Commonly Misquoted and Misapplied Verses: The Christmas Story

            Since we have been looking at a number of the most commonly misquoted and misapplied verses in the Bible the past several newsletter articles, I thought it only be appropriate to focus on those involving the account of Christ’s birth this month since Christmas is on its way. We could call these the “Inigo Montoya verses” of Christmas. “You keep quoting that verse. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Many of these misunderstandings have been perpetuated for years through film adaptations, plays, pageants, songs, and several sermons of well-meaning pastors. As always, our goal is to go back to Scripture to see what it actually says so that we don’t fall prey to some of these misinterpretations. Or to correct any we may already unwittingly hold to.

            No Room in the Inn? How many times have you heard about the cold-hearted inn-keeper who could not, or would not, find any room for Jesus? He is pictured at the doorway shaking his head "no" and pointing Mary and Joseph away from there. And the countless sermons which have been preached about how we should not be like Him but instead to make room in our hearts for Jesus? However, the only problem with this is that there probably wasn't an inn-keeper. That’s because it wasn't an inn they were turned away from. The Greek word used for this place in Luke 2:7 is not the one typically for an inn but rather a guest room in someone's home. In the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:34 where Jesus speaks of the Samaritan taking the man ambushed and beaten by the robbers to an inn, a different word is used in the Greek. This same word though is found in Luke 22:11 regarding Jesus instructing His disciples to ask for the guest room of the man's house for holding the Passover meal. It was common during a census in that day where one would have to travel back to their hometown for relatives in the area to host them in their homes. More likely, this was the home of one of Joseph's relatives who unfortunately had all of their guest rooms filled up by others who needed a place to stay while in for the census. The best that they could do was to have them stay in the cave next to the house with all of the animals.

            The Birthplace of Jesus. Here's another misquoted and misunderstood part of the Christmas story by the way. The idea that the birth occurred in a stable. It was typical back then for the animals to be housed in a cave next to a person's home. Don't think of Jesus' first earthly accommodations being a nice size modern day barn with a roof and door. Picture a dark, damp, smelly cave instead. Even more of a humble scene of our Lord's entering into this world.

            Hark! the Herald Angels SAY? A Christmas Carol we love to sing, and my personal favorite I might add, is "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing." This is probably the most theologically deep and accurate older hymn of our Lord's birth. The writer, Charles Wesley, really did his homework! But when you read Luke's Gospel concerning the angels appearing to the shepherds that first Christmas night, you don't find it telling us that this multitude of angels were SINGING "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." But they were SAYING this (2:13). While it is certainly a possibility that these angels were indeed singing these words, Luke doesn't explicitly say that. We don't know for sure. Praising and singing do go together but the Bible shows us that there are more ways of praising God than just singing to Him. That is one among a number of them. Of course, "Hark! the herald angels say" doesn't rhyme as well with "glory to the newborn king." (Please know that I am not trying to ruin or pick on any of your favorite Christmas Carols. I only want to be biblical. I will still gladly join you in singing this one loudly throughout the month!)

           The Appearance of Angels.  While we're on the angels, isn't it interesting that in just about every Christmas play and pageant, they are portrayed by girls instead of boys? Yet, every angel we ever encounter in the pages of Scripture has male pronouns. And the only ones we have the names of are masculine ones; Gabriel and Michael. Maybe women just appear to be more angelic than men do. (I won't go any further with that!) And don't get me started with the little cute cherubs and their tiny exposed bottoms. I don't have any idea where they came from but I know it wasn't from Scripture!

            The Mysterious Wise Men. Perhaps the group associated with the Christmas story who takes the cake for the most misquoted and misunderstood ideas developed about them would be the magi or wise men. Much of this is due to the beloved Christmas Carol, "We Three Kings of Orient Are." First off, we are not sure that there were only three of them. There may have been many more. The text of Matthew 2 doesn't specify any specific number. Just that they were magi plural and brought three gifts. It is hard to imagine that just three of them would have caused as much of a stir as described. And I have no clue where the names Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar came from to call them. Scripture never gives us any of their names. For that matter, nothing is said about them being kings either. The word "magi" means "great or powerful ones" and often alluded to those with a high status or influence. These ones probably were astrologers who studied the stars and tried to interpret the future by them. That's why they take such a special notice to this unique star that showed up which others may have just passed over in their causally gazing into the night sky. They made it their practice to examine the stars. The group would not have had crowns on their heads but their eyes on the sky. "We unspecified number of astrologers of Orient are" would be quite a mouthful to sing though.

            And when it comes to their arrival, just about every single manger scene gets it wrong. The magi would not have been there at the same time as the shepherds. In fact, they would not have been at the manger at all. Matthew doesn't say that they came to the cave to find the baby or infant but "into the HOUSE" where "they saw the CHILD" (2:11). It probably was a good year or a year and a half before the magi arrived to meet Jesus. We know that it had been close to two years from when they first noticed the star and talked to King Herod about it to when the king realized that they weren't coming back. Hence, why he ordered all the male children two years old and under to be slaughtered (v. 16). So, Jesus would have been one or one and a half at the time of their visit and well out of the manger.

            A Manger Without a Cross. One of the most dangerous of these misinterpretations is presenting the manger without the cross. Speaking and viewing it without being in Calvary’s shadow. One thing we notice in Scripture is that the nativity is never presented to us as an isolated event but is always connected to the cross. It is never just about the birth of the Messiah. For instance, in her song following the announcement that she had been chosen to bear the Christ child, Mary exclaims that God "has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy" according to the promise that God made to their ancestors (Luke 1:54-55). That "help" ultimately being in the sense of salvation. Zacharias, right after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, acknowledges that with the coming of the One whom his son had been designed to point to, God "has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant" (Luke 1:68-69). The name "Jesus" itself speaks of the reason for the child's birth which finds its fulfillment in His death on the cross. As the angel Gabriel told Joseph in the dream, "you shall call His name Jesus, FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS" (Matthew 1:21). The shepherds were specifically told that the One who had been born that very night was "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). And the old man, Simeon, who sees the baby Jesus in the temple, recognizes that in laying his eyes upon Him that he is looking at the very One who will accomplish salvation for God's people (Luke 2:30). An accomplishment we know that will occur through His death and resurrection which Simeon indicates with him prophetically telling Mary that "a sword will pierce her own soul to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed" (v. 35). What greater sword could pierce a mother's soul than watching her son being brutally and painfully crucified? Interestingly enough, one of the gifts of the Magi was myrrh which was often used in embalming and symbolized bitterness, suffering, and affliction. Again, connecting us to His crucifixion where He would suffer and die for the salvation of His people. The Ball Brothers have communicated this so well in one of their songs. “It's not just about the manger / Where the baby lay / It's not all about the angels / Who sing for him that day / It's not all about the shepherds / Or the bright and shining star / It's not all about the wise men
Who travelled from afar / It's about the cross / It's about my sin /It's about how Jesus came to be born once / So that we could be born again / It's about the stone / That was rolled away / So that you and I could have real life someday / It's about the cross.”

            So, as we go about celebrating our Savior’s birth this month, let’s be sure to recognize these misquotations and misunderstandings surrounding it and stick to just what Scripture says. Hope you and your family are blessed with a wonderful season with a focus not on the reason for the season but the reason He came.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Lee

Commonly Misquoted and Misapplied Verses: When Jesus is Really in the Midst of the Church

 

            We hear it said at just about every prayer meeting with a low turnout or when the crowd may be sparse for the Bible study or ministry event. Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” What a great encouragement to the faithful few who showed up! The only problem is that this is not referring to a general prayer meeting or Bible study at all. It is another instance of an “Inigo Montoya passage.” “You keep quoting that verse. I do not think it means what you think it means.” What the verse is talking about may come as a surprise because so few churches actually practice what it refers to.

 

            Of course, it certainly is true that Jesus is there in the gathering of the two or three present for the prayer meeting and Bible study. He is in our midst no matter where we may be or what we may be doing. That is just as much the case of every private prayer meeting or Bible study we may have when it is only ourselves as well as a public one whether it would be in a crowd of 10 or 1,000. We don’t have to quickly find a few other people to get together with for Him to show up among us so to speak. David recognized this in his ponderings of Psalm 139. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get away from God’s presence. He would be everywhere the king was. If he went to the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, he would still find God present. He writes, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me” (vv. 7-10). Jesus’ parting words to His church were a promise to be with us always even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). This is indeed the case with Jesus’ Holy Spirit living inside every believer (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16). So, there is never a case where Jesus cannot be said to be in the midst of a believer alone or believers who have gathered together.

 

            As always, context is the key for the right understanding of this verse. We must see how it fits with what is said both before and after the statement. And when we do that here, we discover the context to be that of church discipline. How the congregation is to lovingly confront and correct any major sin in its members. Jesus begins this section with instructions on what to do “if your brother sins” (Matthew 18:15). (You will notice some older translations have “against you” afterwards. The reason why newer ones do not is because we have discovered earlier copies of the Greek New Testament since then that do not have the “against you” in them, leading many scholars to believe that those two words were not originally a part of the text. Regardless though, Galatians 6:1 speaks of the need to restore a brother or sister who is caught in any type of sin generally. Probably both sin in general and specific sins against an individual are included here.) Following His telling the parable of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine of His flock of a hundred to pursue the one which is lost (vv. 12-14), we are to understand this as Jesus teaching the church to go after any wandering or straying sheep in its own flock who needs to be brought back to the fold. More likely, this is speaking of noticeable habitual ongoing sins the person is clearly unrepentant of that you don’t have to go searching for to see. And Jesus lays out four steps to this process. The first step is a one on one confrontation with the individual to point out their sin and call them to repent of it (v. 15). The hope of this private meeting is repentance and restoration. The winning back of the brother. However, if the man or woman refuses to listen and turn from whatever the sin is, the next step has one or two more people involved to serve as witnesses of the matter (v. 16). If the person continues to walk in the direction of the sin after that meeting, the third step is to bring the issue to the church (v. 17). The goal here being for the entire congregation to reach out to this one and plead for their repentance. I like how one commentator has put it, “God loves us so much that if we are caught in sin, He will send an entire army of believers to us as a demonstration of His love and mercy.” And, if after that, he or she still stubbornly persists in the sin, the most drastic of the steps is to “let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector,” two groups who were at that time excluded from the fellowship. Basically, this is speaking of excommunication; no longer recognizing the individual as belonging to the congregation. Instead, he or she is to be seen as an unbeliever needing to be evangelized rather than a brother or sister a part of the family.

 

            This brings us now to the verse under discussion. In light of that process, Jesus provides the church with confidence when such a decision has to be reached. The confidence is that they are carrying out the will of heaven in following the steps Jesus has just laid out for them (v. 18). The actions they have taken regarding the person is what God has already determined to be done about them in these instructions. The church is simply confirming Jesus’ wishes we could say. The two or three agreeing about anything they ask on earth with the expectation that God who is in heaven will do it for them probably refers to this action of discipline as well (v. 19). It speaks of His support of their decision, assuming that they have done everything He has said in this passage. And v. 20 then serves as that reminder of Jesus’ presence in such.    

 

            You see, rather than being intended to serve as an encouragement to the small tiny group gathered to pray or study the Bible, this verse is designed for the whole church to assure them that they have Jesus’ approval whenever carrying out the unfortunate task of disciplining a wayward member who continues to refuse to repent for his or her sin. We really hope not to have too many situations where this verse would actually apply to us. But should we ever do, we know that if we faithfully follow the blueprint Jesus gives us here for how to lovingly confront and correct the sin of one of our members, we do not go at it alone. Jesus is right there with us in every step of the process, including that last one if necessary. So, there should be no fear in any church practicing this discipline when needed. It is helpful to know that Jesus is with us when there are only a small group who have gathered. It is even more important to know that He is with us in this difficult responsibility and work of holding each other accountable for our walk with Him. Praise God that we can know He is our midst in the process of such!

 

Love in Christ,

Pastor Lee

Commonly Misunderstood and Misapplied Verses: God’s Hopeful Prosperous Plans for the Future?

           It is the quintessential graduation verse. How many baccalaureate or commencement speeches have we heard with it quoted? And it is hard to find a graduation card that doesn’t reference it. (Trust me, I’ve looked. Hallmark likes this one too!) Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares Yahweh, plans for peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”

 

            Perhaps you are thinking, “What’s wrong with sharing this powerful promise with the youth today right as they are getting ready to embark on the world and face so many unforeseen challenges and struggles ahead? Don’t we want them to know that whatever their future holds God has a good plan for them in it not to harm them but to prosper them?” The problem is that most who read this verse take the “peace or prosperity” in it to mean a prosperous good life in their immediate future without any hardship or difficulty to come. (Literally, the word is “shalom” in Hebrew which refers to wholeness, completeness, or wellness. It has been the traditionally greeting of the Jews, wishing the person they are speaking to be healthy and well.) However, that is not what this verse is saying or implying at all. Hence why I include it in the category of “Inigo Montoya passages.” “You keep quoting that verse. I do not think it means what you think it means.” 

 

I’m sure that Paul certainly wasn’t thinking of this verse when he discovered God’s plan for him to suffer much for Christ’s sake (Acts 9:16). That wouldn’t fit in very well with the peace or prosperity and no calamity or harm promised in it. Stephen would not have clung to this promise as he was being stoned (Acts 7). And Jim Elliot who died by the spears of the Waodani people in Ecuador in his attempt to share the gospel with them would have been greatly disappointed had this verse been in his graduation card and he took it the way many do today. In fact, many believers throughout history have experienced physical harm and persecution on account of their faith in Christ. A number like Paul, Stephen, and Jim have even been killed for their faith. None of them could conclude that God’s plan for their life on this earth was peace and prosperity.

 

            As always, the remedy to misinterpreting and misapplying any passage of Scripture is to examine it in its context. Look to see how it connects to what both comes before the verse and after it. When we do that, it prevents us from running with a verse assuming that it means one thing when actually it does not. And when we examine this verse in its context, we discover that rather than young graduates being addressed, it is the people of Israel. And it is not at a commencement service where they will be celebrating the reception of their diplomas after years of hard work and study. It is in the midst of judgment from God for their many years of hard heartedness and wayward rebellion. They didn’t pass all of their tests but failed them. This verse is actually part of a letter the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the Jews who had been taken out of the land God had promised to give them and placed into exile in Babylon (29:1, 4). Things looked pretty bleak for them at that moment. They were being uprooted from their homes and forced to live in an unfamiliar place with people who did not speak their language and who worshiped false gods. The temple where their God would symbolically dwell with them would be destroyed. It became a time of apparent hopelessness and despair for the people. One of the psalms would later describe their attitude. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our lyres. For there our captors asked us about the words of a song, and our tormentors asked joyfully, saying, ‘Sing for us one of the songs of Zion.’ How can we sing a song of Yahweh in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:1-4).

 

            It is with the backdrop of such a dark time they were entering into, God shows them light at the end of the tunnel with the words of this verse. God has not designed for this time of exile to last forever. It will be limited to just 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). This will not be the end for God’s people. They can hold on to the hope that God has a good plan for them in the future following the judgment. He will bring them back to the land they were taken from. Ultimately, this will not be for their harm or calamity but for their peace and prosperity. That of course would be speaking in a small way of their return from exile to the promised land after those predetermined 70 years would be complete. However, I don’t think we can see that as exhausting this promise because the believing Jews of the remnant God has chosen to save have yet to have a time of complete peace or prosperity in their land. This means that it must point far forward to a much greater time yet to come for God’s people which now includes not only believing Jews but believing Gentiles as well (Ephesians 3:6; Galatians 3:29). The New Testament refers to believers in the church today as being in exile in a foreign land (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11) with our true citizenship being in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and that real Promised Land as that of the new heavens and new earth yet future (1 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21). So, the real prosperity or peace for God’s people promised in this verse will not be found in the here and now but in the age to come.

 

The verse certainly can be a promise for a graduate today IF he or she is in Christ by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Him alone. Don’t miss the fact that this promise is connected with the people seeking God through calling upon Him in worship and praying to Him (vv. 12-13). It will not apply and be a reality to those who later do not. It would not be a promise we would want to write in an unbeliever’s card who is not seeking after God at all. The graduate would also need to understand that it is not speaking of anyone’s future career, marriage, or family. It goes so much more beyond that being a promise and blessed hope for every believer of God’s great plans for us beyond the grave. Plans which we know are only fulfilled through Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection on our behalf. Praise God that He has such plans for our future in Christ! Plans for peace and not calamity! Plans to give us a future hope!

 

Love in Christ,

Pastor Lee