Taken Out of Context: The Devil is in the Details

The church hall was quiet, except for the murmur of quiet voices over coffee and the rustle of Bibles being opened. It was a typical Wednesday evening, and the congregation of St. Matthew’s was gathered for their Bible study. The evening’s theme? Scriptural interpretation.

But tonight, something was wrong—something Elijah had sensed the moment he walked in.

Elijah Cole had been a pastor for years, and he had seen a lot of debates about theology, but this was different. They were studying a book by a popular author, Dr. Thomas Ryle, who had a novel approach to interpreting Scripture. He often used different Bible translations to express his ideas. Still, as Elijah skimmed through the pages of the study guide, he realised: Ryle was cherry-picking verses out of context—almost without the group noticing.

“But what about this verse?” Mrs. Harper, one of the leaders, asked as she pointed to a passage in Dr. Ryle’s book. “‘By His stripes, we are healed.’ Surely, this means physical healing is guaranteed, doesn’t it?”

Elijah was about to speak up, but before he could, David Miller, another leader who was known for his strong opinions, chimed in, “That’s exactly it! When we claim God’s healing, it’s like signing a spiritual contract. We are entitled to it, if we have enough faith.”

The group nodded. Even those who had barely opened their Bibles in recent months were now nodding enthusiastically.

This is wrong, Elijah thought. He felt the familiar weight in his chest—the tension of standing up for truth when most people didn’t see the danger.

He cleared his throat and raised his hand. “Hold on, everyone. This verse is from Isaiah 53, yes. But you’re pulling it out of context. Isaiah is speaking of the suffering servant—Jesus Christ, who would take our sins upon Himself. It’s not a blanket statement about physical healing. The full context is about spiritual redemption, not just physical restoration.”

David gave him a sharp look. “But it is in the Bible, isn’t it? If we trust Scripture, then it must mean what it says, right? And I’m telling you, it says healing is ours to claim.”

Elijah shook his head. “That is not how we read Scripture. It’s not about finding the verses that back up our own desires. We need to understand the full meaning, the context, the original intent. Proof-texting doesn’t work.”

Mrs. Harper frowned. “Well, I think David is right. I have always heard that if you claim it, it’s yours.”

The air was heavy with awkward silence. Elijah looked around at the faces of his congregation—familiar faces, all eager to believe the best. But they were being led astray. The study book, Dr. Ryle’s interpretations, and now David’s misuse of Scripture had begun to unravel the trust in Scripture’s full authority.

David’s voice cut through the silence. “You’re just being difficult, Elijah. Don’t you believe in God’s power to heal us? Don’t you believe He can make us whole? Or are you one of those who doubts His promises?”

The accusation hung in the air, and Elijah felt the sting.

He wanted to argue, to explain, to make them see. But the voices in the room were louder than his. The issue wasn’t just the misuse of Scripture; it was the unquestioned trust in the opinions of a popular author, and now, one of the leaders in the church. They weren’t just misunderstanding a verse—they were building a doctrine around a half-truth.

A young woman, Claire, who had recently joined the church, spoke up, her voice trembling. “I don’t understand. We are saying that if I just claim healing, it will happen, but what if it doesn’t? Does that mean I didn’t have enough faith?”

David sighed. “Look, Claire, it’s simple: if you have faith, it will work. If you don’t, you’re not really trusting God.”

Elijah’s heart sank. He saw Claire’s doubt in her eyes, but he couldn’t reach her—not yet.

The study wrapped up in an uneasy silence, and as the group filed out of the room, Elijah felt the weight of the evening’s conflict settle over him. David and the others were so certain, so convinced in their misunderstanding of Scripture. They couldn’t see that they were trapped in a web of half-truths. He tried one last time, quietly, as the last of the group left the room.

“David, I’m not saying God doesn’t heal. But we can’t use Scripture like this. When we take verses out of context, we distort the message. It is not about our entitlement—it is about God’s will. And we need to trust in that, not manipulate His Word.”

David shot him a final glance, the gap between them had grown too wide to bridge. “You can believe what you want, Elijah. But I’m sticking with what works.”

As the last of the lights flickered off in the church hall, Elijah sat in the darkness, feeling a deep sense of loss. The enemy knew Scripture better than they did.

And they were all paying the price.

Disclaimer:
This story is based on actual events, but the names, locations, and specific details have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. While the story draws from actual experiences, some aspects have been fictionalised for narrative purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Taken Out of Context: The Devil is in the Details
(shorter version)

The church hall was quiet, except for the murmur of quiet voices over coffee and the rustle of Bibles being opened. It was a typical Wednesday evening, and the congregation of St. Matthew’s was gathered for their Bible study. The evening’s theme? Scriptural interpretation.

But tonight, something was wrong—something Elijah had sensed the moment he walked in.

Elijah Cole had been a pastor for years, and he had seen a lot of debates about theology, but this was different. They were studying a book by a popular author, Dr. Thomas Ryle, who had a novel approach to interpreting Scripture. He often used different Bible translations to express his ideas. Still, as Elijah skimmed through the pages of the study guide, he realised: Ryle was cherry-picking verses out of context—almost without the group noticing.

“But what about this verse?” Mrs. Harper, one of the leaders, asked as she pointed to a passage in Dr. Ryle’s book. “‘By His stripes, we are healed.’ Surely, this means physical healing is guaranteed, doesn’t it?”

Elijah was about to speak up, but before he could, David Miller, another leader who was known for his strong opinions, chimed in, “That’s exactly it! When we claim God’s healing, it’s like signing a spiritual contract. We are entitled to it, if we have enough faith.”

The group nodded. Even those who had barely opened their Bibles in recent months were now nodding enthusiastically.

This is wrong, Elijah thought. He felt the familiar weight in his chest—the tension of standing up for truth when most people didn’t see the danger.

Continue reading the full story here.