I have a pet peeve to discuss here... I can't stand when I see a Bible verse which has been taken out of context. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with you quoting a single verse if you understand the context and that verse actually speaks for itself outside of context. Some verses can be taken alone, while others are greatly distorted by this. Here is a particularly egregious example that is used all of the time:
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
It is a valid verse in the Bible but if you are taking that verse by itself, it means something very different than it does in context.
Without the context, this would seem to be saying "Christ will help me achieve MY goals." We use it to encourage our kids to keep trying and practice harder. Not bad things to teach necessarily, but not if it undermines the original meaning of the scripture.
This verse actually has nothing to do with personal achievement or success.
Let's put it in context for a moment:
Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
It's not about prosperity or success. It's about being content, even when we are not prospering. In fact, the man who wrote those words -- along with all but one of the other apostles -- were imprisoned and eventually executed for their beliefs. The one apostle who wasn't killed, died in exile. Is this our picture of success?
Here's another verse that is often taken out of context for the same end:
Jeremiah 29:11
"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."
Here's what this is really about. The Israelites were in captivity in Babylon at the time. Jeremiah was writing to them as a nation. Let's just take the verse before it to give it some context.
Jeremiah 29:10-11
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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."
In seventy years! Most of those receiving this promise would not live to see this plan or prosperity. Most would die in captivity. This was a promise that God was going to prosper His people as a whole. It wasn't intended to promise individual prosperity.
So does this promise even apply to us today as Christians at all? I think it does insofar as we are now God's chosen people. There are similar promises in the New Testament:
Romans 8:28:
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
This is true, but just as in the verse from Jeremiah, maybe not in the way we are tempted to believe. Everything is working together for God's purpose. And if we are truly called toward that purpose, this is working toward our good as well. Not necessarily our earthly success though. The apostles died horrible deaths, but their strength and resolve in death helped spread the Gospel. Their deaths worked toward the benefit of God's people. Not their individual benefit, but their purpose was God's purpose. If you were to meet any of them in heaven, I don't think they'd have a single regret. Their treasure was not here on Earth.
The problem is that these promises, while still valid, are not the self-help, feel-good promises we are often trying to make them. To me, this is actually encouraging. If the Christian life is supposed to be easy and filled with material success, then I'm pretty sure I'm doing something wrong. Knowing that even though life isn't going my way, God is still ultimately in control and causing all things to work toward His purpose is actually reassuring.
While the gospel of personal prosperity may sound great in the short run, it will soon become discouraging as you go on to face reality and find that it is ultimately untrue. Perhaps this is why Paul warns us about these kinds of false teachers:
2 Timothy 4:3-5
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
This doesn't just apply to prosperity teachings like I discussed in this post. It applies to any of those times we try to second guess and alter the Bible to suit our presuppositions or desires.
Let me wrap this up by pointing out that I'm not innocent of this by any means. I like to reason with God, or make my own judgment calls about what the will of God should be. Like most people I find myself trying to shape God into my worldview. I often think, "He couldn't actually mean that," but we have to remember that He sees a bigger picture than we ever can. He knows more than we could ever hope to know. Maybe we should stop trying to second guess Him.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
As a side note, I like to use pieces of scripture in my blog to make my points, but -- as stated above -- I occasionally catch myself misreading things to fit my personal worldview. I would like to think I've contextualized all of the scripture I quote in posts correctly, but PLEASE second guess my interpretations of scripture. If you think I'm taking something out of context, let me know.
