Did I Forget to Tell You… the Devil Quotes Scripture Too?

Maybe you knew how devoted I am to Scripture that you didn’t ask – and I didn’t think to answer?

 Maybe you saw that my sermons are all directly Scripturally based, that there is rarely a time I am not leading at least one Bible study or sharing about new insights I get from daily devotional reading of the Bible. Maybe I have such high regard for Scripture that I did not tell you we do not worship the Bible?

 I am wondering because I see people posting a text (usually to prove a point) and they say, “The Bible clearly says….”. And maybe you would be surprised that such a statement is not enough to automatically have me jump on board. Because the Bible clearly says a LOT of things that people (rightly) do not apply across the board.

Did I forget to tell you that the devil knew how to quote Scripture.  And his encounter with Jesus in the wilderness is the perfect example of how you can quote Scripture and misuse Scripture.  Jesus saw right though Satan’s pitch.  I am sad to say that so many followers of Jesus don’t know how to do the same.

The problem in the wilderness (Matthew 4: 1-11; Luke 4: 1-13) was not that the devil was incorrectly quoting Scripture.  When the devil says “so it is written”, he makes a direct quote.  The problem with the devil is he was trying to use Scripture to get Jesus to do something that was not consistent with God’s heart.  So yes, Mr. Satan, Psalm 91 does say “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11)  and “on their hands they will bear you up so that you will not dash your foot against a stone”. (Psalm 91:12).  If Jesus bought the “it’s in the Bible” argument strictly on the face of it, He might have easily jumped with confidence.

Jesus – our Lord, our teacher, our example—knew better than to fall for the “It’s in the Bible” pitch.  Using His own extensive knowledge of Scripture, Jesus knew how to spot the way the devil was misusing Scripture to get Jesus out of His central role.  Satan used the Bible as a temptation against God.  Satan doesn’t misquote Scripture.  He misuses Scripture.  He tries to use Scripture to make Jesus do something out of character with God’s heart and the mission Jesus was called to do.  Being able to quote the Bible doesn’t mean that anyone is rightly using the Bible for good.  In fact, the opposite is often the reality.

I have devoted my life – literally every day—to the teaching and understanding of Scripture.  Without apology, I will continue to do so.  Because of my profound love of Scripture, I know better than to bite anytime someone says, “It’s in the Bible.”  I know there are many things that can be quoted from the Scripture that are only window-dressing to cover up unloving hearts.  

Throughout the gospels, over and over again, religious people pick up the approach of Satan.  Scribes and Pharisees quote Jesus the Scripture about the sacredness of the Sabbath.  They misuse the Scripture to put Jesus on the spot. (Luke 6 is one of many, many ways they rightly quote but terribly misuse Scripture.  When the Scribes and Pharisees say that “the Bible says” that Jesus had to keep the Sabbath and wasn’t allowed to heal, Jesus retorted to them (very much like in the wilderness), “Watch me.”  And you can always tell when people are misusing Scripture – because if you don’t agree with what they say—they are furious.  (In Luke 6:11---one of MANY examples), instead of being thrilled that they had been first hand witnesses to a miracle of healing, “they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

Friends, I hope that in every way, my life lives up to the teaching of Scripture.  There is no other source of divine revelation that I cherish more profoundly.  There is no source of inspiration I turn to more frequently.  There is guide more important to my spiritual life or pastoral practice than the Bible….which is why it makes me crazy when people abuse and misuse the Bible for their own purposes.

All my ministry, there have been people who have waved the Bible in my face and said, “You can’t be a minister.  The Bible says women are to keep silent in church.” And the Bible does say that.  I Corinthians 14:34. I am very familiar with that verse – and others of similar ilk. The Bible also says that handling snakes will be a sign of faith (Mark 16:18) and that slaves should obey their masters (Ephesians 6: 5—and multiple other places) and women will be saved by having babies “if they continue in faith and love” (I Timothy 2:15). And the list of scriptures that are misused goes on and on.

In addition, there are also scores of Scriptures that people ignore without a second thought.  Jesus clearly says if you call someone a fool, you will be liable to the hell of fire (Matthew 5:23); that anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5: 32); that we should give to everyone who begs from you and not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you (Matthew 5: 42) or that if your eye leads you to sin you should pluck it out or if you hand causes you to sin, cut it off. (Matthew 5:29, 30).  The Bible says all these things--- and more.

So if I didn’t say it before, let’s be clear:  in and of itself, the ability to quote Scripture doesn’thonor the Scripture.  The devil himself can quote Scripture.  The most religious people of Jesus’ day could quote Scripture all day long.  According to Jesus, these proficient Scripture-quotersmissed God’s heart by a mile.

So how do we know if people are honoring Scripture or abusing Scripture?  Jesus has given us the example.  Jesus shows how to not be suckered in to the “the Bible says” approach.  He recognized the misuse of the Scripture (as in the temptation story).  Jesus regularly resists the Scribes and Pharisees when they try to apply a long-honored Scripture at the expense of a hurting person (as in Luke 6 – and many other encounters).  

In his teaching, Jesus lists the standard for the true use of the Bible in God’s eyes.  Jesus is clear:   there are two supreme commandments—commandments which supercede everything.  Jesus said that obeying these two commandments fulfill all the law and the prophets.  Scriptures in sync with God’s heart reflect Jesus’ clear standard:  Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength AND treat others the way you would want to be treated. (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12: 28-34; Luke 10: 25-28).

The devil can quote Scripture.  The use of Scripture that honors God is Scripture that helps people love God fully and leads us to treat other people the way we want to be treated.  If Scripture doesn’t help us in loving God and neighbor, even if you can quote Scripture all day long, you’ll be misusing God’s Holy Word.