WHEN A PRESIDENT AND PREACHERS DISTORT THE BIBLE
Every Sunday, we hear preachers distorting the Word of God. It’s a serious matter when they do as we see in the first chapter of Galatians where Paul refutes the legalists who had invaded the churches in Turkey and were distorting the gospel into works.
But there are others who distort in the Word of God. Preachers, as a matter of fact. They do so when they quote verses or teach topics wherein they make the Bible purport to say that God wants every believer to be healthy, wealthy, and of good cheer. Such distorters are putting such texts as Galatians 6:17 (where Paul talks about the events he describes in II Cor. 11:23-28 which are a record of his “scars.” Then there is Hebrews 11, a chapter that speaks of the intense suffering of believers. Such texts are put into Orwell’s Memory Hole in “1984,” a special device that made facts nonexistent.
There’s a quote from Vergil’s Aeneid that says,” I fear the Greeks bearing gifts.” We should rephrase that to, “I fear politicians quoting the Bible.” For example, the president recently said, “To everyone celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility, I want you to know that your president sees you – Jill, Kamala, Doug - our entire administration sees you for who you are: made in the image of God, and deserving of dignity, respect and support.”
This is straight out of Genesis 1:26-28. But then the remainder of that text was put in the Memory Hole, the rest of the text which says, “male and female created He them.” Strange, isn’t it? The speechwriter omitted the rest of the text. He/she knew it would ignite a firestorm of opposition if the full quote was given.
The Memory Hole won and that indeed is a serious matter: using the Bible to promote and celebrate and advocate sin.
