The Most Misused Verses in the Bible - Eric J. Bargerhuff

"And [the devil] took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will comman his angels concerning you to guard you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." (Luke 4:9-11)

The devil quoting Scripture is nothing new. That's why we need to know when Scripture is being misused, and The Most Misused Verses In The Bible is supposed to help us with that.

In this book, Eric J. Bargerhuff takes some of the most commonly quoted verses and puts them in the correct context, allowing the reader to see where they have been misquoted.

From Matthew 7:1 ("Do not judge, or you too will be judged") to 2 Chronicles 7:14 ("If my people, who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land"), seventeen commonly (mis)quoted verses are put into their proper context.

For example, 2 Chronicles 7:14 ("If my people, who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land"). This is commonly used to exhort a country to repent of their ways. However, by reading the Bible, you'll see that this is said as a response to Solomon's prayer when the Temple is rebuilt. In other words,

"It is not meant to be a general promise that is given to any other nation on the face of the earth. No other nation could ever claim to be "God's people" and not other nation today has a temple where the living God dwells.")

So when people try to claim this verse, they shouldn't be surprised if the healing they expect doesn't come to pass.

What I liked about this book was that it gave the historical and Biblical context, which puts it in it's proper light. I've heard it said, that "a text without a context is just a pretext for what you want it to say", and that's certainly true for the verses cited above.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to boost their Bible knowledge. It's not a shortcut to knowing the Word of God, but it's a good help when you're studying the Bible.

Eustacia Tan joined Into the Book in May of 2011. She has always loved reading, but particularly loves fiction, apologetics, and theology. She has a love for God, and hopes to someday go to the Japanese people as a missionary.