Pick up any English dictionary and you’ll find that words have multiple and slightly different meanings. How do you know which specific definition is intended for the words used within sentences? Context! How the words are used will help determine which meaning was intended.
For example, the word love has multiple meanings. In fact, the Greek language has six different words for the concept of love. When a Greek text is translated into English any one of the Greek words is usually translated into the single English word love. The context in how the word love is being used helps determine what kind of love is being expressed.
Another example, when the Bible uses the word sinner (or ungodly) it can mean very different things. Sometimes it means one who is repentant, regenerated, or believing. (Psalm 25:8-10), (Romans 5:8), (Romans 4:5) Othertimes it means one who is unrepentant, unregenerated, or unbelieving. (Psalm 1:1-2), (1 Peter 4:18), (2 Peter 3:7) The context in how the word is used determines what is meant.
Like individual words, the meanings of phrases, sentences (or sentence fragments) are also dependent on the context in which they are used. Satan likes to use the oldest trick in the book of pulling individual sentences or verses from the Bible to use them out of context[1] to twist their intended meanings and draw people away from God’s true Word.
Satan used this out-of-context tactic on Jesus after His forty days and nights in the wilderness (Matthew 4:5-7). He tried to convince Jesus that He [Jesus] could recklessly jump off a pinnacle because Scripture said the angels would save Him from disaster (Psalm 91:11-12). Notice how Satan changed the context of the passage by leaving out the fragment “…to guard you in all your ways” from the Psalm. Taken in it’s full context, the passage in Psalms does not mean that we can tempt God by doing anything we want, but rather that the angels will help protect us in our daily circumspect walk of life.
In the essay, Be Zealous and Repent I noted an example of this out-of-context[2] tactic used to pervert the passage “…you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14b) to claim that believers can safely ignore God’s commandments.[3] The true meaning is immediately evident when placed within the broader context of the chapter (Romans 6) and indeed is rather a call to heed God’s commandments as His servents and to strive against sin.
Have you ever heard the verse from Matthew (Matthew 7:1) ripped out of context? What does it really mean in the broader context (Matthew 7:1-5)? Is the main point of the passage about judging or is it about being a hypocrite?
Context really does matter, without it meanings can be twisted into the opposite of what was intended. Have you noticed words, phrases, sentences, or verses used out of context to twist the true meanings of biblical passages? Please reply and share your example.
[1] Also known as proof-texting.
[2] See also the Quoting Out of Context Fallacy.
[3] a.k.a. Antinomianism.