{If you are looking for a post we wrote the other day, it is gone. This is a re-write of that post}
That is what you will get when unbelievers ‘quote’ your words. They are not interested in the truth and they have no objective moral standard to guide them. Thus they will quote your words in a way that is derogatory or insulting to you.
For example, we made quite clear that the members of the LGBTQ community and drag queens had to give up all of their sins to be saved. However, someone took ‘offense’ at those words and wrote a blog post with this title- Christians Say the Darnedest Things: You Can’t be Saved if You Don’t Wear Sex-Appropriate Clothing
At no time did we say that a drag queen or even a mild cross-dresser would not be saved if they wore the wrong clothing. We made it very clear, that they would have to give up cross-dressing if they came to Jesus to be saved.
Cross-dressing is not the unpardonable sin, nor is it even close to it. But one thing is very clear, if you want to be a new creature in Christ, you have to give up 100% of the old life. But leave it to the unbeliever to misrepresent what was said and deceive their readers.
This is why we have said in the past that there is no such thing as a homosexual or lesbian, etc., Christian. You are no longer those old people once Christ has redeemed you. Christ has changed you and you need to embrace that change not hang on to sin that will destroy you.
Then there is the problem of interpretation. The same person wrote another blog post titled- Do Evangelicals Interpret the Bible? The answer is no we do not interpret yet many Christians and unbelievers do apply their own private interpretation to the biblical content. This is wrong.
Here is what that blog author had to say:
Any time we read something, we are interpreting the words of the text. Words have meanings, and we must make interpretations to determine what written texts mean. Individual interpretations will vary, sometimes wildly so
This is actually not true. The only time we have to figure out what an author is saying and which definition of a word he or she is using is when we read philosophers. At least that is what our philosophy professor told us one day in class.
But here is the problem and why that issue of interpretation is wrong and we should not interpret. The unbeliever has found a way to avoid being accused of making assumptions and leaping to conclusions.
Those two aspects of life are clearly wrong and have been taught for millennia that they are wrong. But by labeling them my interpretation, the unbelievers ha snow found a way to make all their activities right instead of wrong. When people ‘interpret’ they are actually assuming something or leaping to a conclusion.
They are importing their own words and ideas into someone else’s content. Then they get upset at the author of the content for saying or writing something they did not say or write. This is very wrong and when it comes to the Bible it can develop false teaching and be very destructive.
At no time are we to interpret God’s words. That is why Jesus sent a Helper to us. We have help in overcoming assumptions, leaps to conclusions, and other errors in debates, discussions, and conversations, etc. and getting to the truth.
Jesus promised we would know the truth and he did not say we would know the interpretation. The truth is what is important, not what people think God said in the Bible. We do not assume, leap to conclusions about God’s word but become honest with ourselves so that we find the truth and accept it.
The tool we need to use to get to the truth is to CLARIFY. The meaning of the term ‘clarify is:
To make clear or easier to understand; elucidate.
To clear of confusion or uncertainty.
To make clear by removing impurities or solid matter, as by heating gently or filtering. (source- the American Heritage Dictionary)
Interpretation, assumptions, and leaps to conclusions only add confusion and misrepresent what someone has said or written. We lean on the Holy Spirit so we get the clear message of God without putting the impurities of our subjective opinions in his words.
This is something that unbelievers will not do when they quote your words or ours. We have never had anyone clarify one thing we said. They have applied their own interpretations to our words or they misrepresented them in other ways and tried to deceive and lie about what we have said.
They are the ones who are wrong, not us or our words. They are the ones who changed what was said or written making them no longer our words or Christians or God’s word but their own words. Then they argue against their own words, not ours or God’s.
That is not how you have a discussion or a debate or even a simple conversation. With today’s misapplication of so many words, doesn’t matter the language, it gets harder and harder to understand what someone is saying.
However, if you are confused by their words, clarify or correct their bad use of different terms. But do not state that what you think anyone said is actually what someone said. Go for the truth and clarify so you have it.
This will save a lot of problems in marriage if both the husband and wife clarified with each other honestly about what they said or wrote. We do not interpret God’s words, but sadly too many people have and we end up with a lot of confusion about what is the truth.
The truth is found with the help of the Holy Spirit. Any other help will lead you to destruction and false gospels. God’s word is not open to private interpretation or you would be violating a command and changing his words to say what you want them to say.
The command to not change God’s word is found in both Deut. and Rev. Go for the truth and ignore the accusations that you are interpreting God’s words. Anyone can interpret but not everyone is brave enough to go for the truth.
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