What's Bent?
What do you mean by bent?
In this day and age of electronic devices I think most people have had some experience with GPS. We often rely heavily on the directions given to us one step at a time, especially if we are unfamiliar with the area we are driving. But if we choose to ignore or make a left turn instead of the right turn we were told to do we may not reach our destination. The same is true with God's Word, if we ignore parts of the Bible, or worse, do something contrary, we may not reach the desired destination. We start on a straight vector towards Jesus but then we 'bend' or get 'bent' away from Him.
For example, I have often used the analogy of a pilot taking off in an airplane whose compass is off by a fraction of a degree. If the compass heading is not correct, then the plane will not arrive at the intended destination without some form of in-flight course correction. Any little variation from true heading of our beliefs can prevent us from reaching our destination and that includes heaven.
How does bending happen? A bend occurs when take our eyes off Jesus and follow a false guidance system. Still unsure what I am talking about? Let’s look at some of the more common 'bending' locations and sources we can see today.
The Word of God
We begin with the Word of God, yes, the Bible itself. I will not review the Bible’s origin or the process of determining the canon of Scripture here, but understand that those processes have their share of nay-sayers and influencers too. Regardless, I believe that what we have available to us today, the Bible, is indeed from God.
But note it’s in three languages, Ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. So, our first hurdle is translation. Like most languages we need the text’s proper context to translate correctly, so we can’t simply pull out our Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek to English dictionaries and start translating. It’s going to require serious effort. Up to as recent as fifty years ago, due to its complex translating requirements only a few English versions were available. But as we fast forward to today, we can find literally hundreds of English Bible versions on the market, often touting “a fresh new translation.” While it is true that most read about the same with minor word variations, several do not. So which version is right? Or perhaps should we ask instead, which one is the closest? There has been movements within Christianity in the past that have sponsored and promoted their own versions of the Bible that ‘align’ well with their own theological bend. Recently there has been an upswing in the number of these misleading movements, many of which cross denominational lines, often without the church’s congregation being aware.
Another arena of Biblical attack can be traced all the way back to the garden of Eden when Satan asked Eve, “Did God actually say…?” (See Genesis 3:1) We see that same strategy has become a mantra among groups pushing their own agendas. By questioning the source of the Word of God many are denying the deity of Jesus, denying that Jesus’ death and resurrection was sufficient for our salvation, denying there will be a millennial reign on earth, etc. And add to that the more subtle issues, such as saying homosexuality is acceptable.
Understanding the Word of God
Once you have translated the Word of God and agree it is from God, our next hurdle is interpretation. As one would expect (and hope) that there is a methodology, a standard approach to some degree, that is used to guide the process of interpreting the Bible. That methodology is known as Biblical Hermeneutics, or more specifically for Christian interpretation, Christian Hermeneutics. A typical hermeneutical approach would be to: 1) understand the cultural and historic context; 2) understand the literary context; 3) make appropriate observations (such as does this match or oppose text elsewhere); and 4) develop a theory of interpretation and then apply the theoretical interpretation to the text. While some interpretations are mutually agreed upon, much of the problems are the result of disagreements regarding context, such as, “Is the text literal or allegorical?”
One of the many tools used in any form of hermeneutics is exegesis, a word taken from the Greek language meaning to “lead out of,” meaning the interpreter was led to the meaning the author intended. As oppose to eisegesis which means the opposite, to read into the text, potentially something other than what the author intended, often through assumptions. There has been a recent trend by several Christian groups that have embraced eisegesis, it would be an understatement to say that this is an unhealthy approach to Biblical interpretation.
Another element of interpretation is to recognize and appropriately apply literary devices. Even though the Bible was written by over forty different writers there was only one true author, the Holy Spirit, God Himself. And since He is the creator of language, we should consider Him to be the ultimate author, one who masterfully incorporates a wide variety of of literary devices in His writings (see Appendix 2). One of the more popular approaches to Biblical interpretation is to use allegory. While this figure of speech is indeed used in Scripture, it should not be incorporated as a method of interpretation as that can easily lead to eisegesis. Peter wrote, “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21, ESV) Even though Peter here is expressing his concern for people applying their own logic or interpretation to Biblical prophecy, the same respect and desire to interpret all Scripture as God intended should be applied.
From its inception to today, Christian theology has been in a constant state of flux. This variation of theology is much of the result of differing opinions of theologians, as some early-church leaders strongly influenced many later leaders and theologians. Here is a premise to think about: Earlier theologians developed interpretations, which are later adopted by Christians and churches. But if there is an error in one or more interpretations very few are willing to contradict a dead theologian, so the error “lives on.” This also can affect other related passages, that in order to keep from changing the erroneous interpretation, the plain reading of other related verses are ‘bent’ to comply with the traditional presupposition. Some classic applications of theological vectors (a bend from the original meaning to a different meaning) include the following (this is not an exhaustive list, just a few examples):
1) Predestination. I am sure that nearly everyone has heard about the debate between free-will and predestination, and have already made up their mind as to which one they believe. The question I have is, did that come as a result from your own Bible study or was it taught? The dilemma surfaces as the Bible teaches that we have a choice, we can either accept Jesus as our Savior or not. But we are also told that Jesus chose us.
2) Creation vs Evolution. The creation versus evolution argument didn’t start from the church or even the Bible, it came from an external source, science. While it does not address the question of where did life come from, evolution has been embraced as the scientific explanation for the different forms of life. A good portion of the scientific community believe that the universe and our planet is several billions years old and so in their minds life as we know it could have evolved over a long period of time. So churches thinking that the creation story didn’t match the scientific old-earth viewpoint that perhaps God used evolution to create life.
3) Allegorization. This practice is not new to Christianity. Many early theologians are guilty of interjecting allegory when the Biblical text was straightforward and clear that it should have been interpreted literally. Some were done for external reasons such as political (can’t preach against a corrupt government), while some interpretations were bent to fit a certain end-time scenario.
4) Limiting God. This is perhaps the most heinous of all the motivations to bend the truth. If we constrain God in any way, such as Him needing to follow the laws of thermodynamics, or any other physical or human limitation, we fail to understand that the God of the Bible is omnipotent. He has no limitations. Just because He won’t do something does not mean He can’t.
5) Limited Atonement. Perhaps belonging under No. 4, Limiting God above, I wanted to separate this point as this affects many believers of Reformed Theology. Being the ‘L’ in Calvinism’s TULIP acronym. Some believe that Jesus came to save those selected due to a limitation of God or a limitation enforced by God, understanding that it this concept technically does not limit God’s power, but regardless of which scenario, that premise is not Biblically supported (see Ezekiel 18:32; Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9). Will everyone be saved? No, only those who accepted Jesus as their Savior, but not because Jesus’ atonement was inadequate or limited.
6) Contains the Word of God but as a whole is not the Word of God. A mouthful for sure, but not true nonetheless. In the past there were many theologians and groups that proclaimed this belief. Most of which also proclaim that they know which words are from God and which ones are not. One group I know of voted on what they thought was actually said by Jesus! This is a slippery slope, that once you start to slip you can’t get off or stop, you end up making the Bible read the way you want, not God’s way. Words become like a buffet line where you pick what you like and reject the rest.
7) Supposed Contradictions. Many believe that the Bible contradicts itself, and sadly, this premise has become an excuse to not read it. This is a lie, while it is true that there are several seemingly potential conflicting passages, but with diligence they can be seen as not being contradictory. Most who say this, have never read any part of the Bible, but for those that did and came up with that conclusion, did they interpret incorrectly? Yes.
Corruption of the Word of God
Any document that has been compiled from several other documents and has been hand copied and translated from one language to another would be subject to unintentional error. Especially an old document like the Bible. But unlike most books this one has powerful enemies. And these enemies are very cunning, and have intentionally corrupted the Bible and its interpretation from the beginning (and will continue to do so, as they are still around, as I’m referring to those influenced by Satan).
Intentional corruption can be seen in various translations, some promote a specific theology, or a specific group, perhaps even a specific agenda as mentioned above. In the past it was harder to ‘sell’ a modified version without being detected as a fraud. But the sheer number of English Bible versions available today can make anyone dizzy, let alone a new believer, makes it a lot easier to market a fraudulent pseudo-bible.
A close ’second’ to those who rewrite the Bible would be the many ’supplemental’ books that theologians have written to guide readers on how to properly interpret the Bible and layout a theologic framework for future generations (these are not necessarily commentaries). Nearly every mainline denomination has adopted at least one or more of these writings as justification for, and ultimately the proclamation of, their beliefs. Perhaps not with the intent to corrupt, but many have corrupted the Word of God by applying erroneous conclusions and presuppositions in its application and to its interpretation of Scriptural text. Instead of these supplements, we should spend more time in diligent study of the Bible.
Another source of corruption of God’s Word is through intentional distortion. What is a Biblical distortion? A misrepresentation or ’twisting’ of Scripture, especially the gospel message of salvation. Perhaps the oldest is legalism which demands adherence to rules, regulations, protocols, most often those associated with the Mosaic Law (the instruction given to Moses on Mount Sinai, see Exodus chapters 19-23). Legalists insist that we need to earn or seek the favor of God to receive salvation. Was something corrupted through distortion here? Yes, God freely offers salvation, all we need to do is accept it (see Romans 5:1-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 2:1-10).
Distortions can be very subtle, making them hard to spot. Here are a few recently formed distortions, again these are only a few examples:
1) Social Gospel. The primary focus on social and political issues, seeking collective action against social ills such as hunger, clean water, poverty, human suffering, world health, climate, environmental concerns, etc. On their own none of these sound like a serious problem, but if they become a priority that results in displacing the teaching of the Bible or gospel, that is when it can be a problem.
2) Prosperity Gospel. This distortion teaches that it is God’s will for every believer to experience wealth, health, and success in this lifetime. Some churches teach that if you give more money to them you will receive these blessings. If something is lacking it’s due to a lack of faith. While God does offer us comfort and guidance as we put our faith in Him for everyday provision, but the promises for healing and blessings beyond our ability to comprehend are for the next life, one where we get to spend eternity with Jesus.
3) Self-Esteem Gospel. This instruction is all about fixing humanity. Often teaching that humanity is inherently good but have a few things that need improvement, especially in relationship with others. God is there to ‘coach’ us and to guide us through these improvements. If you’re sick, poor, disabled, or otherwise compromised, proponents of this ‘gospel’, like those of the prosperity gospel, will tell you that it’s your faith that’s lacking. This distortion is so far removed from the Bible, it’s hard to believe churches have embraced it! God is barely part of their lives as they only see themselves.
4) Word of Faith Gospel. Essentially the same as the Prosperity Gospel, but with an emphasis on name it, claim it. That through the ‘power’ of faith you can claim and obtain anything. Some have defined that faith as having faith in faith! A nonsensical notion as faith requires a power source, it is not a force on its own, for example having faith in God. But God never promised that we would always get what we want. If what we ask for complies with His will for us we will receive, otherwise no.
5) Speaking for God. If we hear from God to proclaim something that He is going to do, then we should indeed speak. But if we are not hearing from God and proclaim a work that He is to do, we are only speaking from our authority not His. This is referred to as a false prophecy in the Bible. Which carried a steep penalty if committed, “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.” (Deuteronomy 18:20, ESV, see also Jeremiah 23:16; Matthew 7:15-20; 24:11, 24; 2 Peter 2:1-10; 1 John 4:1) There have been some recent movements that encourage people to proclaim healings, prosperity, and much more, but when it doesn’t happen it’s not them or God, it didn’t happen because the recipient didn’t have sufficient faith. This misrepresentation of God is tolerated and accepted as standard protocol. Many have also displaced Jesus as the head of the church by recognizing self-appointed apostles and prophets to lead God’s ministry on earth.
6) Kingdom Now/Dominion Theology. A belief that Christians have a mandate to establish God's kingdom on earth before Jesus returns. Which would require Christians to control or influence cultural and political entities within government, education, media, and business, in order to bring society to God's rule. This concept requires distortion of several verses such as Genesis 1:28 and Matthew 6:10.
7) Strict compliance to the demands of church leaders. This type of “spiritual abuse” has been reported for many years, but sadly, it appears to be on the rise again. This is when a church leader essentially dictates strict policy and procedure. The New Testament teaches obedience to God not to any self-appointed or otherwise man-ordained minister.
Why should we be concerned over any Biblical corruption or distortion? Because it can take our eyes and attention off Jesus. Plus, if we follow these distortions we can be misled to a false assurance and not find salvation.