Who Is It Directed To?
An easy way to take Bible truths out of context is to miss considering the audience to whom it was written… & I don’t mean just which people group/what they were directly dealing with NOR whether it was written to those who have accepted Jesus’ payment on behalf of their sin versus those who don’t know Jesus, even though those are also QUITE important to note when considering Biblical context.
What I want to encourage us to look at is oftentimes a lot more subtle.
Sometimes there can seem to be contradictions in the Bible, like:
-“It’s better not to get married!” while also saying that marriage is blessed by God, (Matthew 19:3-10), or….
-“Don’t work? You don’t eat,” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) while also saying to be generous to others (Matthew 25:34-12), or….
-“Don’t forget all God has done & all of His promises when in times of distress,” (Psalm 119:50; Psalm 9:9-10; Psalm 34:18; John 16:33; Deuteronomy 31:6; Ephesians 6:10) but also saying to be comforting to those in distress (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
How can those contradictions exist in a Bible wholly TRUE? Audience. Audience matters.
1. Better Not to Get Married? Or Better TO Get Married?
For example, God is the One Who designed marriage, but then there’s a little verse that says, “it is better that man not marry.” (Matthew 25:34-12) How can these 2 contradictions exist in one Bible if they’re both true?
Well, we must consider that the audience in this passage is that of people who don’t want to have to endure marriage when times get tough… & marriage does get tough at times, doesn’t it? So, with God’s strong opinion about “2 becoming one flesh” & “what God brings together, let no man separate,” God is essentially saying to this audience: “well, then, it’s better that YOU not marry, then, because marriage is designed to be forever, not done away with when inconvenient or uncomfortable.”
Basically, don’t take marriage union lightly as something to just improve your life & when it doesn’t, bail out. But rather a, “this is meant to be a forever lasting thing, even when it really seems impossible.”
This is why we really ought to be prayerful & reluctant to let feelings (no matter how magical they may seem) lead us into marriage. It is a decision that should never be taken lightly.
You may need to separate yourself from a bad situation, for sure, but this is not for people already married, but for those considering marriage—to take that weighty decision very seriously. Also remember that God, through Jesus + repentance, forgives….
2. Don’t Eat or Feed Them?
The next example is one I have heard quoted to me in regard to being generous to the intentionally homeless: “if a man does not work, he shall not eat,” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) seeming to be contradicting God’s several commands to be generous to those who lack, like in Matthew 25:34-12. How do the 2 coexist? Audience.
To the one trying to get away with living off the backs of others, God is pretty straightforward in rebuking that selfishness, so when the verse says, essentially, “if you don’t work, you don’t eat,” God is speaking to the one trying to get away with using others.
But to those with opportunity to GIVE… He is not asking us to judge one way or another… but to entrust the outcome to God & GIVE ANYWAY.
Basically—we can’t know a person’s whole story & entirety of circumstances, & even if we did, we don’t know how God may use our unwarranted generosity to reach into the heart of that person for the gospel—using your generosity to help them realize their need of Jesus in their life.
Their job—don’t neglect working to receive. Our job—give anyway…. And… leave the rest up to God.
3. Buck Up? Or Comfort Them?
The third example that I see others misunderstanding, sometimes quite often, is huge for me personally since I struggle intermittently with seasons of depression.
Yes, the Bible has SO MANY verses on “be strong in the Lord,” “wait on the Lord,” “God is my refuge,” & so, so many more. (Examples: Psalm 119:50; Psalm 9:9-10; Psalm 34:18; John 16:33; Deuteronomy 31:6; Ephesians 6:10) And YES, those are all TRUTHS that bring LIFE. We should DEFINITELY be sharing them when we see others in distress.
BUT… not as an end-all-be-all solution to their problems, as if, “Heeelllloooo… I told you the truth, now it’s up to you to receive it & move on.” Essentially telling them to “buck up.”
That quite frankly reeks more of, “your pain is making me SO uncomfortable right now & is really killing my mood here, so can you please accept this truth I have so kindly reminded you of so we can move on here?” Ruh-roh.
And even if you’re not CONSCIOUSLY thinking that… that is kind of how it comes off sometimes, isn’t it?
How Does God Tell Us to Deal with Others’ Emotions/Weaknesses?
And then is the sweet little verse that directly tells us how to act with people in similar circumstances: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
Personally, we ought to remember & trust God’s promises in times of distress… but, if in our humanness, we forget or can’t see it… the other person, ought to also remember to be gentle, patient, bearing one another’s burdens, & use kindness.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” (Colossians 3:12-13)
Bear with One Another in Love
Don’t get annoyed because someone won’t “snap out of it.” Bear with one another in longsuffering kindness that is willing to say, “It is okay to not be okay, friend. I am not going anywhere.”
Sit with others in their pain. Love them anyway. Be gentle. Be forbearing, allowing them space to not have it all together all the time. Be how you would wish someone would be for you in your dark, hidden moments of heartache & pain.
Some things in life just hurt. I mean, even Jesus cried & sweat blood from the weight of what He would bear on the cross for us (Luke 22:44). Would you have considered telling Him to cheer up because “God has a plan, even in this”? Of course not! … So let us please not do that to other people who are NOT God-in-flesh.
In the Bible–Audience Matters
So, as we read the Bible, let’s consider carefully who the text was meant to address, because that really is so important.
We ought to consider the weight of marriage as we desire it & before we commit to it… but God still blesses marriage.
We ought to work for our food… but we ought to be generous still to those who don’t.
We ought to remember God’s faithfulness & promises in times of hurt… but we ought to be gentle, kind, & loving when someone struggles to remember.
It’s all about the “audience” context. Which side of the situation is God addressing in that context? Because, in the Bible–audience matters.
Can you think of other examples worth noting in the Bible?
Shine HOPE by remembering how gracious & loving & faithful God is, even when we aren’t… & by striving to live pleasing to Him, even when it’s so hard… knowing God will help you every step of it, if you’re willing to lean into Him & to ask for His help as your guide.
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