THE POLITICS OF SCRIPTURE TWISTING

 

Scripture can transform us (2 Corinthians 3:17-4:6) and build us up, as Paul had told the Ephesian elders:

·       “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
(Acts 20:32)

It can also tear us down when abused:

·       Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, (2 Timothy 2:14-16)

When we speak correctly of God Word, we receive the approval of God. When we do not, we earn His disapproval:

·       After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
(Job 42:7-8)

However, many do not fear God as they ought, and misuse the Bible for financial and political gain. Here are some examples of how our politicians have twisted and misused the Scriptures to deceive to garnish votes for themselves.

Former presidential contender, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, had stated that the scriptures say life doesn’t begin until a child has its “first breath.” https://thecitizen.com/2019/09/15/fake-verses-democrats-reinterpret-what-bible-teaches/

However, Scripture does not say anything like that. Rather, it attests to the opposite:

·       [Mary] entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. (Luke 1:40-44 (ESV)

Contrary to Buttigieg, it seems that the baby in Elizabeth’s womb had already been alive. However, Buttigieg had a political agenda that guided his misused the Scriptures.

Corey Booker, another presidential contender, justified his support for LGBTQ by also citing the Scriptures:

·       "It said in Micah [6;8], 'What do you want from your Lord, but what is it you want from your people?...Which is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly -- walk humbly -- and, so for me, I cannot allow, as a leader, that people are going to use religion as a justification for discrimination [against LGBTQs]." https://www.foxnews.com/politics/booker-bible-lgbtq-town-hall

However, Booker conveniently overlooks the fact that there is not a single verse in the Bible that gives any encouragement for LGBTQ lifestyles. Although these anti-Biblical lifestyles are consistently condemned in the Bible, yet we are to treat all people with compassion, without encouraging their lifestyles.

“Virtue-signaling” and shaming have become common ploys in the political arena.

AOC routinely makes use of these ploys to advance her political agenda:

·       “Sometimes, especially in this body, I feel as though if Christ himself walked through these doors and said what he said thousands of years ago ― that we should love our neighbor and our enemy, that we should welcome the stranger, fight for the least of us, that it is easier for a rich man - for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into a kingdom of heaven ― he would be maligned as a radical and rejected from these doors.” https://www.mrctv.org

AOC is correct that “we should love our neighbor and our enemy…and welcome the stranger.” However, she wrongly applies it to accepting and promoting everything about their lifestyles and behaviors. However, she knows that if she succeeds in making Christians feel ashamed, they might reconsider how they vote.

It is no wonder that there are many stories of faith ruined. We are continually charged as “hypocrites” by the universities, Hollywood, and the media if we do not support the new moralities. Therefore, more than ever, we must exalt the Scriptures as the anchor of our souls. To accomplish this, God has given us the Church:

·       And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:11-14)

Pray that God raise up faithful teachers to equip His people.

Please consider that:

New York School of the Bible courses start September 14 for seven Mondays via Zoom. You don’t need a Zoom account, but you must register for courses at: http://www.cbcnyc.org/nysb :

I will be teaching:

·       6:00 – 7:25   260A   Worldview Apologetics: Defending the Faith

·       7:35 – 9 PM   200    Introduction to Theology

If you are planning to take one or both courses, or if you are seriously considering either, I’d be glad to email you the course notes free-of-charge.