Why Words Matter

Words can mean different things depending on their context. Think about how the word "mouse" can refer to a computer device or a small rodent. Similarly, a "tablet" today means an electronic device, but in Scripture, it referred to stone slabs where the Ten Commandments were written. Even "cloud" has taken on new meaning in our digital age.

When we read Scripture without understanding its original context, we risk misinterpreting God's message. This happens because we all bring our own presuppositions, our cultural background, personal experiences, and worldview, to the text.

How Do People Misuse Scripture?

Verses are often pulled out of context in today's culture. For example:

Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me") appears on athletes' eye black and locker room walls, but what happens when both competing teams claim this verse?

Without proper context, our faith can become shallow and confusing. We must go back to the first century to properly understand Scripture rather than viewing it through our 2025 worldview.

When the Same Words Mean Different Things

Consider John 3:16, perhaps the most well-known verse in Scripture: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

But, in 1 John 2:15, the same author writes: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them."

Is this a contradiction? No! It's the same Greek word "cosmos" used in different contexts with different meanings. In John 3:16, it refers to all of creation and humanity. In 1 John, it refers to worldly values, temptations, and cultural systems opposed to God.

Why Is Context So Important When Reading the Bible?

Many people take their existing beliefs and run them through Scripture just to validate them, rather than deriving their beliefs from Scripture itself. This approach is dangerous.

While I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture (that it's without error and completely sufficient) I don't believe in literalism without context. Jesus often spoke in parables and allegory because He knew his audience would understand the context.

As theologian Ben Witherington puts it: "A text without a context is a pretext for whatever you want it to mean." This is how religion can become weaponized, when we impose our ideas onto the text rather than drawing meaning from it.

How Should We Properly Read and Interpret Scripture?

At Heritage Church, we practice exegesis, drawing meaning out from the text, rather than eisegesis, which puts our own meaning into the text.

When reading Scripture, ask yourself a few questions:

What's the historical context?

What was happening during that time period?

What's the literary context?

Different books of the Bible have different literary styles, for example:

Gospels are accounts from those who walked with Jesus

Paul's letters were written to specific churches addressing specific issues

Revelation uses apocalyptic literature, a style quite unfamiliar to modern readers

Exegesis is like looking through a window to see everything beyond, while eisegesis is like looking in a mirror where we only see ourselves and our own desires.

Why Does Proper Bible Reading Matter for My Faith?

What we believe about God is the most important thing about us. If we want to know what we believe, we need to know our Bibles and understand what they actually mean.

Too often, we treat Scripture as a quote book, cherry-picking verses that seem to apply to our lives while ignoring others. But Scripture is God's complete story for His people, meant to help us know Him through reading it.

When approaching Scripture:

Read with care

Read whole sections (chapters and verses were added later)

Don't cherry-pick or "proof text"

Compare scripture with scripture

Rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance

Ask questions: Who wrote this? To whom? Why?

What Happens When We Ignore Context?

Imagine finding a letter from your grandmother that begins with "I do not love you" and stopping there, devastated. But if you continued reading, you might discover the full sentence: "I do not love you any less today than I have loved you every day of your entire life."

The words surrounding our favorite verses matter tremendously. Without context, we risk completely misunderstanding the message.

At Heritage Church, we want to be shaped by God's Word, not by our assumptions or cultural influences. God's Word never changes, but our understanding must be shaped by its proper context.

The Bible never contradicts itself, though it may appear to when we ignore context. It's not Scripture that contradicts itself—it's our misinterpretation that creates contradictions.

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to read Scripture more carefully and contextually:

Choose a familiar verse you've quoted or heard quoted often. Read the entire chapter surrounding it. Does the meaning change or deepen when you understand the context?

When you hear someone quote Scripture, ask yourself: "Is this being used in its original context? What was happening when this was written?"

Before forming an opinion based on a single verse, compare it with other Scripture passages on the same topic.

Ask yourself: Am I letting Scripture shape my beliefs, or am I trying to make Scripture fit what I already believe?

Commit to reading at least one book of the Bible in its entirety rather than jumping around to isolated verses.

Remember, we want to be people shaped by God's Word, not people who shape God's Word to fit our preferences. The difference is transformative.

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