The Most Misused Verses in the Bible: Surprising Ways God's Word Is Misunderstood

By Eric J. Bargerhuff

High-Interest Guide Sure to Spark Curiosity and Conversation

A surprising number of well-known Bible verses are commonly misused and misunderstood. Whether intentionally or not, people take important verses out of context, and pastor and Bible scholar Eric J. Bargerhuff has seen the effects: confusion, faulty decisions, sin being dismissed, and more. With a deft touch, he helps readers understand and apply sound principles of interpretation and application of twenty familiar verses. This concise high-interest approach appeals to the curious as well as readers concerned about incorrect theology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: May 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781441270078

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© 2012 by Eric J. Bargerhuff

Published by Bethany House Publishers

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Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Ebook edition created 2012

Ebook corrections 06.14.2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-7007-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007

Scripture quotations identified NIV 1984 are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

All italics in Scripture, added for emphasis, is the author’s.

Cover design by Dan Pitts

"This is the book you’ve always wanted to help you figure out how to explain why that verse doesn’t mean what so many people use it to mean. In brief chapters and understandable language, this book provides clear explanations of those verses we’ve heard misused again and again. What a great resource for individuals or for groups who want to have a lively discussion that challenges long-held misunderstandings of Scripture."

—Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher and author of the Seeing JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Bible Study series

Eric Bargerhuff has done the church a great service in selecting a list of verses we are prone to misuse and patiently and winsomely explaining what they really mean and how they actually apply to us. This is a book that is long overdue and I gladly commend it to you.

—Tim Challies, author and pastor

Every now and then [a book] comes along that makes me think, ‘I cannot believe it took this long for someone to write this book.’ Such is the case with Eric Bargerhuff’s latest. . . . By looking at the most commonly used and abused verses of Scripture, Pastor Bargerhuff brings clarity to these passages, and in doing so provides his readers with the accompanying benefit of an applied hermeneutics text.

—Modern Reformation, book review by Brian W. Thomas

Eric Bargerhuff demonstrates that many well-known verses are commonly misunderstood and, consequently, misused. He explains how attending to historical, cultural, and literary context, word meaning, genre, and translation options can help us avoid interpretation and application errors and gain a deeper appreciation of the Bible’s purpose and message.

—Richard Schultz, Blanchard Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College, and author of Out of Context: How to Avoid Misinterpreting the Bible

The scholarship behind looking at the verses is impeccable. . . . This is a book that should be a part of any vital study library.

—Portland Book Review

To all those who stay at their desk for hours, week after week, studying so that when they stand behind the pulpit to bring the message to God’s people they can get it right. God’s Word will not return void.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Endorsements

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Where It All Began

Chapter 2. Judging Others

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.—Matthew 7:1 (niv 1984)

Chapter 3. Plans to Prosper You and Not to Harm You

‘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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’—Jeremiah 29:11–13 (niv 1984)

Chapter 4. Where Two or Three Are Gathered

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.—Matthew 18:20 (kjv)

Chapter 5. Ask for Anything in My Name

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.—John 14:13–14

Chapter 6. Working All Things Together for Good

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28

Chapter 7. If My People Who Are Called by My Name

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.—2 Chronicles 7:14

Chapter 8. Jesus As the Firstborn Over All Creation

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.—Colossians 1:15

Chapter 9. Money Is the Root of All Evil

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.—1 Timothy 6:10

Chapter 10. No More Than You Can Handle

God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.—1 Corinthians 10:13

Chapter 11. Train Up a Child

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.—Proverbs 22:6

Chapter 12. I Can Do All Things

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.—Philippians 4:13 (nkjv)

Chapter 13. An Eye for an Eye

If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.—Exodus 21:23–25 (niv 1984)

Chapter 14. The Prayer Offered in Faith

The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.—James 5:15 (niv 1984)

Chapter 15. Repent and Be Baptized

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.—Acts 2:38

Chapter 16. Guarding Your Heart

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.—Proverbs 4:23 (niv 1984)

Chapter 17. Where There Is No Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish.—Proverbs 29:18 (kjv)

Chapter 18. Lifting Up the Name of Jesus

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.—John 12:32

Chapter 19. Conclusion: Handle With Care—Using Scripture Appropriately

Notes

About the Author

Another Book from the Author

Back Cover

Acknowledgments

I grew up on a steady diet of topical feel good sermons, until one day when I entered college, someone handed me a cassette tape of John MacArthur Jr. preaching the Word of God in expository fashion. I remember saying to myself, "What is that? . . . I want that, and not only do I want that, I want to do that. My then eighty-five-year-old college Bible professor, Dr. J. Ray Klingensmith, once said that people are starving for the Word of God and they don’t even know it, but when they hear it, believe it, and get a taste of it, it feeds their soul like nothing else can."

This I believe to be true. And this is why I love the ministry. There is no greater privilege than to proclaim, teach, and unpack the Word of God before God’s people and all others who have ears to hear. But one thing my doctoral mentor and teacher, Dr. Wayne Grudem, said, was this: You better get it right, because people will believe you, and as teachers we will all have to give an account one day. He was spot-on, and it inspired me to strive for faithfulness in rightly dividing the Word of truth.

This essentially is what this book is all about—learning to properly interpret and apply the truths of the Bible in a faithful, God-glorifying way so that we don’t distort the Word and will of God. So many throughout my life have served as exceptional examples of how to handle Scripture, and there is not enough room to acknowledge them all.

But in a small way, I wish to acknowledge those who have aided me in this project. There are portions of this book that landed in a sermon series at Clearwater Community Church, where I served as senior pastor for over six years. The feedback, response, and support that I received from the body of Christ there encouraged me beyond measure, and I am thankful for the privilege of serving the Lord with them.

I am deeply indebted to my initial proofreader, Karen Ancrile, who gave much time and effort to reading and critiquing the initial drafts of this manuscript. Her feedback and suggestions were remarkable, and I can’t thank her enough for her service.

I further wish to thank my editor Jeff Braun for his excellent leadership, direction, and skill in working with this manuscript. It is a privilege to partner with the fantastic people at Bethany House Publishers, whose flexibility and professionalism are second to none.

All thanks and glory go to our Lord Jesus Christ, whose words will never pass away. I look forward to the skies parting soon.

Chapter 1

 Where It All Began

An eye for an eye . . ."

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them . . .

Do not judge, or you too will be judged . . .

These common phrases—derived from the bestselling book of all time, the Bible—have often been misunderstood and misused. But when interpreted and applied properly, these and other God-inspired truths have shaped cultures and countless generations of people throughout history.

Indeed, the Bible is a life-changing book. It tells us who God is and how he is working in our world today. It reveals how he has been faithfully at work in the past and what his will is for the future. But perhaps the most important thing about the Bible is that it is a work of God that possesses great power, written so that we might believe and experience the salvation and eternal life that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

According to its own testimony, the Bible is inspired (or breathed out) by the Spirit of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, the Bible has authority over us. But this authority is not merely derived by how it functions or by what place it holds in our lives, but rather from its claim to be the very voice and revelation of God.

Believers regard the Bible as the place where God continues to speak truth into our lives, a living and active Word—the sufficient foundation for all of the life and practice of the believing Christian.

Written by nearly forty human authors over a period of 1,500 years, the Bible is remarkably consistent and lacks contradiction. Throughout the years, attempts have been made to usurp its truthfulness and integrity, but it has stood the test. Even archaeology has empirically verified its historicity and accuracy. And when all the facts are known, the Bible will continue to show itself to be without error and the foundation of all truth.

However, if mishandled and used inappropriately, the Bible can turn into a dangerous book.

Adolf Hitler, for example, was widely known to take the words of Jesus out of context and use them for propaganda purposes. In 1922, in a speech in Munich, Germany, Hitler hijacked the words of Jesus for his own agenda as he sought to eradicate the Jews. Hitler referenced times when Jesus rebuked the corrupt spiritual leadership of his

Reviews for The Most Misused Verses in the Bible

[atdcross · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was rather disappointing for me. I thought it would delve in more depth on how certain verses ought to be interpreted. It is not that Bargerhuff's method of interpretation is wrong, but the Bible verses in question were lightly discussed and meanings ascertained solely on the basis of context (and maybe some common sense and simple logic). Nothing beyond that is developed. This was the most unsatisfying chapter.If the book was "all about learning to properly interpret and apply the truths of the Bible", as the author claims in his "Acknowledgements" (p.12), it leaves out much to be desired. He somehow misses certain pertinent points. Therefore, while his conclusions are not entirely wrong, they do not reflect accurate interpretations of the Biblical texts he cites, which interpretations can lead to erroneous views regarding God's moral character as good.For example:1. On asking anything in Jesus' name, as the author concludes, "Our goal in prayer is to see God glorified no matter what," (p.61) and here I have no disagreement. However, that does not necessarily mean God would deny a request that, while it may not be something He specifically willed, nevertheless, is a desire of the petitioner that does not violate His general will. Cannot God answer a prayer even if it does not directly bear on glorifying Himself but is merely a desire of the petitioner that God answers simply because He is gracious?2. Here is a point which he does not really explain. Regarding Rom 8:28, the author states that "all things that happen in the Christian life are designed for this purpose," that is, conformity to Christ. Does he mean God ordained, in the Calvinistic sense, "all things" that occur to occur? It would seem so, for he further suggests that God is the one who brings "terrible tragedy" upon us (p.69). The question needs to be asked, what loving and good father would do that?Again, Bargerhuff says, "Even the worst evil that happens...is for a greater good" (68). If that's the case, then the "worst evil" is actually a great good and not genuine evil.In an endnote to this chapter, Bergerhuff asserts that "anything that glorifies God and advances his kingdom purposes could rightly be called good" (#3, pg.170). Therefore, I cannot see how he can legitimately escape the idea that the "worst evil that happens" (e.g. one's child being raped), an evil "designed" (if I have correctly understood the implications of his use of this word) by God, "could rightly be called good".Bargerhuff seems to hold to certain errors found in Calvinism.3. Chapter 10, regarding God allowing no more than one can handle, is the best chapter.4. Chapter 14 on the "prayer offered in faith" is handled with confusingly (as I read it) and leaves open at the conlcusion whether or not God will answer those who pray in faith, which contradicts the promise left us in James 5:15, the specifc verse he uses to correct a flawed interpretation of it.As I stated earlier, his engagement with the texts he choose is rather simplistic, so if you're looking for something in-depth that corrects the misinterpretaion of certain verses, particularly the ones the author chose to answer, this is not the book.

[justindtapp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book went free on Kindle the week I happened to be listening to Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology lectures on biblical interpretation, so I couldn't pass it up.

I was at least 30 years old before I learned how to read my Bible, or perhaps I should say how not to read it. I grew up going to "Bible-believing" Baptist churches that never taught me proper exegesis, and I never saw improper exegesis corrected. The church newsletter ("The Porter Vision") ripped Proverbs 29:18 out of context. "Life verses" like Philippians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11-13 were common and inappropriately painted on walls or included in various decorations. I attended Bible studies where "I think passage means..." were common. I even read deep theological books (Piper, Packer), but none of them ever dealt with teaching the reader how to read the Bible. Now I understand that's the most important thing a pastor can do for his congregation.

I thought I understood context. I recognized, for example, that Habakkuk 1:5 was a verse of judgment, God was raising up the Chaledeans to conquer Judah as a consequence of its sin. So, when people (like the missions arm of the denomination) used Habakkuk 1:5, I could say "wait a minute." But I was still prone to begin my Bible reading with "God, what do you want me to get out of this passage today?" and come across a verse seemingly related to what I might be feeling or dealing with and say "Aha! A sign!" Like, I might be wondering whether to ask for a raise and then happen to read 1 Timothy 5:18 and say "Yes, I should!"

The proper question should not be “What does this passage mean to me?” but rather “What were the author’s original intentions and how did the audience who first received it understand those intentions in the original context?” And then, only after discovering this is it appropriate to ask, “How then does the timeless biblical principle contained in this passage apply to me today? (loc. 1815).


I see a difference among fairly recent graduates from seminary, who seem to grasp this point, and those who graduated decades ago. The younger preachers I listen to are always harping on "don't take this verse out of context," etc. whereas I never used to hear that. Not reading Scripture properly has led to a whole host of problems in our churches, like in exercising church discipline (see example below).

Bargerhuff quickly takes the reader through several verses, teaching how not to read them. This is a short book that fulfills its purpose nicely: illustrate the importance of proper interpretation. Ask yourself: Who was the original intended audience? What else is happening around this verse, this passage, this book? Does this passage relate to a particular theme found in Scripture?

I think Bargerhuff does the best job on Jeremiah 29:11-13. This is similar to Habakkuk 1:5, it is a verse intended for Israel. The Christian can take comfort that God is in control and that one day we will live in Christ's kingdom, but Jeremiah 29:11-13 was specifically for Israel at a specific point in time. Most who were alive and heard Jeremiah's words would have died in exile before experiencing their fulfillment.

"God is speaking to the Israelite nation of Judah here. This is his plan for the nation, not necessarily a personal promise that is directed to any one person per se. It is a 'corporate' promise. Therefore, we should be cautious about grabbing it out of its context and inappropriately applying it to individual believers in the twenty-first century...The majority of people who hear this promise from Jeremiah’s lips will never see it fulfilled in their lifetime. They will likely perish in exile before it comes to fruition...I can still use Jeremiah 29, but I must apply it appropriately. Without a doubt, a future 'heavenly hope' exists for those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ alone for their salvation" (loc. 423-457).


Other verses:
Matthew 7:1 - "Do not judge..." about hypocrisy
Matthew 18:20 - "Where two or more are gathered..." - God is omnipresent, He is there when only one person is present. This is most likely about the affirmation of decisions reached among Christians about reconciliation and church discipline.

"Jesus is saying that whenever the church is pursuing and is involved in a reconciliation process with someone who has refused to repent, they can rest assured that God’s blessing is with them in their efforts. In other words, as the church renders judicial decisions on matters of right and wrong that are based on the truth of God’s Word, they should be confident that they are doing the right thing and that Christ himself is right there with them, spiritually present in their midst" (loc. 593).

John 14:13-14
Rom 8:28 All things work together . . . this verse is about being conformed into the image of Christ.


Col 1:15 Christ the firstborn . . . an apologetic against Jehovah's Witnesses.
I Tim 6:10 Money the root of all evil . . . many forget the "love" part and context matters.

I Cor 10:13 No more than you can handle . . . this is about temptations, not trials. It's important to remember that early Christians suffered unto death, which is often not on the mind of people who quote this verse.



Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child... the literal Hebrew allows for a few possibilities, but it is not a promise so much as a common sense correlation.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things . . .this is about contentment.
Exodus 21:23-25

James 5:14-15 "Is anyone among you sick...?" I think think Bargerhuff does his worst job in this chapter. He wonders why God did not respond to his prayers when his father dies. His father was deteriorating after a series of heart problems. Scripture tells us in many places to pray for the sick, but it's not God's will to heal everyone. That would be enough-- we're still to pray. But Bargerhuff rightly points out that the word translated "sick" is not the same Greek word used elsewhere in referring to those with disease. Mark 6:13 for example "And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them," at first glance reads a lot like James 5:15. But the words in the Greek are different, the root in Mark being used extensively but a quick check of my lexicon says the word used in James is only used elsewhere in Hebrews, and really only works there as "weak." Bargerhuff suggests this passage in its entirety is dealing with reconciliation and those who had fallen under pressure due to persecution. I know from studying church history that dealing with those who betrayed the faith under persecution was a big deal for the early church, and that seems to fit into the theme of this passage.

Acts 2:38 Repent & be baptized . . . an apologetic against those who baptise for the remission of sins.
Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart . . . has nothing to do with making yourself less vulnerable in relationships.The word for "heart" does not contain our American understanding of it.

John 12:32 "When I am lifted up I will draw all men to myself" - this is referring to Jesus' crucifixion and many worship leaders talk about "lifting Jesus high" in appropriately referring to this verse. It's like they're saying "I want to see Jesus crucified again and again!"

I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. It is succinct, well-written, and does not contain a lot of fluff. Just enough detail, I highly recommend.