Wednesday, 09 July 2008
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Read The Bible Before You Quote It
One morning, I found myself in an extremely uncomfortable conversation. At 6:15 a.m., a painter on one of my accounts told me that he "wanted it all." We'ed noted earlier that working early means ending early, and for me, this was just another benefit of my job. He, on the other hand, didn't want to work at all. "If all the world were holiday, then to play would be as tedious as to work," I quoted. "It's good for us to work."
"Yeah, right! I want money, fun, ease...no work!"
"But God made us to work," I said, to which he asked what god I meant, and we discovered we were both "Christian." His kids apparently go to a Christian school, and he claimed attendance at some church.
"No he didn't," the guy continued. "Garden of Eden, baby! Adam and Eve were meant to have fun!"
"Uh, no," I said. "God put Adam in the Garden to work. Before sin entered the world, Adam was tending the Garden."
"Really?!" he said. "I don't believe that."
"Well, you need to go read Genesis 2 and 3," was my counter-point.
Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15, NASB
I was nice to the guy...nice enough apparently for him to ask me out to lunch to "debate scripture." Ick! So disgusted...the second offer at a meal with some man this year has to come from another fiftysomething who doesn't read the Bible enough!
I'm so sick of people who try to win an argument or validate their opinions by inaccurately using scripture!
As I was fuming over the conversation, and even more over the fact that this creep was flirting with me, it suddenly struck me that I might've quoted the Bible incorrectly myself in the past. I wonder how many times it's happened...
How often do you encounter scripture being used inaccurately? Have you ever accidentally done it yourself?
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Comments (24)
If I am not sure I look it up before I quote.
I really dislike misquoted scripture or when someone tries to say something is in the bible that isn't
Honestly, I misquoted. But, my mistakes has been fewer as I studies more the Bible and grown spiritually.
I remember when I first became Christian I liked to quoted Psalm and Proverbs a lot. I´m glad that I was corrected and learned more about the scripture.
Misquoting is avoidable and correctable. We should always be open to to correct and be corrected with gentleness and Christ-like.
great post. I've done it. Never been in your situation, though. Debating scripture is a weird past time (?)
@Andyshs@xanga - I agree. Each time I begin arguing about faith, I remember all the times Solomon told us in Proverbs to not argue with fools or enter into foolish debates. Can't God defend himself?
But this was a situation in which I felt I could quickly end the argument with Biblical fact. Yes...wierd past time. --Miss Goldenrod
grr, all the ads and whatnots are covering your entry. i can't read a thing...
If I'm ever unsure about a Bible verse, I'll be sure to put that addendum in there... "It's mentioned in Timothy... I think."
The worst thing, is when they have the evidence contrary to their point staring them right in the face and they still refuse to admit that they're incorrect.
In other words, I completely agree with you. ^_^
I rea and study multiple different "translations" and "paraphrases" of scripture so instead of trying to quote it directly I will tell someone that I'm quoting "terri's revised standard edition" of the passage and encourage them to look it up to see whether they get the same meaning from it that I did. I AM able to give them the reference numbers to check it.
hmm, i've definitely misquoted. but now when i dont know, i just say i don't. its better than misrepresenting God because we're not humble enough to admit our lack of understanding. and just remember that its a priveledge to be sharing God's word with people :) God doesn't need us to defend/ argue for Him anyway.
I think before the fall, "work" didn't really have the connotations that it does today...boring, meaningless (at times), tedious, unpleasant. Remember that it wasn't till after the fall that thorns infested the ground so that man would have to "work" to make food. I think that work was and still is meant to be the joyful outflow and byproduct of being relationally connected with God in covenant where His thoughts, desires, and passions are woven into our very heartbeat (if we let ourselves close enough to Him).
So...in a way you were both right. There was work in the garden, but it wasn't work the way we often think of it today.
I also used to think in terms of "reading enough" but how much is enough? If reading scripture is good then why not spend the entirety of our days in hermitage reading and praying? I think that God meant for life to be a joyful, life-filled, loving cohesion of ours and His hearts, and I don't believe that's something that we can make happen by quiet times. It happens by connecting relationally with Him. We really can do more powerful Kingdom stuff in becoming one with Him in 5 minutes of relationship than 5 hours of quiet time.
Who cares about being right in scripture? I say just connect with the guy and hear his story, help him to discover his heart because in there he will discover his Lord.
meh, it's better than people who take a verse here, a verse there, and assemble them in to a paragraph as though the Bible is just plain full of interchangeable parts.
"God helps those who help themselves..." right?
I dont know, I hope I quoted a scripture correctly,I normaly dont quote it to people.
I dont memorize scripture that much.
somtimes I memorize scripture to raise money for church camp.
I agree with you, working is good becuase when you work it helps other people, like dentists they work to fix teeth so people can have stroung healthy teath for eating.
$!N(#R|Y M3
Funnily enough, most of the Christians I know can't even quote the Bible accurately. It's sad.
I never have, because if I'm unsure I don't state I do know. Having said that, as everyone has stated here, the Lord doesn't need us to defend, but rather spread the truth. There's a difference. The person wanting this debate will find out soon enough. It's all the Lord's work.
Furthermore, the famous "Eye for an Eye" verse has been used SO incorrectly (especially in capital punishment debates). It's actually hideously amazing.
Many people would beg to differ with me here, but really if you read through Matthew 5:38-42, you'll see that the "eye for an eye" the passage tells you not to resist an evildoer, but also not to react through evil.
Actually, I think he was just trying to be friendly and discuss the Bible with you. Everybody interprets it differently, of course. :)
I haven't read it myself (and I'm somewhat ashamed of that) but I seem to know a surprising amount of it. I think it's because my mother read it to me by the time I was one years old. Apparently if you do that your baby is blessed. (Aww. :))
But now I feel like reading it... thank you so much for putting that feeling in there!
@shedinator@xanga - And it's even worse when they make a sermon of doing that very thing.
@ThepersonwithoutC@xanga - When I was in Sunday school the teacher quizzed us on that one. It's Benjamin Franklin by the way. (Also attributed to others)
All the time. And yes, I have done it.
I try to look now before quoting, or let the person know that I'm not 100% sure, but that I will be sure to find the exact reference and exact words and tell them.
Also though, interpretations can be different. So, it's not always necessarily a mis-quote, just a different interpretation. Sometimes.
If someone gives me a verse or two, I usually look them up and read the verses before and after them, just to see what their reference was, because sometimes people do take them out of context...and it wasn't really saying what they think it was at all. It's interesting. :)
@Tom - Definitely. I watched a pastor read 23 different verses in the Bible with the word "rock" in them and explain how every time a rock was referenced in the Bible, it meant G-d. This would've been fine if he was talking about the wise and foolish builders, the Rock of Salvation, or the rock with the cleft in which we hide our soul, but he also included the rock which Moses spoke to and got water and "on this rock I will build my church." According to this guy, the reason Moses couldn't go into the promised land was that when he struck the rock with his staff, he was actually hitting the Lord. I asked him afterward how he dealt with the whole Peter/Cephas thing, and whether it was a huge coincidence that after changing someone's name to "Rock" he spoke of building his church on a rock.... he told me people who claim that are reading too much in to a very straight forward passage, and then continued on about the Catholics being the whore of babylon
It was quite entertaining.
wow... let me count the ways...
i got 5 rules for CORRECT Biblical Interpretation:
1. CONTEXT
2. CONTEXT
3. CONTEXT
4. Scripture cannot mean what it was never meant to mean
5. A narrative is not normative
which is why i think we fail to see the true scope of Jeremiah 29:11...
i've come find out that that particular verse is SOOOO taken out of context and now i'm finding my philosophy based on that verse to take on a more "counter-Christian cultured" ideal....
but yea... read it in context then connect the points...
5 rules for Correct Biblical Interpretation... i love it...
i get annoyed when ppl attempt to quote the bible to their convenience and then do not even try to back up what they are saying with other credible verses. if i am unsure i will say that i will look it up in a bible.
Adam was investing his soul in meaningful labor, not trading away his soul for the economic rewards of meaningless toil. Those who believe are wise to find their calling and pursue a path that honors the soul God formed within them. Work: yes. Work that blesses and helps others: definitely yes. Meaningless trivial pursuits in order to buy more toys for yourself: let's not.
I like your posts
please keep writing!
منتديات حوامل |
الولادة الطبيعية |
الولادة القيصرية |
الحمل والولادة |
دردشة حوامل |
اطفال الانابيب |
اعراض الحمل |
علامات الولادة |
علامات الحمل |
الاجهاض |
ملابس اطفال |
مراحل الجنين |
الوحم |
حساب موعد الولادة |
حساب الحمل |
طرق الحمل |
علامات الحمل بولد |
علامات الحمل بتوأم |
بعد الاجهاض |
اسباب الاجهاض |
الحمل بعد الاجهاض |
اعراض الاجهاض |
حكم الاجهاض |
حبوب الاجهاض |
الاجهاض المنزلي |
الاجهاض بالاعشاب |
تنظيف الرحم |
الدورة بعد الاجهاض |
الرحم بعد الاجهاض |
نمو الجنين |
مراحل نمو الجنين |
مراحل الحمل بالصور |
ولادة طبيعية يوتيوب |
الاجهاض المتكرر |
الوحم اثناء الحمل |
علاج الوحم |
اعراض الوحم |
متى يبدا الوحم |
تحديد موعد الولادة |
جدول الحمل |
طريقه الحمل |
حبوب ياسمين |
حبوب جينيرا |
حبوب مارفيلون |
ايام التبويض |
فترة التبويض |
ايام الحمل |
التبويض عند المرأة |
التبويض بالصور |
علاج تكيس المبايض |
تكيس المبايض وعلاجه |
منع الحمل |
ولادة طبيعية |
ولادة فيديو |
ولادة قيصرية فيديو |
اسماء بنات مواليد |
اسماء بنات |
اسماء مواليد جديدة |
حبوب منع الحمل |
التبويض |
تكيس المبايض |
المبايض |
فساتين حوامل |
فترة النفاس |
مراحل الحمل |
حبوب الحمل |
اللولب |
موانع الحمل |
اشهر الحمل |
سكر الحمل |
هرمون الحمل |
هرمونات الحمل |
علاج الحمل |
الجماع والحمل |
لمنع الحمل |
اضرار الحمل |
ايام الحمل |
اختبار الحمل |
اختبارات الحمل |
تحليل الحمل |
الولادة المبكرة |
صور ولادة |
فيديو ولادة |
اسماء مواليد |
ازياء اطفال |
صور حوامل |
علاج العقم |
ازياء حوامل |
نمو الجنين |
جنس الجنين |
حركة الجنين |
هدايا مواليد |
الولادة |
حبوب الحديد |
تسهيل الولادة |
مستشفى الوطني |
مستشفى العسكري |
مستشفى الدمام |
مستشفى الولادة والاطفال |
مستشفى الولادة |
الرضاعة الطبيعية |
الرضاعة الصناعية |
ملابس حوامل |
الحمل الكاذب |
الطلق الصناعي |
تأخر الدورة |
الالم الدورة |
حبوب الكلوميد |
الكلوميد |
حمض الفوليك |
حبوب الفوليك |
دخول في الشهر العاشر |
نزول المشيمة |
نزول الدم اثناء الحمل |
غذاء الحامل |
الجماع اثناء الحمل |
الجنس والحمل |
الأزياء |
علاج الغثيان |
علاج الإمساك |
الختان |
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الاكسسوارات |
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العطور |
العناية بالشعر |
العناية بالبشرة |
الرشاقة |
الرشاقة والصحة |
العروس |
السوق التجاري |
الوظائف النسائية |
المشكلات الأسرية |
المطلقات |
الأرامل |
الدايت شوب |
ديكور المنزل |
ديكور المطبخ |
الطب البديل |
الصحة الغذائية |
الحمل الكاذب |
الحمل خارج الرحم |
حساب الوزن |
التحويل الهجري الى الميلادي |
حساب العمر |
التجارة الالكترونية |
بوابة التجارة |
منتدى التجارة |
منتديات التجارة |
منتديات تجارية |
أمازون |
بيدز |
بايز |
منتجات أبل |
آي فون |
البلاك بيري |
بنوتات |
منتديات بنوتات |
منتديات نسائية |
العلوم الطبيعية |
منتديات تعليمية |
منتدى التعليم |
منتدى التربية والتعليم |
دم الحمل |
تحليل الحمل المنزلي |
اسباب تاخر الحمل |
تنظيم الحمل |
الحمل الطبيعي |
بعد الحمل |
حساب الحمل والولادة |
صور الحمل |
المواد التعليمية |
العلوم الطبيعية |
تحاضير العلوم الطبيعية |
المواد العملية |
تحاضير المواد العملية |
اللغة الانجليزية |
تحاضير اللغة الانجليزية |
العلوم الدينية |
تحاضير العلوم الدينية |
اللغة العربية |
تحاضير اللغة العربية |
التربية الخاصة |
الاجتماعيات و التربية الوطنية |
تحاضير مواد الاجتماعيات |
المواد العملية |
تحاضير المواد العملية |
محو الأمية |
رياض الاطفال |
مجموعة اتفاق |
إتفاق |
تاخر الحمل |