Three Reasons Fueling the Misinterpretation of the Bible

There is a widespread misuse of the word of God today even among some of the so-called people of God. But for the sincere followers of Jesus Christ, there are many ways to avoid this evil of wresting the Bible, the Word of God.

In this study, I discuss the three commonest reasons why people often misunderstand or misinterpret the Bible. I also provide some tips on how to avoid the problems so as to make the best use of the Scripture. I hope and pray that it is a blessing to you.

For one reason or the other, the Bible is often taken out of context. This leads to the wrong application of the truth of Scripture, which in turn can have devastating consequences. The following are the common causes of the misuse of the Bible.

1. The Lack of Knowledge

It takes tremendous amount of effort and consistency in learning to possess good knowledge or Godly wisdom. This is what many people cannot afford to do, hence the widespread biblical ignorance among even the believers.

We read many times in the Bible that the ignorance of the truth, or lack of knowledge can have many serious consequences. Look at these verses for instance:

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Just imagine how many people are believing obvious lies and being led astray today. Sadly, many of these lies come directly from some pulpits. But the people believe them anyway because of their ignorance of the truth. The point is that ignorance can do a lot of damages to you.

Reading the Bible Wrong

This lack of knowledge, that sometimes results in the misinterpretation of scripture, can manifest itself as early as during the initial reading of the Bible. When some people read the Bible, they read it the wrong way. Let me explain what I mean.

The Bible is a Book of Books, with each Book in the Bible containing many verses. But all these Books and the verses of the Bible work closely together to present the main theme of Scripture.

Unfortunately, many people read and apply the verses of the Bible in isolation from the surrounding verses. By so doing, one verse is used out of the context of the passage. This always leads to the wrong interpretation and application of scripture.

The Wrong Reading of Matthew 6:33

There is also another problem of not paying attention to what the text says as you read. For instance, I have heard many people, including Pastors on the pulpit reading Matthew 6:33 and saying:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all other things shall be added unto you.”

I don’t know what kind of Bible they read, but my Bible does not say “all other things.” It says “all these things.” What does your Bible say?

When it come properly interpreting and applying that verse, there is a big difference between “all other things” and “all these things.” So, pay a close attention to the texts as you read them.

I am speaking now about those who do this unknowingly due to their ignorance of how to handle the Bible. They just don’t know any better. Of course I understand that there are those who purposely wrest the scripture for their own ungodly motives, but I will address them later. (Click here to learn how to study the Bible.)

Dealing with Ignorance

The lack of familiarity with the Bible should not be a permanent problem. No one is born with the perfect understanding of anything. Those in our days who seem to possess great knowledge of scripture did not get there overnight. It took them years to training their minds. And anyone can do the same.

The way to achieve this is to determine to learn, study and study! In addition to your Bible, get  yourself as much study aids as possible: cross-referencing tools, reference Bibles, study Bibles, dictionaries and concordances. Take classes or watch lessons on how to study the Bible if you need to.

Above all, as you read the Bible, make effort to read Books and not just verses. Every Book in the Bible has a beginning, an end, and a central theme. Get familiar with as much Books in the Bible as possible by reading them from the beginning to the end. This will help you get the whole story together in your mind, rather than fragments here and there.

The call to study the Scripture is not a negotiable one. It is essential for us to be who God wants us to be. And it is also the only way out of the ignorance of the truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

So, study, study, and study. That is the solution to ignorance. The more you learn, the more you know!

2. The Resistance to the Truth

The second reason why the Bible is often misinterpreted is because many people are unwilling to accept what it says at face value. These are not those who do it ignorantly, but those who purposely manipulate the word of God to fit their lifestyles and choices. In 2 Timothy 4, we read these words:

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

In the previous Chapter of the same Epistle, the Bible says:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Changing the Truth of God

Rather than submitting themselves and yielding to the commandments of God, these ungodly and fleshly people would rather re-write or change the interpretation of a clear Bible verse to conform to their ways of life.

An example of this is when someone is called out for immodest appearance and responds that God does not look at the appearance but at the heart. So, the appearance does not matter. That is an example of how you twist the Bible. God calls for both internal and external modesty.

Are You Willing to be Changed

Please note that God has no regard for those who do not tremble at His words (Isaiah 66:2).

God looks for those who will approach Him and His words with a contrite heart, ready to be changed and transformed by Him. Not the one unwilling to be challenged or convicted by the truth. Everyone of us will have to choose where we stand on these issues.

Are you willing to be changed by the word of God, or are you looking to change and re-write His word to conform to you? If I were you, I would go with option A because there is no benefit in resisting the Word of God.

3. The Influence of the False Teachers

This is a big one. False teachers and their false teachings have always been the greatest enemies of the truth. They are just like the people mentioned in Point 2, except that false teachers have influence over more people. This makes them dangerous as their choices affect or determine the choices of many other people.

The Bible speaks a lot about the false teachers, their false teachings, as well as their motives:

Acts 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Be Careful Who You Follow

There are many in positions of influence today in the Christian circles who are also living questionable lifestyles. To get around this, they find verses in the word of God to distort to support their ungodly lifestyles. By so doing, they present piety to the people while wallowing in sin and ungodliness.

Therefore, be careful who you follow and/or to whom you listen. We are commanded in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:1-5) to turn away from those who are lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God. We express our love for God in the way we keep His commandment.

False Teachers Abandon the Truth

Apart from twisting the Bible, another  strategy of false teachers when they want to disobey the scripture is to  completely abandon the Bible and claim that God spoke to them to do what they do. Thereby placing their so-called personal revelation above the Scripture.

A good example of this, which by the way, many people will not like, is when a woman tells you that God appeared to her and called her to be a Pastor. Well, there are clear passages in the Bible that specifically state that the office of the Pastor is for the men.

Be careful who you allow to influence you. Believe the Bible first before believing anyone who speaks to you. This is essential especially because you will be held accountable for the truth you did not obey. And ignorance is no excuse here because you are responsible to learn and obey the scripture. That is a command in the word of God.

There is no excuse for misunderstanding and/or misinterpreting the word of God. There are possible solutions to all the three problems discussed in this study.

Begin with the unbroken desire and effort to learn and understand the word of God. This will take time, but with consistency, you can improve on your knowledge every day. As you do this, determine to submit yourself to the truth of scripture. Do not resist it whenever you are convicted by the Word of God.

And finally, avoid the sugar-coated messages of the false teachers. They will only lead you astray. If you are a true Christian, God has equipped you with all that you need to learn and grow in His truth. With the Bible in your hands, and the Holy Spirit indwelling you, all you need is the desire and effort to know and follow the truth.

As you seek God through His Word, He will manifest Himself to you abundantly. And it will be the best experience of your life.

Thank you for reading!