Full Instructions
Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 3:14-18
"Dad, there's something I've been wondering about," Lincoln said as he began fitting pieces of his new model plane together. "When I was at Brandon's house, I overheard his dad telling his mom about a man who is really mean to his wife and kids. This guy excused it by saying he was just being the head of the house, like the Bible says husbands and fathers should be." Lincoln sighed. "I guess it doesn't always work out right when you try to obey the Bible, does it?"
"It sounds to me like that man wasn't obeying the Bible," said Dad. "He was taking a verse out of context and wasn't interpreting and using it the right way."
"What does 'out of context' mean?" Lincoln asked.
"It means to use a verse and change its meaning by not paying attention to what is said in the rest of the chapter or in other parts of the Bible," Dad explained.
Lincoln threw down two of the model pieces he had been trying to fasten. "These things don't fit into each other right."
Dad inspected the model. "Are you sure you followed the directions?"
"Of course! It says right here, 'Snap section E onto section D.' I tried that, and it won't work!"
Dad pointed to the instructions. "But this says, 'First attach B to D, while pressing down on C.'"
"Oops! I guess I skipped that part. Thanks, Dad!"
"As you can see, it's not enough to follow part of the instructions," Dad said. "You have to read them carefully and make sure you understand them completely. It's like that with the Bible too. When we take verses out of context or choose to follow only part of God's instructions and ignore the rest, we're missing the complete picture. The Bible tells us about Jesus, who loves us all so much that He died to save us, and how He's freed us from sin and is making us to be like Him. Do you think His Word also tells us it's okay to be mean to people?"
Lincoln shook his head. "That's why we need to read and study the Bible carefully, right?"
"Right," said Dad. "And we need to trust God to help us understand what it says and live it out in our lives."
-Sherry L. Kuyt
How About You?
Do some things in the Bible sound strange to you? Have you heard someone claim the Bible says something that doesn't sound right? The Bible is God's Word, and everything it says is true. But it must be read carefully and with prayer. God will help you understand more as you study it on your own and with others. When something you read--or hear--doesn't sound right, discuss it with a trusted Christian who can help you understand what God really says.
Today's Key Verse:
[Scripture contains] some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort…to their own destruction. (NIV) (2 Peter 3:16)
Today's Key Thought:
Study the whole Bible