Talking about the Apostle Paul who was a very educated man, the Apostle Peter said that some uninformed people during their days were distorting Paul’s letters in the same way that they were distorting Scripture (2 Peter 3:16). So it is today. People today continue to distort what the Bible is truly saying. Here is one example of how people are distorting Scripture today.

Example of Distorting Scripture: 3 John 2

Some people quote 3 John 2 which says in the King James Version: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Many believers claim this as a sure guarantee—a promise from God for Christians to be always prosperous and to be always in good health for the rest of their lives. “Just have faith and you will have it,” they would say. “Name it and claim it,” some would say. Or, “declare it” and it’s yours—it will happen. But what does 3 John 2 really mean?

Getting the Context

Well, let us get the context. As a piece of literature, what is 3 John 2? What is its literary context? What kind of literature is it? Did the Apostle John write a song like Psalms? Did he write a historical narrative like maybe the Chronicles, Matthew or Acts? Or did he write a poem or a letter? Well, some do not know it but 3rd John is actually a letter—an epistle—just like most of the Apostle Paul’s writings are letters!

As a piece of literature, it is obviously a letter—definitely not a song, a poem or a historical narrative—and that has a lot to do with how this part of Scripture should be interpreted! By just figuring out that its literary context is that of a letter, we are able to interpret more properly and more accurately.

Greetings Not Promise!

While there maybe some slight differences in the way letters are written today compared to centuries ago, but don’t we begin our letters with some kind of greetings? And what is 3 John 2 in a letter? Of course a greeting! The elderly apostle John was writing to a certain Gaius and he began with some greetings! With this literary context and background in mind—that 3 John 2 is the introductory part (a greeting) of the Apostle John’s letter to a certain Gaius—a more accurate interpretation should come out which should be most faithful to Scripture. We should not therefore interpret this part of a letter as a sure promise from God. It is simply a greeting!

Elisha the prophet died of sickness

Let’s not forget that some righteous men of God were allowed by God to die from sickness even though they themselves healed others (2 Kings 13:14, 20-21). Others were allowed by God to die a martyr’s death. Yes, it’s true—it is God’s desire (as John also wrote) that we will prosper and be in health but in God’s infinite wisdom, sometimes he allows us to get sick and die of it too (Hebrews 11:13, 35-40).

To be faithful to this part of Scripture in 3 John 2—following its literary context—it should be interpreted as a mere greeting and not a promise from God. Let us not preach false hopes and misuse this part of Scripture in 3 John 2.

More Accurate Interpretation

To interpret 3 John 2 as saying that God guarantees good health and prosperity (“health and wealth gospel” or “prosperity gospel”) for believers throughout their lives, all of the time, is to distort Scripture.

That’s not what it says if we follow its context. People who misuse this part of Scripture need to find some other proof text but not this one. They need to find other parts of Scripture because they cannot in all honesty and with faithfulness to this part of 3 John, use it to support their belief.

A Text Without Context is Pretext

It is therefore important for us to learn something about the various contexts in the Bible like: historical, grammatical, literary, cultural and other contexts. With Jesus Christ as our lens, our criterion and our basis in interpreting Scripture, through the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13), and learning something about the various contexts in the Bible, we will hopefully be led to a better understanding and appreciation of God’s Word, the Bible.

A few days ago, I wrote about 3 John 2 and how some people unknowingly interpret Scripture by distorting its meaning without considering it context. They are unaware of the various contexts involved in properly understanding Scripture.

Distorting, Splicing Scripture

Here’s another way people distort the intended meaning of Scripture—by splicing Scripture. That is, people gather verses here and there in various parts of the Bible and presto!—a doctrine has been formulated.

Bible, a Jigsaw Puzzle?

It is the belief of some that the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle and by putting the pieces together in their right places using the “here a little, there a little” principle (Isaiah 28:10), the truth will come out. But Isaiah 28:10 actually has nothing to do with biblical interpretation. It is misunderstood and is interpreted outside of its own context. According to some commentaries, it is actually the gibberish talk or meaningless speech of a drunkard. It is not talking about the science of biblical interpretation. It is not an explanation of how to interpret the Bible.

With this method of gathering together and splicing together of unrelated verses (with different contexts) to form a supposed “truth” in the Bible, no wonder we have different kinds of beliefs all around us conflicting and/or agreeing with one another.

Misuse of Scripture: Cherry Picking

With this method of Bible interpretation, anybody can prove that their personal opinion is biblical—the “truth.” With this kind of method, we can prove that black is white or white is black. That is one of the most common method people use in Bible interpretation. Oftentimes, they already have formed their own personal opinions and ideas (assumptions) and then they open the Bible not to understand what the Bible is truly saying but instead, they look for verses in the Bible to give support to their already-formed and preconceived personal ideas. No wonder we have a lot of strange and out-of-this-world doctrines everywhere. This is also called cherry picking.

Of course, as long as the verses grouped together to form a doctrine are truly related and the various contexts have been considered, I have no problem with grouping verses together. My concern is: when people group together unrelated verses to form their own personal opinions and branding it as “biblical” and “coming from God,” that to me is the problem. It’s putting into the Bible their own ideas instead of allowing the Bible to speak to us its intended meaning as revealed to us by Jesus Christ.

When the written Word of God is interpreted correctly according to Living Word’s (Jesus Christ’s) intent and purpose, then and only then is it really the Word of God.

Do it quickly!

To illustrate this point, here’s an outrageous and funny example. By grouping together a set of three unrelated verses in the Bible, a non-biblical interpretation comes out. Here it is:

• Matthew 27:5 – So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
• Luke 10:37 – The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
• John 13:27 – As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him…

So there you are, three unrelated verses in the Bible grouped together and presto! We now have a new doctrine! What are you waiting for? It’s in the Bible right? It’s “biblical” right? Jesus himself said it! Go and do likewise! Hang yourself! And do it quickly!

May mga Kristiyanong nakakaranas ng matinding kalungkutan sa kaiisip kung ano na ang nangyari sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay na namatay na bago pa man sila nakapagpahayag ng kanilang pananalig kay Hesu Kristo. Nasa impyerno na nga ba ang isang tao kapag namatay nang hindi pa alam ang magandang balita? Iyan ang paniwala ng karamihan ng mga Kristiyano.

Wala Bang Magagawa Ang Diyos?

Para bang iniisip natin na ang Diyos ay wala nang magagawa na iligtas ang mga tao sa ibang pamamaraan liban na lang ayon sa ating alam.

Di Dapat Mag-alala

Marami tayong hindi alam kung papaano at kung kailan ang Diyos kikilos sa puso ng mga tao upang sila ay dalhin sa pananalig sa Diyos. Pero marami rin tayong nalalaman, at yung ating nalalaman ay nagbibigay sa atin ng maraming dahilan upang huwag matakot tungkol sa ating mga mahal sa buhay na maaaring di pa nakapagpahayag nang pagtanggap kay Kristo bago sila namatay.

Ang Diyos ay Mapagtiis

Una at pinakamahalaga, alam natin ang puso ng Diyos tungkol sa kanila. “Siya ay mapagtiis sa atin,” sinulat ni Pedro sa 2 Pedro 3:9, “Hindi niya nais na ang sinuman ay mapahamak kundi ang lahat ay magsisi.”

Ang Diyos ay Hindi Nahahadlangan

Ang Diyos ay hindi nahahadlangan ng pagkamatay ng tao. Nilupig ni Hesus ang kamatayan. At matagal nang binayaran ni Hesus ang lahat ng kasalanan ng mga tao bago pa man ang sino man sa atin ay ipinanganak. Sa 1 Juan 2:2, isinulat ni Juan, tungkol kay Hesus na, “Siya ang kasiya-siyang handog para sa ating mga kasalanan. Hindi lamang para sa ating mga kasalanan kundi para rin naman sa mga kasalanan ng buong sanlibutan.”

Hindi man natin alam kung papaano o kailan ang Diyos kikilos sa puso ng bawa’t isa, pero alam natin na sinabi ni Hesus sa Juan 12:32, “Ako, kapag ako ay maitaas na mula sa lupa, ay ilalapit ko ang lahat ng tao sa akin.”

At alam natin na sa Juan 3:17, sinabi ni Hesus, “Ito ay sapagkat hindi sinugo ng Diyos ang kaniyang anak sa sanlibutan upang hatulan ang sanlibutan. Sinugo niya ang kaniyang anak upang ang sanlibutan ay maligtas sa pamamagitan niya.”

Gawi na ng Diyos na iligtas ang mga makasalanan, hindi upang ikondena sila, kaya nga ang Anak, na siyang perpektong pagpapakilala ng Ama, ay naging isa sa atin at inako sa kanyang sarili ang lahat ng mga kasalanan ng tao upang iligtas tayo.

Pwede tayong manalig sa ganyang klase ng Diyos na mamahalin niya ang ating mga mahal sa buhay na mas higit pa sa ating pagmamahal, at na kanyang aabutin sila patungo sa pagsisisi at kaligtasan sa mga paraan na hindi natin alam at maaring hindi natin naiisip.

Ang Diyos ay Pag-ibig

Ang Diyos ay pag-ibig, sabi ng Bibliya, at si Pablo sabi niya sa Roma 13:10, “Ang pag-ibig ay hindi gumagawa ng masama sa kanyang kapwa.”

Sabi ni Pablo sa Colosas 1:19-20: “Sapagka’t minagaling ng Ama na ang buong kapuspusan ay manahanan sa kaniya; at sa pamamagitan niya ay pakipagkasunduin sa kanya ang lahat ng mga bagay, na pinayapa niya sa pamamagitan ng dugo ng kanyang krus.”

Ang Impyerno Para sa Ayaw Na Talaga

Ang impyerno ay hindi para sa mga makasalanan, kasi kung ganun doon tayo papunta lahat. Ang impyerno ay siyang ginustong piliin ng mga makasalanang ayaw na talagang magbago, yung mga talagang ginusto, talagang sinadya at permanente nang tinanggihan ang walang kamatayang pag-ibig ng Diyos na nagpapatawad at pinagkakasundo ang mga makasalanan.

Ang Diyos Nasa Panig Natin

Huwag na huwag nating kalimutan na ang Diyos ay nasa ating panig. Siya ay panig sa atin, hindi laban sa atin, at siya ay hindi nasisiyahan sa kamatayan ng mga masasama. Ipanalig ninyo ang inyong mga mahal sa buhay sa kanya. Nasa mabuti silang kamay.