Dear Christian, Are You Able to Discern When Scripture Is Being Manipulated?
From the first pages of Genesis, we can see how the enemy has made it his mission to cause people to doubt what it is God has commanded.
Adolf Hitler and the Nazis often referred to Romans 13 to demand civil obedience to ruling authorities. Hitler also made several statements that he felt God was on his side, such as this comment: “I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” Hitler went on to kill six million Jews.
Both Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have used Scripture to try and justify illegal immigration and promote their campaign, which is heavily marked by a zeal to be able to kill babies in the womb. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses both pervert the Bible to defend their religious claims. Progressive churches all around the world have no basis for their affirmation of homosexuality and transgenderism without distorting Bible verses that talk about God’s love and taking historical accounts out of context.
The amount of people who have intentionally used Scripture to manipulate the truth throughout history as well as within contemporary society is innumerable. It’s no surprise, however, because it started in the Garden of Eden. At the heart of the serpent’s deception of Adam and Eve was this premise: Did God really say? From the first pages of Genesis, we can see how the enemy has made it his mission to cause people to doubt what it is God has commanded, to encourage them to believe they know better than the Lord of the universe.
When you look at heretical, unbiblical, and blasphemous beliefs, it all comes back to the exaltation of man, a lack of reverence for God, a faulty view of the Bible’s authority, and, in general, an overall veneer of ignorance. The churches that use the Bible to defend LGBT ideology have to ignore the portions of Scripture that define sex as male and female (Genesis 1:27), marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24), and that clearly and repeatedly declare homosexuality as a sin (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:8-11).
Hitler clearly wasn’t a Christian, but the idea that anyone who intentionally murders would use Scripture to justify murder is nothing short of ludicrous. Whether someone supports abortion, euthanasia, or any other form of intentionally robbing a human being of life, a quick glance at the sixth commandment found in Exodus 20:13 ends all ability to support it any longer: “You shall not murder.” Not to mention the fact that Scripture makes it clear that all people are made in the image of God, possessing inherent dignity and value (Genesis 9:6). Even our enemies are meant to be included in our prayers.
There are infinite examples of what it looks like to twist Scripture for personal gain. But unfortunately, there are also numerous examples of Christians who are led astray by these instances. It should pain the heart of believers to see so many professing people of faith being fed a false gospel through misrepresented Scripture, whether it be at the hands of evil people, the progressive church, or other false religions. However, we have an example in Scripture of a man who was faced with the distortion of God’s word, yet responded in the way all followers of Christ are called to respond. That man was Jesus, and the deceiver was Satan himself.
In Matthew 4:1-11, we have the account of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. He was isolated and He was hungry — most human beings understand this to be a particularly vulnerable position. But in this state, the devil paid Jesus a visit. Three times, the enemy tried to deceive the Messiah. Three times, he used Scripture to try enticing Jesus to prove He was the Son of God. And three times, Satan failed to succeed in his deception, because Jesus knew what the word actually said.
Jesus never had to say, “Oh, hold on. Let me go check Scripture.” Of course, He never quipped, “Goodness! You’re right!” No, Jesus put Satan in his place. Jesus exposed the way the devil was distorting Scripture and reminded the tempter of the real, unchanging truth of Scripture. Jesus, through this biblical account, provided the perfect example of what Christians are called to emulate. We can’t afford to be ignorant any longer. Christians should know their Bibles well enough to know when it is being abused.
Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Paul also talked about false prophets in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15. He said they will disguise “themselves as apostles of Christ,” working “on the same terms as we do.” But it’s not to come as a surprise, the apostle went on to emphasize, “for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Christians, just like anyone else, are still flawed, finite human beings. There’s so much we don’t know, understand, or acknowledge as we analyze the world around us. Just like anyone else, we’re vulnerable to being deceived and manipulated. But like Jesus, we ought to know the word. It is in having God’s truth written on our hearts that we can expose when politicians use Scripture to promote beliefs antithetical to Scripture. Knowing the Bible allows us to stand firm when we’re surrounded by a society rebelling against its Creator. Knowing God’s word means we can respond in a manner worthy of the calling to which we’ve been called.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Obviously Jesus knew the Bible well — He’s God. Last time I checked, I’m not!” While absolutely true, this simply can’t be used as an excuse. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that all of “Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have everything we need right at our fingertips to survive the most agonizing temptations, villainous falsifications of Scripture, and heinous acts of persecution. All we have to do is pick up the word, read and pray for understanding, then walk in it.
We have to posture ourselves as people who truly believe in the truth within the Bible, the sovereignty of our Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit to give us the understanding we need to glorify and love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. To be consistent and active in the word takes intentionality and discipline. However, I can’t think of anything more worthy of our time than the life-giving, soul replenishing, worldview shaping truth of God’s word. Through it, we can stand firm and reflect the light of truth in a world of darkness.
Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.
Correction: Paul also talked about false prophets in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15, not 1 Corinthians as originally stated.
