Did God Really Say That?
A controversial question...but not always wrong
April, 2024
Misquoting or misinterpreting God's word leads to all sorts of problems. Among Satan's most infamous statements is his question to Eve: "did God actually say…?" In that context (Genesis 3:1–2), the Devil tried to make Eve doubt the truth. Her response is this month's spotlight verse (Genesis 3:3). There, Eve seems to misquote God's earlier command (Genesis 2:17). Ironically, this incident demonstrates that asking "did God really say that?" is not always a bad thing.
Repeating Genesis 3:3 all by itself, for instance, might lead one to believe it was a quote from God. But it's not—it's a quote from Eve, giving her version of the command. When Satan asked, "did God really say…" he was sowing doubt about something true. But it's also possible to ask "did God really say…" in a positive way. That's exactly what the Bereans did (Acts 17:11) and they were praised for it.
Unfortunately, most errors regarding Scripture come in the form applied by Satan. They're mental gymnastics and excuses meant to reject clear commands. But another common mistake is Eve's: sincerely misquoting or misapplying God's Word. Believers need to be accurate and careful with the Bible, so we don't put words in God's mouth. Many common misconceptions about Christianity come from errors just like that.
When the Bible is wrongly cited, it happens in four major ways. These are when Scripture is 1) mistakenly quoted, 2) mistakenly compiled, 3) misquoted and 4) misapplied.
Mistakenly quoted statements aren't in the Bible, at all:
•"To thine own self be true." (Shakespeare, Hamlet)
•"This too shall pass."
•"God helps those who help themselves."
•"Cleanliness is next to godliness."
•"Let go and let God."
•"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Mistakenly compiled statements are only rough summaries of something the Bible teaches.
•"Hate the sin, love the sinner (Jude 1:22–23)."
•"Idle hands are the Devil's workshop (2 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Timothy 5:13, Proverbs 18:9)."
Misquoted Scriptures get the wording wrong, so they're easily misunderstood. These are the closest to what Eve seems to have done:
•Isaiah 11:6 speaks of the wolf laying down with the lamb, not the lion laying with the lamb.
•1 Timothy 6:10 says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, not that money is the root of all evil.
•1 Corinthians 10:13 says God always provides an escape from temptation without resorting to sin, not that God will never give you more than you can handle.
Misapplied Scripture is quoted correctly but interpreted out of context.
•Jeremiah 29:11 does not promise that God will provide a safe, happy life for absolutely all people. It's God telling the soon-to-be-exiled people of Israel that there will be a redemption for their people.
•Psalm 46:5 is not a statement of female empowerment; "she shall not be moved" is only a portion of the whole text. It's a reference to Israel being preserved by God.
•Matthew 17:20 does not mean we can accomplish any miracle simply by having a little faith. It's a visual picture Christ was using to explain to His disciples why they couldn't cast out a demon.
•Psalm 46:10 does not mean we're to be totally silent to hear God. It's a statement of reassurance to Israel that they can set aside panic while God works to handle a particular problem.
•Matthew 18:20 does not mean God only "shows up" when there's more than one Christian somewhere. It means that when Christians disagree, Christ is there to help mediate the conflict.
•Romans 8:28 does not mean God will make everything in life turn out happily. It means everything we experience is part of an eternal, ultimate plan of redemption and glory.
•John 14:13–14 does not mean God is our cosmic vending machine. It means when we're aligned with His will, and praying in His authority, those requests will be granted; "no" is always a possible answer to prayer.
•Matthew 19:21 does not mean we're obligated to live in poverty to be saved. It's Jesus' challenge proving the man to whom He was speaking was unwilling to follow Christ if it meant being poor.
•2 Chronicles 7:14 does not mean that if Christians pray, the United States will surely be rescued and restored to prosperity. It's a promise to Israel, indicating how they can reverse their own punishment for times of disobedience to God.
•Matthew 7:1 is probably the most commonly-abused verse in the entire Bible; it does not mean Christians are never to discern between right and wrong in other people, ever, at all. It means we're not to use shallow, hypocritical judgment in place of careful, "right judgment" (John 7:24).
Believers should make an effort to know what the Bible says and what it does not (2 Timothy 2:15). Even when a concept seems biblical, it's good to fact-check (Acts 17:11). Fellow believers can assist each other in that process (Proverbs 18:17). Knowing the Word (Psalm 119:11) and studying it carefully (Hebrews 5:14) helps us recognize it when the Devil casts doubt at God. It also gives us the tools required to ask that same question—"did God actually say…?"—with holy intent (1 John 4:1).
--Editor
