Be Careful Little Eyes How You Read

 

Because of my husband’s illness, we bought an oximeter, a gadget you snap onto your finger to read your oxygen level. My husband’s level read 90. I then clipped the oximeter onto my own finger and looked down. It showed 86. (Read the top number in first photo and bottom number in the second.)

 That alarmed me. I had heard anything below 89 was cause to head to the emergency room. But I felt fine, so I decided just to keep tabs on it. An hour later, I had the same oxygen level. But that afternoon when I checked it, instead of looking down at the back of my open hand to read the device, I turned my hand over and folded my fingers back toward me. And my level was 98.

 What I was reading as 86 was actually 98. I had been reading the oximeter upside down.

 And we may misread scripture as well. We live in the 21^st century, reading Scripture written almost two millenniums earlier in a very different culture. And we read with finite minds, while God, the Author, is an Infinite Being.

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

 Some common misconceptions about interpreting Scripture exist. But we can compare Scripture to Scripture, consult online commentaries and discuss our questions with pastors, Sunday school teachers and mature Christians.

 For one thing, we may interpret having the abundant life Jesus spoke of as being healthy, wealthy and smart. But we must always look at the whole of Scripture. Jesus also said that in this life we will have trouble. But even then we experience the abundant life because He has overcome the world (John 16:33) and He walks with us.

 Early Christians suffered persecution, yet they rejoiced they had been “counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name” (Acts 5:41). God uses struggles to build character, and we encourage others as we share how God helped us through our personal struggles.

 Many men and women have given their very lives for the cause of the gospel. Stephen was stoned to death. Paul and others were imprisoned and many, if not all, of the disciples became martyrs. Hardly living the “healthy, wealthy and smart” life.

 “The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church” is attributed to Tertullian, an early Christian author. Rather than put an end to the spread of the gospel, the death of martyrs inspired others to take their places, and the church grew. God uses even evil for good.

 Another way we misread Scripture is to think that because “slaves” are mentioned, God approves of slavery. But in those days, “slaves” were well treated and cared for, almost as members of the household. Not so with slavery as we know it.

 Then there’s the issue of women. You might say Old Testament women were considered “second-class citizens.” Men could divorce wives for most anything that displeased them. Traditional Jewish rabbis started their day praying, “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman.”

 In New Testament times, Jesus respected and elevated the status of women by including them in His ministry. He allowed Mary to sit at His feet for teaching, and women traveled with Him. After His resurrection, He appeared first to a woman.

 However, since Paul said women should be “submissive” (1 Corinthians 16:16), some assume women must accept ill treatment without refute. But Paul may have been using sarcasm to correct a problem of the Corinthian church where women distracted from sermons by calling out questions.

 These examples show that just like my incorrect reading of my oximeter, I may misread Scripture as well. From the comfort of my easy chair, I may think the gospel is about me inviting God into my world so that I can enjoy the good life. But the more I read, it’s really about God inviting me to get out of my easy chair to join Him in His work. But first, I must properly understand His Word.

 We need the whole of scripture to inform our faith instead of picking and choosing verses that suit our purposes. When we all get to heaven, we may be surprised at the many ways we drew wrong conclusions here on earth.