How often do we misuse and misapply verses of Scripture? On the Friday edition of Live the Promise guest host Bill Arnold talks with Eric J. Bargerhuff about learning to truly understand the Bible.
Eric says this is not a minor practice in the church. “All of us are guilty of that at some degree or another. I can’t cherry-pick which verses I like and find out if they work for me and if they make me feel good. The Bible is a powerful book – at the same time it can be a very dangerous book.” Eric points to the extreme case of Adolf Hitler, who pulled the words of Jesus out of context and used them to justify the Holocaust against the Jewish people. Not all cases of misapplication are so grievous, but we must handle the Bible with care and discernment. There are some questions we can use to help us do this.
• Who is the author of this specific book of the Bible?
• Who are they writing to?
• What is the genre of the book – wisdom literature, history, or prophecy?
• What do the verses around this passage say?
Eric offers his thoughts on John 14:14 – “You may ask anything in My Name, and I will do it.”
“To ask in the name of Christ was simply to pray in a manner that is consistent with Who Christ is and what He stands for. I want to learn in such a way that my prayers would bring You glory, that my agenda would be to bring You glory and not my own purposes. It’s truly the idea of praying God’s will and knowing God’s will.”
Key Scriptures: Colossians 1:15-17; Genesis 3:1; Matthew 7:1; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 22:6; Philippians 4:13; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Exodus 21:23-25; James 5:14-16
Theme Song: Welcome to the New by MercyMe
