Misquoted/Misused Scriptures?

[loolalooh]

So I thought this would be an interesting question. What misquoted/misused scriptures have you heard? Here are some that I've heard:


1. "Money is the root of all evil."

The "love" of money (i.e., greed), not money, is the root of all evil.

Actual verse: 1 TIMOTHY 6:10 - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."


2. "God helps those who help themselves."

Actual verse: None. It is not in the Bible.

Forgotten verses:
JEREMIAH 17:5 "This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the LORD."

PROVERBS 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight."


3. "Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands ..."

This is part of an actual verse (EPHESIANS 5:22). However, it is usually taken out of context. Husbands should not abuse the submission of their wives.

The forgotten verses: EPHESIANS 5 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."


4. "Ask and ye shall receive."

This is a fragment of actual verses (MATTHEW 21:22, 7:7), but is generally taken out of context to mean receiving any and everything one asks for. We must keep in mind God's character (good, pure) and God's will when we ask for things (shown throughout the BIBLE).

Forgotten verses: Jesus speaking on the bigger topic of faith (to the apostles in performing miracles, in this particular case)
MATTHEW 21:
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.


5. "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."

The actual verse (JOHN 8:7) is taken out of context to ward off people from confronting sin in others or to excuse a sinful lifestyle. In actuality, we should help brothers/sisters overcome sin.

Actual verse: Jesus protecting a woman from punishment and telling her to sin to no more, JOHN 8:
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[g] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ... 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.”

Forgotten verses:
Helping individual believers overcome sin:
GALATIANS 6: "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently."

Disciplining open, flagrant sin within the church:
1 CORINTHIANS 5:2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?

 

[Shimmie]

Good thread topic...

One of the famous replies in forums that falls in line with #5 in your post is,

'Judge Not'... It's almost always taken out of context. It's a 'cope out' response, that many use as a diversion from what is being addressed.

 

[loolalooh]

Good thread topic...

One of the famous replies in forums that falls in line with #5 in your post is,

'Judge Not'... It's almost always taken out of context. It's a 'cope out' response, that many use as a diversion from what is being addressed.

Oh yes!! That is a common one for sure.

 

[NaturallySweet73]

#5 seems to be the crowd favorite...lol

 

[loolalooh]

Another one came to mind :

"Adam and Eve ate from an apple"

In actuality, the Bible does not specify that Adam and Eve ate from an apple. Rather they ate from a "fruit".

Actual verse: GENESIS 3
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ... 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

 

[Shimmie]

Another one came to mind :

"Adam and Eve ate from an apple"

In actuality, the Bible does not specify that Adam and Eve ate from an apple. Rather they ate from a "fruit".

Actual verse: GENESIS 3
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ... 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

This will make an excellent Bible Study Discussion.

I can see it being both a learning tool and also a lot of fun to see how scripture has been 'morphed' into several misquotes.

As for the 'forbidden fruit' in the Garden, how on earth did it become an apple?

Some recent theories are saying that it may have been a pomegranate.

I sure hope not... I love those seeds...

Wouldn't it be amazing if it turn out to be a tomato or a strawberry?

Oh well...

 

[loolalooh]

This will make an excellent Bible Study Discussion.

I can see it being both a learning tool and also a lot of fun to see how scripture has been 'morphed' into several misquotes.

As for the 'forbidden fruit' in the Garden, how on earth did it become an apple?

Some recent theories are saying that it may have been a pomegranate.

I sure hope not... I love those seeds...

Wouldn't it be amazing if it turn out to be a tomato or a strawberry?

Oh well...

A pomegranate? Interesting. Lol at tomato or strawberry.

I was wondering about the apple too. I went on Wikipedia and found the following explanation. All because Renaissance painters didn't know what to paint for the "fruit":

Though the forbidden fruit in the Book of Genesis is not identified, popular Christian tradition holds that Adam and Eve ate an apple from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. This may have been the result of Renaissance painters adding elements of Greek mythology into biblical scenes. The unnamed fruit of Eden thus became an apple under the influence of the story of the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides. As a result, the apple became a symbol for knowledge, immortality, temptation, the fall of man and sin.

 

[loolalooh]

Last one for the night :

"God will not give us more than we can bear."

This is a tricky one depending on how you interpret the quote. While this quote is not in the Bible word for word, what we do have is assurance that we will not be tempted beyond what we are able (1 CORINTHIANS 10:13). This is likely the verse that is being misinterpreted. Additionally, trials - which we cannot bear on our own - we can bear through Christ who strengthens us (PHILIPPIANS 4:13). But understand, ... we will face trials and we must rely on God in order to come through to the other side.

Actual verse: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Related verse: PHILIPPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.