The Literary Context

A popular preacher’s anecdote tells of a man who was facing serious problems and wanted to know God’s will for him. He opened his Bible and pointed his finger randomly to Matthew 27:5, which reads, “And [Judas] went and hanged himself” (NKJV). Taken aback by the verse, he repeated the same procedure, attempting to find a more uplifting message, only to have his finger rest on Luke 10:37: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’ ” (NKJV). Both are true verses of Scripture, but they need to be understood in context.

Indeed, many distortions of Bible messages derive from the common practice of isolating passages from their literary context. This approach opens the Scriptures to all kinds of artificial interpretations.

Some people distort the Bible message sincerely because of their own lack of knowledge. But others do so intentionally, as Satan did on the two occasions mentioned in the scriptures above. Regardless of the motivation, the result is always detrimental.

In the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1–5; compare with Rev. 12:9), Satan appeared to Eve as an attractive and curious serpent able to speak human language. Wresting God’s words from their original context, Satan first generalized them and then offered his own deceitful interpretation.

When Jesus was taken by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11, Luke 4:1–13), “Satan came as an angel of light in the wilderness of temptation to deceive Christ.”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 18, 1888. In his dialogue with Christ, Satan misquoted Psalm 91:11, 12 in order to imply that God would protect even those who expose themselves intentionally to dangerous situations.

The Garden of Eden and the wilderness experiences of temptation confirm the existence of the great controversy, which includes the interpretation of God’s Word, spoken and written. They should help us to recognize the importance of keeping our understanding of Bible passages faithful to their contexts.

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Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

The work of Sabbath reform to be accomplished in the last days is foretold in the prophecy of Isaiah: “Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.” (Isaiah 56:1, 2.) . . .
These words apply in the Christian age, as shown by the context: “The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.” (Verse 8.) Here is foreshadowed the gathering in of the Gentiles by the gospel. And upon those who then honor the Sabbath, a blessing is pronounced. Thus the obligation of the fourth commandment extends past the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, to the time when His servants should preach to all nations the message of glad tidings. . . .
Hallowed by the Creator’s rest and blessing, the Sabbath was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden; by Adam, fallen yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy estate. It was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to righteous Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob. When the chosen people were in bondage in Egypt, many, in the midst of prevailing idolatry, lost their knowledge of God’s law; but when the Lord delivered Israel, He proclaimed His law in awful grandeur to the assembled multitude, that they might know His will and fear and obey Him forever.
From that day to the present the knowledge of God’s law has been preserved in the earth, and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment has been kept. Though the “man of sin” succeeded in trampling underfoot God’s holy day, yet even in the period of his supremacy there were, hidden in secret places, faithful souls who paid it honor. Since the Reformation, there have been some in every generation to maintain its observance. Though often in the midst of reproach and persecution, a constant testimony has been borne to the perpetuity of the law of God and the sacred obligation of the creation Sabbath.—The Great Controversy, pp. 451, 453.

In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian practices, some will seize upon passages of Scripture separated from the context, perhaps quoting half of a single verse as proving their point, when the remaining portion would show the meaning to be quite the opposite. With the cunning of the serpent they entrench themselves behind disconnected utterances construed to suit their carnal desires. Thus do many willfully pervert the word of God. Others, who have an active imagination, seize upon the figures and symbols of Holy Writ, interpret them to suit their fancy, with little regard to the testimony of Scripture as its own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as the teachings of the Bible.
Whenever the study of the Scriptures is entered upon without a prayerful, humble, teachable spirit, the plainest and simplest as well as the most difficult passages will be wrested from their true meaning. . . . The Word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth. “Light is sown for the righteous.” Psalm 97:11. And no church can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking for truth as for hid treasure.—Maranatha, p. 132.