“How could you say something so cruel!” she blurted out, causing the people seated at the tables nearby to look towards the couple.
“But I didn’t mean it that way,” he whispered.
“But that’s what you said!”
She threw down her napkin and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving the man confused and angry.
He had intended to convey a message entirely different from what she understood, leading to a major misunderstanding and possibly a fractured relationship.
We’ve all heard the phrase “words have meaning.” But people often take those meanings in very different ways, with tragic results. That is true in ordinary conversations—and it is also true when people read the Bible.
The Bible is one of the most misunderstood, misused, and mistakenly applied books of all time. Yet its central message is clear: God’s relentless and committed love for human beings. Still, people have used the Bible to justify the most inhumane and unloving behavior imaginable.
It has been said that one can make the Bible say whatever one wants. Is it that vague? The short answer is “No”. The message of the Bible is clear and straightforward, but to arrive at that conclusion, a person has to follow certain basic rules of interpretation that people have accepted over the centuries. It takes a bit of work, but the time and effort result in benefits no one can take away.
If you have found reading the Bible so difficult that you’ve pretty much given up on it, join us this Sunday for our worship service. Asking the right questions leads to getting the right answers. And when it comes to the Bible, you won’t find better answers anywhere!
Sunday Morning Worship Service – 10:00 am