There is a saying attributed to a host of seminary professors.1 “Any Text Without A Context Is Pretext For A Prooftext.” In case you don’t follow, without context (the words, verses, and passages both before and after the thing we are looking at), people are likely to import their own meaning, which is foreign to the authors’ (both human and divine) intent.
Some passages are frequently, notably pulled out of context:
- “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Sorry…this is not a promise for your success in the athletic arena.
- “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” No…a church is not meeting whenever a couple of believers gather.
- “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” Whatever? Gee…thanks. I’d like a million dollars.
I could go on, but I think you understand my point.
In our passage last week, there was one verse that regularly gets splashed on Instagram posts with beautiful backgrounds. Its message is comforting and beautiful.
Isaiah 26:3 says,
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.”
Rather than this being a promise that Christians will never experience turmoil and trouble, the words of this passage mean something specific to real people—those who are part of the righteous nation “in that day.”
Fortunately, if you are a believer in Jesus, you are part of that righteous nation. Because of your trust in Him, He will keep you in His peace in that day.
Context is crucial. Listen to good preaching and teaching, and you can come to appreciate the value of context. It will model how you can learn to read, study, understand, and apply the truths communicated in God’s Word.
- That is my way of saying I was unsuccessful in tracking down the original source for attribution ↩︎