Avoid Twisting the Scriptures: Proper Interpretation of Scripture

Satan is the master of twisting the Scriptures. The word of God must be read and understood in context. Scripture interprets scripture. When Satan tempted Jesus at the start of his ministry, when he was fasting in the wilderness, he used Scripture. He quoted scripture correctly but twisted it out of context.

But Jesus, knowing the scriptures well, countered Satan with other parts of scripture. For example, Satan told Jesus in Matthew 4:6, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’”

Satan quoted Psalm 91:11-12 correctly, but he used it in the wrong context and with the wrong intent. He aimed to cause Jesus to sin against God. He was basically telling Jesus to throw himself down from the high place so that angels could catch him for no other reason than to prove that he is God’s Son and to prove that the scripture is true. That’s like someone standing on the top of a tall building and throwing themselves down and expecting angels to catch them before they reach the ground to prove a point.

How Jesus countered Satan’s twisting of scripture.

Jesus responded in Matthew 4:7, “It is written AGAIN, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’”

Jesus countered and told him it is also written elsewhere, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, that we are not to tempt or test God. This means that we cannot just jump out of tall buildings, defying God’s own earthly laws of gravity and common sense to prove a point. This is testing God, and angels will not catch us. God does not just respond to our every selfish and foolish whim because “it is written.”

When we disobey what God has already said in other places and his already established law and order, we cannot use another scripture to protect us. That is witchcraft, and testing God and Jesus would not have done what Satan suggested, since he respected God.

Yet this is what many people do. They take scriptures out of context and quote them to satisfy their selfish desires. They then expect God to do what they want because “it is written.” Meanwhile, they disobey God in other areas he has already commanded. God is extremely just and righteous, and you cannot pit his words against each other since he has spoken wholesomely. All scriptures must support and confirm one another.

“…as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” 2 Peter 3:16

Taking scripture out of context is dangerous.

Many use the Bible as a form of spellbook to justify their biases, desires, and beliefs. They pick verses out of context and run with them to their destruction. It’s a dangerous practice.

Two out of three of Satan’s temptations of Jesus were attempts to twist scripture to trap Jesus. Satan knew he could not tempt Jesus to sin directly. But he thought to use the very word Jesus honored to trick him into disobedience. Jesus responded each time with another scripture. He thus taught us a masterclass in interpreting scripture. We are to interpret and back up scriptures with other scriptures to ensure that we are not twisting them.

When the word of God is taken out of context, it can lead to error and spiritual death. In the same way, taking someone’s words out of context can misrepresent and slander them. It can cause harm to their reputation and to other people who hear the misinformation. And this is exactly what happens in this social media age of fake news. People take parts of speech and use them to slander people and spread misinformation.

Twisting scriptures slanders God.

Satan traffics in slander, and his greatest weapon is slandering God. And one way he does it is by twisting scripture. His servants, the false prophets, are also masters at twisting scriptures for selfish gain and to deceive people. This is why we must know the word well, because false teachers like their father use the Bible to deceive.

“Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.” 2 Corinthians 2:17

The word of God in its ENTIRETY reveals the mind, nature, character, purposes, and will of God. To understand God and his word, you must study the scriptures in context. You must also study them in their entirety. Otherwise, you will be prone to error and deception.

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

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