how not to read the Bible

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from 1 Timothy 6:1-21. Paul tells us that slaves should obey their masters. And then he goes on to say that this is the wholesome teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that proves that slavery isn't wrong. Right? How can slaves obey their masters, which is the teaching of Jesus, if there are no slaves or masters?

Well... that's something you could get from the Bible if you read it wrong. Just because the Bible says something doesn't mean that we should slavishly obey it (see what I did there?) You have to take the whole Bible together, in context, in order for it to speak into your life. So on the one hand the Bible does clearly say, "Make no graven images." That means that all statues are evil, right? Well, no. Because it goes on to say, "Carve these designs into the temple that you build for me." So when you take the two together, you realize that making images and worshiping them is wrong, not just making images.

The Bible says "we're saved by faith and not by what we do." So that means we don't have to do anything to be saved, right? Works are totally unnecessary. Faith alone saves us. But wait a minute. When we read James, we see that he says, "so you see that you're saved by your works and not by faith alone." So what can that mean? The Bible contradicts itself? No. You take both together and realize that we cannot earn our salvation no matter how good we are. Without Jesus, we can't be saved. But once we HAVE faith in Jesus, what we do does matter.

So next time someone throws a verse at you and says, "See? The Bible says it so you have to do it," just remember... take it in context with the whole Bible.

God, thanks for giving us good, true, balanced teachings in the Bible.