One way we misuse the Bible is by demanding that a passage support more weight than it was designed to bear.
This is how Satan attempted to trick Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11). Satan quoted Psalm 91:11-12, “[God] will command His angels concerning You, to guard You.” The passage says that the one who trusts God will be an object of God’s special favor. We can fairly apply this to Jesus, the Son of God, who could expect to continue in His ministry unharmed, at least until the cross!
But Satan asserted that the passage must apply to any and every situation, even Jesus throwing Himself down from a high pinnacle. Jesus knew that self-harm was not a legitimate use of Psalm 91. It would contradict other Scriptures. So He replied, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’ ” (Deut. 6:16).
I can think of a number of passages similarly pulled out of context. You probably can too, and I hope that you’ll use your critical thinking skills to be on the lookout. Anytime an application drawn from a general passage contradicts the plain meaning of another passage, the application demands clarification.
One of the most obvious examples is Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Now, we celebrate this truth! We rejoice that while seasons come and go, while nations rise and fall, even while the mountains are worn down into the sea, Jesus our Creator remains untouched by the passage of time (John 8:58, Rev. 1:8, Heb. 1:10-12). Jesus is eternal and consistent and dependable. He will not make capricious demands of His followers.
But, Seventh-Day Adventists use Hebrews 13:8 to prove that the Sabbath law is still in effect. Here’s a quote from www.sabbath.com: “Inherent within the assertion that the Sabbath has changed is the idea that the Creator Himself is changeable—that His character is variable, His standard of righteousness changes over time, and He is not serious about what He says… He does not change (Hebrews 13:8)… Any doctrine that involves God backtracking on what He said, such as changing the Sabbath command, should be seen for what it truly is, an affront to His perfect, constant nature.
But, Seventh-Day Adventists are inconsistent about this; they freely ignore many of God’s Old Testament commandments, such as burnt offerings, Passover in Jerusalem, incense in the tabernacle. God has, at various times that pleased Him, saw fit to deal with mankind through a number of dispensations (Gen. 9:6, Exo. 24:3-8, Matt. 26:28).
Centuries before Jesus, He revealed that He intended to replace the Law of Moses with a new covenant built on better promises (Jer. 31:31-34, Heb. 8:6-13). So, while it’s true God’s nature never changes, the specific expectations He has for mankind change from time to time; and not because God is slowly figuring things out, but because this progressively clear revelation is part of His overall plan for mankind throughout the centuries. We are the ones who must learn, not Him (Gal. 3:24).
As for the Sabbath, the New Testament is very clear that Christians met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:1-2) and are not required to observe the Sabbath (Col. 2:16, Rom. 14:5).
Pentecostals use Hebrews 13:8 to prove that if Jesus caused His followers to speak in tongues (Acts 2:1-4) and perform miraculous healings (Acts 3:1-10) in the first century, Jesus will always affect the mouth and heal the sick in the same way. But again, God may provide different gifts to His children depending on the needs of the age without being guilty of changing His nature. I would argue God’s purpose for those miraculous gifts was accomplished (Heb. 2:3-4) and thus phasing them out (1 Cor. 13:8) is consistent with His greater purpose. In any case, inspired writers tell us of variation in God’s gracious gifts (1 Sam. 3:1, Rom. 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12:11); this surely does not indicate variation in Him!
–John Guzzetta