse this verse to claim that God will give them wealth, health and a problem free life. The context of Jeremiah 29 is quite the opposite.

 

[atpollard]

For an honestly misunderstood verse, I nominate ...

Acts 2:38-39 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Since many Christians point to this and say "See, we are commanded to baptize babies" and many other Christians point to this and say "See, we are commanded to repent and be baptized". Whoever is right (if either side is correct), then MANY people are honestly misunderstanding what Peter was attempting to say.

 

[atpollard]

Then there are pairs of verses that cannot but invite some confusion:

Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him.
Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes.

Romans 4:2-5 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

 

[meluckycharms]

Sadly, it seems as though 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 are misunderstood as well.

 

[MennoSota]

John 8:32
[32]And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
I have heard people use this in defense of their innocence. The context has nothing to do with an individual's innocence under trial.
Here's the verse before:
[31]Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.
[32]And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The truth is God's word and obeying it.

 

[Lamb]

James 2:24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.