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What Context Taught Me About the Verses I Loved


Title Graphic for “What Context Taught Me About the Verses I Loved” – a blog post exploring how Scripture is often misquoted and why proper context matters.

Can I be transparent?

For many years, I didn’t know how to properly study the Bible. I grew up going to Bible studies where someone would read a verse and ask, “What does this scripture mean to you?” Or the teacher would say, “When I read this passage, this is what came to me…” Does that sound familiar?


At the time, I thought that was how studying the Bible worked. I didn’t know there was a right or wrong way to approach Scripture. When I was about 21, I met a pastor who introduced me to the importance of reading the Bible in context, and why it matters. Before that, I used to do what I now call “the finger method.” I’d close my eyes, open my Bible to a random page, and point to a verse. Wherever my finger landed, that’s what I’d read, believing it was a word from the Lord.


I didn’t realize how flawed that method was until I heard Bishop Noel Jones share a story. He said a young pastor was discouraged and wanted to hear from God. So, he opened his Bible at random and placed his finger on a verse. It read: “Judas hanged himself.” Shocked, he tried again. This time, his finger landed on: “Go ye therefore and do likewise.”Nervously, he gave it one more try. The third verse said: “That what thou doest, do quickly.”


That story stuck with me, because it was a humorous way to highlight a serious truth. Before I started reading Scripture more objectively, I made a lot of mistakes in interpretation. And truthfully, I still do. I haven’t “arrived.” I’m always learning. But I’ve come a long way from just reading verses out of context or repeating interpretations that didn’t hold up under real study.


I misused many popular scriptures, not out of rebellion, but because that’s what I was taught. And because I trusted the teaching, I never questioned whether the interpretation I had was accurate. It wasn’t until I started learning how to study the Bible for myself, reading the full passage, understanding the flow of thought, recognizing the genre of the book, and using tools like Bible dictionaries, concordances, and commentaries, that things began to click.


Before we dive into the verses I used to misunderstand (and that many others still do), I want to introduce you to six key Bible study terms that completely changed the way I read and interpret Scripture. These are simple, but powerful, and they’ll help you avoid common mistakes while building a stronger, Spirit-led foundation in the Word.



  1. Exegesis

    Exegesis means drawing out the original meaning of the text. It’s when you let the Bible speak for itself by paying attention to the author’s intent, the original audience, and the historical setting.

    Think of it as: “What does the text say?”

  2. Eisegesis

    Eisegesis is the opposite. It’s when we read our own ideas, assumptions, or emotions into the text. This usually leads to misinterpretation because we’re starting with ourselves instead of the Scripture.

    Think of it as: “What do I want this to say?”

  3. Hermeneutics

    Hermeneutics is the method or system we use to interpret the Bible. It includes the tools, principles, and approaches that help us understand what the text meant to its original audience and how it applies today.

    Think of it as: “How do I study and apply the Bible correctly?”

  4. Biblical Genres

    The Bible is made up of different types of writing: poetry, history, prophecy, law, wisdom, and letters. Understanding the genre helps us know how to interpret the passage accurately. You don’t read Proverbs the same way you read Revelation.

    Think of it as: “What kind of writing am I reading?”

  5. Prescriptive Text

    Prescriptive passages tell us what to do. They’re instructions, commands, or teachings that are meant to be followed.

    Think of it as: “This is how you should live.”

  6. Descriptive Text

    Descriptive passages simply tell us what happened. They describe events or actions, but that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to copy them. Just because something is in the Bible doesn’t mean God approved it.

    Think of it as: “This is what happened, not necessarily what should happen again.”


Now that we’ve laid a solid foundation, let me walk you through several scriptures I used to quote out of context, verses that are still misused by many well-meaning believers today. These are commonly heard, rarely questioned, and often misunderstood.

Ready? Let’s start:



Misuse: Taught as a New Covenant command to tithe.


Context: This verse is often quoted to teach that Christians must give 10% of their income to the church or risk “robbing God.” But in its original context, this was a rebuke to Israel under the Mosaic Law. It addressed covenant unfaithfulness, not a universal or eternal command. While generosity is absolutely biblical, this passage must be read within its prophetic, Old Covenant framework.


God was calling out Israel’s failure to honor Him in worship and obedience. The people were offering defiled sacrifices and withholding what belonged to God under the Law. The "storehouse" mentioned here was not a bank account, offering basket, or church building. The modern church building is not the storehouse referenced in this scripture. The storehouse was the temple’s food storage area, designated to provide for the Levites, priests, and the poor.


The challenge to “test Me in this” wasn’t an invitation to give money expecting personal financial breakthrough, it was a covenantal call to an unfaithful nation to return to obedience. Under the Old Covenant, blessings and curses were tied directly to Israel’s behavior (see Deuteronomy 28). But that’s not how the New Covenant works.


That phrase, “Test Me,” has often been treated like prescriptive text, as if God is telling all believers to try this and watch Him bless them financially. But it was actually descriptive, God speaking to a specific people, at a specific time, under a specific covenant.



Misuse: Used to support the idea that believers can "speak things into existence."


Context: This verse is often pulled out of its context to teach that we have the power to create our own reality through spoken words, what some call “declaring and decreeing,” or even “manifesting.” But when you read the full passage, Paul is not referring to what we can do, he is referring to what God did and still does.


Paul is pointing to Abraham’s faith, faith in the God who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. The focus of this passage is entirely on God’s power, not ours. It’s about trusting in God’s ability to fulfill what He promised, even when it looked impossible.


This scripture, in my opinion, is one of the more dangerous misinterpretations out there because it’s helped fuel entire belief systems that shift the focus from God’s power to ours. From this one misunderstood verse, doctrines like “we are little gods,” “speak it and see it,” or even New Thought and Manifestation theology have crept into mainstream Christianity.


This kind of thinking teaches that your words have creative power in the universe, and if you just speak it, you can shift your destiny or attract blessings. Some go as far as to say that your words activate spiritual laws and force outcomes into your life, and that the universe must respond to your voice.


But the truth is: only God creates from nothing. He alone brings dead things back to life. Yes, our words carry weight, they can build up or tear down, they reflect what’s in our heart, and they can align us with truth or error, but they do not create worlds or command the universe.


Misuse: Quoted during offerings as a promise of financial return.


Context: Jesus wasn’t teaching a prosperity formula here. This verse is found within a larger teaching on mercy, judgment, forgiveness, and generosity of spirit. He was encouraging His disciples to live generously and graciously in all areas, because the same measure they use toward others would be returned to them.


This is about heart posture, not pocketbook return.


I’ll be honest, there was a time when I would get excited about this verse, especially during offering time. It was my pastor’s favorite scripture. Every time we got to the offering or what we called the “seed line” (yes… I was once a part of a “sow a seed to meet your need” type of church), this verse would come out like fireworks. It got people stirred up. The idea of having blessings poured into your lap, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, sounded like a spiritual jackpot.


But here’s the thing: this verse isn’t primarily about money, it’s about the measure you use with others. If you give mercy, you receive mercy. If you give love, you receive love. If you’re judgmental, harsh, or unforgiving, that’s what comes back. It’s a spiritual principle of reciprocity, but not a vending-machine promise.


A visual summary of commonly misused Bible verses and their original context

Misuse: Used to justify vision boards and personal goal-setting.


Context: This passage has often been used in Christian circles to promote personal dreams or ambitions. It’s become a popular verse to attach to vision boards or declarations for the new year. But that’s not what it’s about.


God told Habakkuk to write down His vision, not Habakkuk’s. This was God’s direct response to a prophet who came to Him deeply burdened. In Chapter 1, Habakkuk cries out to God, asking why it seems like the wicked prosper, the righteous suffer, and God appears silent. In Chapter 2, God answers, not with motivational advice, but with a revelation of coming judgment and justice.


When I was a babe in Christ, I was introduced to vision boards by other Christians. Because they did it, I believed it was a Christian thing to do. Every year, I’d make a new one, and I always pasted Habakkuk 2:2–3 on it like a divine stamp of approval. I used it prescriptively as if it were a personal command to write down my goals and declare them into the universe.

But this is a descriptive passage, not a personal directive. It had nothing to do with fulfilling my modern-day dreams or success plan. It was a memorial, a written record of what God was going to do so that when it came to pass, it could be remembered and recognized as His word fulfilled.


It’s also important to note that the practice of vision boards, especially as it’s commonly taught today, didn’t originate from Scripture. Much of it can be traced to New Thought ideology and popularized through materials like The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The Secret is rooted in the law of attraction teachings, where your thoughts and energy are said to create your reality.


That ideology has no place in sound biblical doctrine.


Misuse: Quoted to support "decreeing and declaring" things into existence.


Context: This verse is frequently used to teach that we have the spiritual authority to declare what we want and expect it to come to pass. It’s one of the go-to verses in Word of Faith or “manifest it” theology. But there’s a major problem, this wasn’t something God said.


This verse was spoken by Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends. Throughout the book of Job, Eliphaz gives Job a long list of what he thinks are “spiritual truths,” including this one about decreeing and it being established. But by the end of the book, God directly rebukes Eliphaz, saying:

So, we have to ask: why are we building doctrine from the words of a man God Himself said was wrong?


I’ll be honest, this “decreeing and declaring” practice never sat right with me. Every time I asked someone for biblical context, they pointed me to Job 22:28. But once I read it in context, I realized it wasn’t a command or promise from God at all. It was part of a misguided speech from a friend who didn’t speak truthfully about God.


I could never justify using a verse as spiritual authority when the person who spoke it was explicitly corrected by God for misrepresenting Him.


Does that mean we can’t speak in faith, pray boldly, or declare God’s Word? Absolutely not. But declaring something into existence or assuming we can create outcomes with our words isn’t biblical. Only God speaks things into being.


Misuse: Applied as a personal promise of success or prosperity.


Context: This is one of the most quoted verses in all of Scripture and one of the most misunderstood. People often cling to this verse as a personal guarantee that God has mapped out their dream life, complete with success, comfort, and favor. But when you read the full chapter, it becomes clear that this wasn’t a general promise, it was a specific word to a specific group of people.


If you want to know who this was written to, all you have to do is look at Jeremiah 29:1:

“This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.”

This wasn’t written to modern-day Christians, it was a message sent to Israelites who had been exiled to Babylon. They were in a traumatic and disorienting season. Many had been ripped from their homes, their temple was destroyed, and false prophets were rising up saying the exile would end quickly.


God, through Jeremiah, corrected those false prophets and told the people, “You’re going to be here for a while, 70 years to be exact. But don’t lose hope. I haven’t abandoned you. I still have a plan for you.” That’s the context of verse 11.


This wasn’t about personal prosperity or career goals, it was about God’s covenant faithfulness to His people, even in exile. He was reassuring them that their story wasn’t over.

I used to quote this verse as if it were my own life verse, and I know I’m not the only one.


We’d put it on graduation cards, vision boards, and church banners. But the truth is, this was never a personal promise to us, it was a specific word for a specific nation, during a specific period of judgment and restoration.


Misuse: Used to claim personal achievement or success through Christ.


Context: This verse is frequently quoted as a personal empowerment slogan, especially in sports, entrepreneurship, or high-achievement circles. It’s often used to suggest that we can accomplish anything if we have enough faith or believe in ourselves through Christ.


One of the most well-known examples comes from NBA player Steph Curry, who has Philippians 4:13 engraved in his shoes. He once told reporters, “It says 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' It's also my mantra, how I get up for games and why I play the way I do.”


And let’s be real, how many of us have used this verse the same way? Maybe as we stepped into a new season, started a business, chased a dream, or pushed through a tough goal. We said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” as motivation. But here's the thing...


If you’ve never read Philippians chapter 4 in full, now would be a good time. When you read the verses before and after verse 13, you’ll quickly realize: Paul wasn’t talking about achieving greatness, he was talking about enduring hardship.

He says in verses 11–12:

“I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot... In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content.”

So when Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ,” he’s not saying, “I can win championships or crush my goals.”He’s saying, “I can endure hunger, suffering, imprisonment, lack, and abundance, with the strength that only Christ provides.”


This wasn’t a motivational moment, it was a sobering reflection from a man who had been beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and rejected, yet found strength in Christ to stay faithful through it all.


Whew, if you made it this far, thank you. I know this wasn’t light reading, but I hope it helped you like it helped me. My goal isn’t to make anyone feel bad for what they’ve believed or been taught, we’ve all been there. I just want us to slow down, ask better questions, and honor God’s Word by handling it well.



©2025 The Spirit-Led Pen 

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