Well, howdy y 'all. Welcome back here to the
semi -seminary. We're about to open our Bibles
tonight, but before we do, let's go ahead and
put a name to the elephant in the corner of the
fellowship hall. A whole lot of what we think
the Bible says, it doesn't. Not quite, anyway.
And before you get nervous, this isn't about
calling anybody out. This is about clearing the
table so the real meal can be served. Tonight,
Our study is about the verses we've heard our
whole lives. The ones folks quote in hospital
rooms and hallway conversations. The ones we
print on throw pillows and put on Instagram with
a cool cursive font. But when you look closer,
when you slow down, open the word, and really
dig into the context, you start to realize something.
They don't always mean what we've been told they
mean. But here's the thing. This isn't just about
being right. It's about being rooted. Because
when we misquote scripture, we can accidentally
miss the very heart of God. Sometimes we offer
platitudes when the Bible offers presence. Sometimes,
even with good intentions, we serve up guilt
when the Bible serves up grace. So tonight, We're
going to take these beloved verses and plant
them back in their original soil. Historically,
relationally, scripturally, we're going to watch
them bloom into something more honest, more human,
and more hopeful. And hey, if you're listening
to this later, know that you missed more than
a good Bible study this evening. Tammy brought
the soup tonight, onion and leek, and full of
something that tastes suspiciously like holy
comfort. Gigi's cheddar biscuits came out golden
and sacred as ever. And since David took the
night off from making the coffee, the pot in
the fellowship hall actually tastes like coffee
instead of something filtered through a carburetor.
If you want to know what gospel tastes like,
it's somewhere between those biscuits and that
second cup. So pull up a chair, open your Bible,
And let's talk about why getting it right, I
mean, really right, still matters. Let's talk
about misquoting the Bible. So I want to begin
tonight's discussion with first a kind of this
very simplified. version of something that we,
as the disciples of Christ, that's the name,
the brand of our church, the disciples of Christ,
the things that, there are things that make us
different than Methodists. There are things that
make us different than Baptists, so on. One of
those things is we believe in the power of individual
interpretation of scripture. You do not, the
Holy Spirit dwells within you. You do not need
someone in between you and God to define what
the Bible means to you. Because if the Holy Spirit
is in you and you're reading into scripture,
you don't need me coming in the side door saying,
but this is what it really means. The Holy Spirit
inside you can make that happen. We don't need
somebody in between us and God trying to define
for us what God's trying to tell us. Now, I can
go to school and take classes and have some time
to really contemplate and spin, think about this
and craft sermons and Bible studies and stuff,
and I can give you my opinion. I can explain
things to you. But it's not my job to give you
interpretation of Scripture. It's yours to interpret
for yourself. You have to onboard it, the information
for yourself. There's one huge problem with this
concept of individual biblical interpretation,
and that is the general lack of biblical literacy.
And it's kind of like... we sometimes accidentally
say, we certainly don't intend to, but this is
what we do. You are free to interpret scripture
as you wish, but we're really not going to assist
you in truly understanding what the Bible says.
And that's kind of goofy. And so I believe strongly
in spiritual, individual, scriptural interpretation
through the individual spirit in us. So as a
result, I feel like I have a responsibility to
increase our biblical literacy. Right. And in
very plain terms, if I'm going to trust y 'all
to go out in the wild and live the Bible the
way you understand it, I better make sure you
understand it. Right. So that's what we try to
do in these Bible studies in some way. And tonight
is one that's specifically that way. The title
of tonight's discussion is called Misquoted Stuff
We Get Wrong in the Bible. I once saw a cross
stitch on a wall in someone's living room right
above the family Bible that looked like it had
sat there since the Reagan administration. And
it said this. It said, God won't give you more
than you can handle. And it was stitched really
pretty. There were flowers in the corners. There
was a little dove in the middle. One of these
pieces that just feels like it belongs. Comforting.
It's familiar. It's handed down with good intentions
and a little dust. Trouble is, that's not in
the Bible. And the worst part, in my opinion,
is that it was stitched by someone trying to
be helpful. Like so many of us, somebody probably
gave it as a gift during a hard time. Maybe it
came after a bad diagnosis or a job loss or the
death of a child. Maybe it was the only comfort
they could offer. Maybe it was the only comfort
they had. We sometimes reach for Bible verses
like life breaths. Sometimes the verse we quote
isn't in the word we're trying to say. Sometimes
what we think is comfort is actually a misunderstanding.
And sometimes those misunderstandings add weight
to the shoulders of the weary instead of lifting
it off their shoulders. The Bible isn't a Pinterest
board. It's a library rooted in exile, written
in dust and ashes, cried through tears, whispered
in prison cells. It is full of blood and poetry
and grit and grace with stories that don't wrap
up always in a neat little bow and verses that
sound less like inspiration and more like survival.
And when we take those verses incorrectly of
their stories, we shrink the gospel. We trade
revelation for reassurance. We offer cliches
instead of Christ. So, let's walk through tonight
four verses that we think we know and see if
maybe, just maybe, The truth is actually deeper,
richer, and better than we were told or misunderstood.
Not just more accurate, according to what Scripture
says, but actually more whole, more human. And
maybe, just maybe, exactly what someone needs
to hear, stitched not on the wall, but in their
soul. So, first of all, God won't give you more
than you can handle, right? Let me ask y 'all
a question. Have you ever been given more than
you can handle? Of course. Yes, right? Don't
give me the Sunday school answer, right? Answer
instead with that voice that cried into your
pillow. Answer with the voice of who sat with
you in the ER at 2 o 'clock in the morning. Not
sure you could even keep going. And that phrase,
we love it. We use it to comfort people. But
it's not a verse. It's a misquotation of 1 Corinthians
10 -13. No temptation has overtaken you except
what is common to man, and God is faithful. He
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can
bear. But with the temptation, he will also provide
a way out. This verse, friends, is about temptation,
not suffering. Paul isn't saying life won't knock
you down. He's saying when you're tempted to
quit, to sin, to sell your soul, God will always
leave the back door unlocked. There's always
an exit. But in 2 Corinthians 1 and 8, just a
few chapters later, we read this. Paul saying,
we were under great pressure, far beyond our
ability to endure. So he's already canceled himself
out there. So that we despaired of life itself.
Paul, Paul is saying, I couldn't handle it. God
didn't keep it tight for him, light for him.
No, he let it crush him. Why? Well, he tells
us in verse 8, verse 9. But this happened that
we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who
raises the dead. And there it is, friends, the
gospel message in one sentence. God will absolutely
allow more than you can handle so that, remember
how we talked about that conjunction, so that
you can learn to rely on the one who can raise
the dead. We're not promised easy. We're promised
presence. And the truth is, in my experience,
The moments I couldn't handle, those were the
very ones where grace moved in and carried whatever
it was I could. Let's try this one. Money is
the root of all evil. You ever hear someone quote
that with pride? Like, I don't trust banks. That's
why I keep my money in a Folgers can in the freezer.
We say that like it's a badge of honor. Money
is the root of all evil. We quote it as if the
more broke we are, the holier we must be. Scripture
doesn't say what we think it says. And the difference
between the actual verse and the bumper sticker
version is the difference between guilt and grace.
The actual verse, 1 Timothy 6 and 10, says, for
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Did you catch that? Not money itself. Not the
only root. And not all evil. Just all kinds of
evil. It's about grit, not the gold. Small difference.
Huge implications. Paul is writing. I have to
give you my requisite history lesson. Paul is
writing to one of his protege pastors, a young
guy by the name of Timothy. He's writing where
Timothy is starting and is beginning to run this
early church in a place called Ephesus. Ephesus
would be located in what would be modern day
Turkey. Ephesus was a burgeoning church. But
if you were with us on Sunday, we also talked
about the Corinthian church. And although they
were a big church and they had lots of money,
they had lots of problems too. And Paul has to
actually write letters back to his churches and
say, you guys have screwed this stuff up. So
I'm writing you a letter to call you out. And
to fix it. When he's writing to Timothy, he's
writing a warning letter. These are the things
you're going to experience as the church grows.
Be on guard for things like this. Okay? Now,
Ephesus in modern -day Turkey was a city known
for its commerce, temples, and a class divide.
a place where wealth strutted down marble streets
and religious leaders could buy power with their
silver coins. He was warning this young pastor
that greed can dress up often like godliness.
Some people will start preaching not because
they've been called, but because they've seen
what a good sermon can sell. And the danger wasn't
just outside the church walls. It was inside
as well. Folks were slipping money under the
table and pride into the pulpit. Using theology
as a sales pitch. Treating blessings like a brand.
It's not the coins that corrupt. It's the craving.
It's the subtle shift where you start trusting
your account balance more than the bread of life.
Where you begin to see people as transactions.
And where success becomes your compass. Money
promises control, but it always asks for a little
more control in return. But here's the thing.
Money is not evil. But loving it, serving it,
craving it, trusting it, that will rot you from
the inside out. And not overnight, not loudly
and with a bang, slowly, quietly, like mold in
the drywall. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew
chapter 6 and 24. You cannot serve both God and
mammon. Now that word mammon, just real quick,
that is, the word in Hebrew means wealth. Okay,
so. He's saying you cannot serve both God and
mammon, but mammon is capitalized in the way
that the name wealth in Hebrew has been turned
into a name. The word mammon, he gave it a name.
He compared it like a rival deity. Because the
thing that will make most of us most often lose
our souls isn't the demon in the dark. It's stuff
we worship instead of the Savior. It's a dream
we bow to every Sunday where we skip rest and
hustle harder. It's the belief that if we had
just a little bit more, we'd be safe. But scripture
keeps calling us back, not to poverty, but trust.
Not to guilt, but generosity. Not to empty wallets.
More importantly, open hands. And the gospel
doesn't shame the rich. It invites the wealthy
and the poor and everyone in between to remember
who the real provider is. To remember that true
treasure doesn't rust. And the economy of the
kingdom of God runs on grace, not greed. Okay.
We're over halfway done. We can turn the fan
on and stop sweating. Although, there's something
about preaching when you're sweating. There is
just a little something extra to it. I did wear
deodorant, so. I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Philippians 4 and 13. It's
probably the most tattooed verse in the Western
Hemisphere. We've put that on sneakers, weightlifting
belts, campaign signs, like Jesus has become
our personal trainer or motivational speaker.
But when Paul wrote this, remember, he wrote
Philippians to a church in Philippi whilst in
a Roman jail cell. He didn't have a platform.
He had a chain around his ankle. But right before
he says that line, he says, I have learned the
secret of being content in every circumstance,
whether well -fed, hungry, whether living in
plenty or in want. And then he says this, but
I can do all things through Christ who gives
me strength. Well, Pastor Jim, how did I get
that one wrong? It's tattooed right, right there.
I'm not saying that you spelled the words wrong.
I am saying you might have missed what Paul's
trying to say. Paul isn't talking about winning.
He's talking about surviving. Because he's actually
saying, even when it all falls apart, I still
have peace. Peace. I still have Christ. And that's
enough. This is not just a motivational quote.
It's a survival verse. And it's for the ones
who are barely hanging on. Okay. I've saved this
one for last. Because I think a lot of you might
have gone, I think I've heard that stuff before.
Because you're all really smart Christians. But
here's one where I hope you go, oh, how about
this one? where two or three are gathered. Now,
this one might sting, friends, because you've
probably heard it in a prayer circle with five
people and thought, well, at least two or three
are gathered. The Lord is with us. True sentiment.
It's not that he's not. But that verse, Matthew
18 and 20, Does it mean what you think it means?
The context here is actually about confrontation.
Let me hit the rewind button real quick. Back
to Matthew 18, 15, and 16. It says this, if your
brother sins against you, go and show him his
fault. If he refuses to listen, take one or two
others along. This is about reconciliation. It's
about accountability. It's about hard conversations
in love. Then he says, for where two or three
are gathered in my name, there I am with them.
It's not a verse about small groups of Christians.
It's a verse about courage. It's about showing
up for hard truth. With love, mercy, and humility.
And in that hard place, Jesus is saying, I'm
there. Right in the middle of it. Because grace
doesn't just show up in worship songs. It shows
up when we're honest enough to say, brother,
sister, this thing between us, we got to talk.
Right? And the truth is, that's four, so fans
get ready to come back on. The truth is, it's
a better gospel than we imagine. Because God
will give you more than you can handle, but he'll
carry it with you. Money isn't the root, but
loving it will make you forget what matters.
Christ doesn't make you win. He helps you to
endure. And Jesus doesn't show up just because
a couple of you got together with a cup of coffee.
He shows up when grace and truth collide. The
real versions of these verses, they're better.
They're deeper. Because they're good news for
the bruised and the burdened. And here's what
I'm trying to get at. And here's where I think
I've just finally landed through all of this,
through all of these years, through all of these
Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. I have
just decided the Bible doesn't need to be dressed
up. It just needs to be told true. And when you
put those verses back in their soil, they begin
to bloom with grace all over again. Amen? Amen.
That's what I have for you guys tonight. Thanks.
So, go easy tonight. Go home full. Body, soul,
and maybe even a little convicted. Because this
is more than just correcting grammar or trading
in well -meaning cliches for holy, hard -earned
clarity. This is about honoring the voice of
God by refusing to make him sound smaller than
he is. If someone quotes a verse that doesn't
sit right with your spirit, maybe it's not your
faith that's broken. Maybe it's the framing.
And maybe the verse was never meant to carry
the weight someone's tried to place on it. If
someone's hanging on to a cross -stitch promise
that hurts more than it helps, don't mock it,
but don't leave them there either. Sit down beside
them, open the Bible, and stitch a better story
together. One rooted in grace, not guilt. And
if you've been bruised by verses twisted to control,
shame, or silence, you hear this. That wasn't
Jesus. That was somebody misquoting and misusing
the gospel. And tonight is your invitation to
come back to the table, to listen for his real
voice, and to find out that what he actually
said is even more beautiful, more freeing, and
more true than you were ever even told. Because
when we tell the truth about what God really
said, the good news sounds like good news all
over again. Anyway, something to think about.
Until next time, friend. Be blessed.