Missing the context can be funny for many reasons. As in when you are in a discussion and someone joins in mid-sentence and responds on that bit of info, it can be funny. But this is innocent. One of my favourite types of context misunderstandings is when there are multiple conversations. A great example is when I would visit Tessera during our dating period. I would then eat there. And what then happened was amazing. Everyone was involved in their own discussion, and Inge, my mother-in-law, would be involved in all. And as you can imagine, one person would say something, to which Inge would respond with a question, and someone else would answer the question based on their own discussion. And I would laugh. No one really noticed this before.
While these examples are funny, missing the context can also be dangerous. This is the case when a person responds based purely on an assumption, and therefore responds incorrectly. And this even more of a problem when someone purposely uses a quote out of context, with the goal of letting others draw wrong conclusions. Politicians do this. Trying to make their opponent look bad.
But what will surprise others is that this happens everywhere where people are in power. Including the church. And this irks me.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that sometimes mistakes are made when the context is wrong. I remember a WhatsApp group discussion. One guy noticed that a Dutch Bible translation 1 Timothy 5:8 says: “But if a woman does not provide for her own…” while many other translations say “But if anyone…”. It looks like the Bible translators got it wrong. Looking at the Greek it says τις which can be translated to anyone. But while we read the Bible in verses, it was actually written in paragraphs. So to understand 1 Timothy 5:8 you have to read 1 Timothy 5:3-8. Then you see that Paul is writing about widows, and caring about them. And that they should take care of their household and children. Then you realise the “anyone” in verse 8 is “any widow”. It’s all about context.
This is an innocent example, and its good to clarify what is being said. The problem comes when people start using partial bible texts to propagate their own beliefs or doctrines. A good example is the once saved always saved teaching. I believe that we can always choose to separate ourselves from God, and then we are lost. This is evident through the whole Bible. People being lost after turning away from God.
But there is a text that once saved always saved propagators use, Hebrews 13:5b
For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
This text is actually quoted from Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
And Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
But when you read all of Deuteronomy 31 you see that there is more to this than always being saved. God starts talking about Israel’s eventual rebellion. And eventually says in Deuteronomy 31:17
And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’
The text being used to support the always saved doctrine, is part of a text where God eventually explains that when Israel turns from Him, He will forsake them. Later God gives them a song as a means to help them remember to be faithful.
So the context is very important. Don’t build doctrines on partial texts, or what you hear from others. Study the Bible and make sure you know what is being said. And finally…
Text without context is pretext.