Note: These are summarized compilations from the book, “When Critics Ask”, authored by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe.
“if we are perplexed by any apparent contradiction in Scripture, it is not allowable to say, the author of this book is mistaken, but either the manuscript is faulty, or the translation is wrong, or you have not understood.” St. Augustine
MISTAKE 4: Failing to Understand the Context of the Passage
The most common mistake of critics is to take a text out of its proper context. As the adage goes, “A text out of context is a pretext.” One can prove anything from the Bible by this mistaken procedure. The Bible says “there is no God” (Ps. 14:1). Of course, the context is that “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:l). One may claim that Jesus admonished us “not to resist an evil” (Matt. 5:39), but the anti-retaliatory context in which He cast this statement must not be ignored.
Likewise, many fail to understand the context of Jesus’ statement to ‘Give to him who asks you,” as though one had an obligation to give a gun to a small child who asked, just because he asked. Failure to note that meaning is determined by context is perhaps the chief sin of those who find fault with the Bible, as comments on numerous passages in this book will illustrate.
Apostle Benedict Eghan is a Minister of the Gospel with The Church of Pentecost and is currently the Resident Minister of Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Tesano. He also doubles as the Personal Assistant to the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye. Read More…