Misuse of the Bible

2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

It is vitally important for every Christian to study and use the Scriptures, for they constitute our only real authority from God. Consider the following verses carefully:

• Matt. 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
• John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
• John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
• 2 Tim. 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
• 2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

In doing this, however, it is just as important that we not misuse the Scriptures, for this can be almost as dangerous as ignoring them altogether.

Many people twist the Scriptures, seeking to make them fit some opinion of their own, hoping thereby to give a pseudo-biblical authority to justify their own peculiar prejudices, desiring their own way vs. God's instructions and commands, instead of allowing the Lord to say exactly what He means. Such distortion of Scripture has generated a host of cults and heresies, both in the past and presently in the world today. This was essentially Christ's view of the Pharisees: Matt. 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Similarly, perhaps even worse, is people claiming to receive new Scripture or perhaps new and authoritative insight on existing Scripture. Let's look in the Bible at God's warnings about this action:

• Deut. 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
• Prov. 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Cults and heretics distort and supplement the Scriptures, but still deadlier are the liberals who try to explain away the Scriptures or biblical scholars who insist upon updating God's word after thorough research and language study, many times cutting away prior passages of Scripture read and obeyed by Christian bible believers who lived in past generations.

Rev. 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

This act of distorting and then denying God's word was the very lie of Satan which brought sin into the world.

Gen. 3:1, 4-5 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

No wonder the Bible warns so severely against it!!!