VERLE STREIFLING
We will review some 34 methods of ‘Scripture Twisting’ commonly used to pervert the truth.
1. Inaccurate Quotation: Like reading the road sign “Slow Men at work” as “Slow men At Work”, this speaks of not quoting the Bible in the way it’s written, to shade its meaning, or change it entirely. This writer’s had Jehovah’s Witnesses read 1 Cor 13:8 to say “Healing will vanish away” to show why they don’t pray for the sick, contrary to James 5:14–16. But Paul said “Knowledge will vanish away”.
2. Twisted Translation: Like interpreting ’60 Km/h’ as ‘miles per hour’, this speaks of deliberately mistranslating the Bible to support one’s doctrinal views. The JW’s New World Translation is riddled with these, some copied from other twisted translations as the Emphatic Diglott, or the spiritist Johan-nes Greber’s N.T. But far worse is the SDA’s Clear Word Bible (1994, now titled The Clear Word).
3. Biblical Hook: Some use one verse, on which to hang an entire doctrine or justify an unorthodox practice. The Mormons use James 1:5 to test if the Book of Mormon is true by seeking the ‘burning in your bosom’ as evidence. They practice substitutional baptism for the dead on grounds of one verse in 1 Cor 15 which doesn’t support the practice, but questions it’s validity!
SDA’s Samuelle Bacchiocchi insists Heb 4:9 says we must keep the Sabbath, when the context speaks of God’s rest (katapausis).
4. Ignoring Immediate Context: Like ignoring ‘Road Construction’ signs, this speaks of translating a word, verse, or passage different from the demands of the context. SDA’s Samuelle Bacchiocchi insists Heb 4:9 says we must keep the Sabbath, when the context speaks of God’s rest (katapausis). Also SDA’s use Dan 8:14 for their 1844 ‘Sanctuary Teaching’ ignoring the context interpreting the vision, where ‘evenings-mornings’ speaks of sacrifices—not days (Heb yom). Their Dr. Ray Cottrell listed 17 anomalies in their teaching violating the text of Daniel, at their San Diego Forum, in 1997.
5. Collapsing contexts, speaks of using one text to interpret another, when they’re mutually unrelated. The JW’s use 1 Cor 1:24 to interpret Prov 8:22 by making Jesus ‘wisdom’, while they should use Heb 1:8–10 to show He’s the ‘Jehovah-Creator’ of Prov 8. SDA’s use the Jew’s Sabbath of Ex 20:10 to exegete the Christian’s ‘Lord’s day’ of Rev 1:10, (Kuriakos Hemera) coined 1500 years after Exodus!
6. Overspecification, means “milking” more out of a word or verse than it really says, like a pedestrian who takes ‘Don’t Walk’ to mean ‘Run!’. The JW’s affirm “Jesus said not to pray to Himself, see Matt 4:4”. But the verse says we must worship only Jehovah God. He didn’t deny being God, or to be prayed to. Instead He said ‘ask Me’ in Jn 14:14 (Gk. text) which they omit in their New World Translation.
7. Word Play: This means performing ‘tricks’ with words, as combining the etymological meanings of a word to give its definition, or using a similar sound in another word to prove its relationship. We often hear ‘Atonement means at- one- ment (with God)’, but it really means a covering for sins. Some hold the Sabbath came from Babylonian ‘shappatu’ since these sound similar, but they’re unrelated.
8. Confused definition of terms, refers to applying a different meaning to a word than required by the context. SDA apply the redemptive use of ‘sanctify’ in Ex 31:13, but God is speaking of setting Israel apart from other nations, instead of from sin. Others confuse the OT political use of ‘Savior’ with the NT redemptive sense. Yet OT prophets (as Isaiah) spoke of the coming NT Redemptive Savior, as well. Thus we must ask ‘does it speak of redeeming Israel from Egyptian captivity, or is it speaking of redeeming Israel and the World from (figurative) slavery of Sin?
9. Equivocation, speaks of changing the meaning of the same word, within the same context! This is close to #8 (above) but here the meaning of the same word is switched in its subsequent uses in the same context, as in ‘Rivers have banks and banks have money, so…’ The JW’s Bible at Jn 1:1 says “the Word was a god”. So we ask “Is He a true God, or a False god? And how many gods are there?”
10. Term Swapping, speaks of trading terms from one place to another, or using a different term from the Bible writer. SDA change ‘Kuriakos Hemera’ (Lord’s day) for ‘Hemera tou kuriou’ (the day of the Lord). JWs tell us that ‘Horao’ is the word for ‘see’ at Rev 1:7, but it’s really ‘Optomai’. (Finished Mystery, p.14, Rutherford; Studies in the Scriptures, vol 2 p. 138, C.T. Russel).
11. Figurative Fallacy: Mistaking literal language for figurative, or visa versa. Liberals say Gen 1–11 is ‘myths’ or ‘parables’ since there’s figures of speech in the text. However, 6 times Moses says ‘This is the History of…’ showing it is historic! JWs cry ‘personification’ against ‘He, Him, His’ used for the Holy Spirit, to deny He’s a Person of Deity. Acts 5:3+4; 13:1+2; Heb 3:7–11, etc., shows their error.
12. Speculative Reading of Predictive Prophecy, is a different reading and interpretation of a Bible prophecy from what it calls for. JWs use Daniel 4 to launch their ‘presence’ of Jesus in 1914, & SDAs use Dan 8:14 for their 1844 return of Christ, or investigative judgment. They use Rev 13:3–5 to teach 1260 years of Papal supremacy from 538 to 1798 AD, though its historically wrong in every way, and they reverse the order for the ‘deadly wound’ and the ‘time to continue’ as they appear in Rev 13.
…it nowhere speaks of a ‘moral law’ or a ‘ceremonial law’ or that there are ‘two laws’, which SDAs affirm.
13. Saying but Not Citing: Like those who make up their own ‘rules for the road’, this is claiming the Bible says something, but giving no reference, since there is none! For example, it nowhere speaks of a ‘moral law’ or a ‘ceremonial law’ or that there are ‘two laws’, which SDAs affirm. Many claim ‘the decalogue is the foundation of God’s government’, but Mt 22:34–40 and Mk 12:28–34 show Love is.
14. (a) A Selective Citing of Scripture: Is picking only certain Scriptures for a doctrine, since ‘All Scripture’ (2 Tim 3:15, 16) would show the doctrine false. Many cults use 1Cor 15:55 KJV to show ‘hades’ is the grave, instead of “Hell” as seen from its other uses! Some mistranslate the other uses from this!
14. (b). Selective Citing of Authority: This is partially quoting an authority, since the rest of his statement would disprove your position, as those using Hysslop’s Two Babylons to show all pagans had ‘trinities’, to prove the Trinity is ‘pagan’, while Hysslop continues “…but did they worship the True Triune Jehovah God, so clearly revealed in Genesis?” proving pagans had perverted the True God!
15. Redefining Terms: Speaks of giving a different definition to a Bible or Theological term than the Bible’s own definition. Some define ‘born again’ as ‘recreation’ or ‘reincarnation’ instead of ‘regeneration of one’s spirit by the Holy Spirit’. Others say ‘you don’t have a soul, you are a soul’, whereas Gen 2:7 literally reads ‘man became a living creature’. (see also Matt 10:28; 26:38).
16. Inadequate Evidence is when not enough material has been given to base a new doctrine or practice, as the JWs using Acts 15 to support refusing blood transfusions, or the Mormons using 1 verse in 1 Cor 15 for their ‘baptism for the dead’ and making it a criteria for themselves being the only true church. Likewise the snake handlers as in West Georgia take Mk 16:17, 18 literally, to support their snake handling and drinking poison, while Jesus repeatedly used ‘serpents’ to speak of Satan and his followers. Paul’s experience of Acts 28:5, 6 didn’t relate to Mk 16, but was a miraculous event!
In naming Ellen G. White with Jeremiah, Daniel, etc., SDAs try to place her above Bible scrutiny, as a true prophet of God.
17. Virtue by Association, means implying the qualities of ‘A’ to ‘B’ since they’re associated together as any car brought into a demolition derby is assumed as already a virtual wreck, though still running! In naming Ellen G. White with Jeremiah, Daniel, etc., SDAs try to place her above Bible scrutiny, as a true prophet of God. Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon in Old English, lacing it with some Bible verses to make it sound as Scripture, so it will be thought to be from God, and he a true prophet. But any claimed ‘prophet’ must meet the Biblical tests of a true prophet of God: as all predictions in God’s name coming to pass, their writings neither contradict the Bible or themselves, etc. We could as well name Ellen White with Joseph Smith, Charles T. Russel, Jean Dixon and other false prophets.
18. Ignoring Alternate Explanations: JW’s ignore Daniel 4 as it explains its own prophecy, as SDA do with Dan 8:14, to establish their own view. Mormons make themselves ‘Ariel’ of Isaiah 29:1–4 to show their Book of Mormon has a familiar spirit, and is thus inspired! (but alas!—not of God!)
19. Obvious Fallacy: This involves using words as ‘obviously’ or ‘doubtless’ or ‘beyond dispute’ or ‘clearly’ or ‘didn’t you know that…’ or ‘certainly’, etc., instead of Bible proof, because there is none! JWs reason ‘Since the Word was with God, then obviously He can’t be the God he was with, so He’s not God”. The SDAs affirm that the identification of America as the ‘2-horned beast’ of Revelation ‘is beyond dispute’ (see Great Controversy). Is it? Why don’t all others agree? They gave no evidence!
20. Esoteric Interpretation: This is giving a new or reinterpretation to Bible passages, through an ‘inspired’ prophet. This is one identification of a Cultic system. For the JWs it’s the Watchtower Society, while for the SDAs it’s Ellen G. White’s writings (selectively cited by the White Estate) that established the ‘pillars of their faith’. They claim her a ‘canonical’ and ‘infallible’ and ‘authoritative’ reinterpreted of the Bible. “It’s Christ, through this agency, who gives us the real meaning…”
21. Supplementing Biblical Authority: Like someone pulling a travel trailer and a boat behind their car, this is adding the writings of a ‘prophet’ to the Bible. The Watchtower used to say “If you study the Bible by itself, without the aid of Studies in the Scriptures, you’ll go into darkness within 2 years”. The Mormons add all the writings of all their prophets to the Scriptures, as do the SDAs with Ellen G. White’s writings, holding her interpretations over and above the historical-grammatical exegesis.
22. Rejecting Biblical Authority: Like ignoring all the ‘rules of the road’ because I don’t like them or they’re inconvenient, some take their prophet, or reason, or archaeology over and above the Bible, as do the JWs who reject Hell, because ‘it’s not logical’. Liberals reject Jesus’ miracles, because ‘they’re not believable’, and the Inspiration of the Bible, because they won’t believe that God really exists!
23. World-View Confusion, speaks of unique teaching centered theology, not Christ’s cross-centered theology. The Christian’s view of the Bible centers on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. But cults center their ‘faith’ or ‘truth’ on some event at Comorah, or in 1844, or 1914, or Arabia, or Korea, etc., instead of Christ!
24. Misuse of Ellipses: This is taking parts of a verse or passage, but omitting words in the middle affecting its contextual meaning. SDAs leap from Acts 18:4 to 11 to show Paul in the synagogues for 78 Sabbaths, but the context shows he taught at Justis’ house for 1+ years. Similarly they jump from Jes 2:8a to vs 10 to show the Perfect law of liberty is the Decalogue, but 8b says it’s ‘love your neighbor’. Catholic literature quotes Galatians “…God sent forth His Son born of a woman…to redeem those under the law” to imply Mary as co-redeemer, but Paul said “…born under the law, to redeem those…”
25. Not accounting for Analogy of Scripture: This is teaching which is contrary to God’s plan of the ages, or dispensations, sometimes called the covenants in ‘salvation history’. For example, SDAs hold we’ll have New Moons and Sabbaths in the New Heaven and New Earth. But these feasts, with their blood sacrifices were ended by Christ, and in Heaven ‘time shall be no more’ for ‘there is no night, and neither sun nor moon for the Lord God Almighty is its light. Likewise forwarding the Old Covenant priests, or dietary laws, or Jewish feasts, or Abrahamic Circumcision, all err in this account!
26. Exegeting the English instead of Original Languages: William Millar, endorsed by Ellen White’s visions took the days of Dan 8:14 to be 24-hr days (Heb ‘yom’) instead of ‘evening-morning sacrifices’ (Heb ‘ereb-boqer’). Thus he erred by using a ‘year=day’ principle, and the 2300 years to 1844 fails! In the same way, Mormons trip over Rev 1:6 ‘…to God and His Father’ teaching this proves God also has a Father so we have gods begetting gods to infinity! The Greek says ‘to His (Jesus’) God and Father’.
SDAs ‘parse’ Lk 1:1–4 from the Living Bible to show the Bible came by copying sources, and deny it was God-breathed.
27. Exegeting Paraphrases, is worse yet, because of additions or changes to the text! SDAs ‘parse’ Lk 1:1–4 from the Living Bible to show the Bible came by copying sources, and deny it was God-breathed. They emphasize ‘biographies of Christ’, ‘source material’ and ‘pass this summary’ all added into the Living Bible, but which aren’t in the Greek text! And it changes ‘Anothen’ (from above), that shows from where Luke received his perfect understanding to ‘from the first to the very last’ (not in the text).
28. Restricted Definition(s) of Original Words: Like a driver keeping his car in first gear on the free-way, cults will only take one of several uses or meanings of a Greek or Hebrew word. The Emphatic Diglott used by JWs does this often, so Dr. F. F. Bruce calls it a ‘stiff wooden’ translation. To illustrate, it uses ‘immersion’ everywhere ‘baptize’ appears, so ‘baptize with the Holy Spirit’ is ‘immerse’ while God said “I will pour out My Spirit” when defining how He’d ‘baptize’ believers, in Joel, Acts, etc.
29. Ignoring Rules of Grammar: Even as we must follow the ‘rules of the road’ when driving, Bible teachers should know some basic grammar to rightly exegete the Bible. Christadelphians ignore the deponent verb, to have Jesus as ‘the Word made flesh’ and deny His pre existence. JWs ignore Gran-ville Sharpe’s rule at Titus 2:13 and other places since it shows Jesus is “our Great God and Savior”, as do the Mormons at Rev 1:6 to make God have a Father! Many ignore the rule of concord, calling God or Christ or the Spirit ‘which’ instead of ‘Who’! JWs also ignore Colwell’s rule at John 1:1c.
30. Abusing Greek Grammar: Like saying the ‘speed limit’ signs are only for truckers, this speaks of twisting a rule of Grammar, as the JWs do to turn “The Word was God (by nature)” into “a god”. But more reprehensible is Dr. John McArthur’s doing the same in The Truth about Tongues, at 1 Cor 14: ‘He who prays in a tongue…prays to a god’ to teach praying in tongues is praying to demons! Here, McArthur studied Greek and knows this is grammatically wrong, and would refute a JW at John 1:1c. George Watkins a Foursquare minister, in Women in Today’s Church takes a present tense to mean “I do not presently allow a woman to teach” to show in the future it will be allowed, but not presently!
31. Reversing Order of Biblical Hermeneutics: Like using your ‘rear-view mirror’ for freeway driving, some use the OT to define the New, instead of the New (as God’s greatest revelation) to define the Old. Some use the ‘Sabbath’ to define ‘the Lord’s day’, and others use Gen 2:8 KJV to hold man’s body is his soul, and his spirit is merely his ‘breath’. But many NT references define the soul or spirit as the ‘inner man’ that reasons, loves, has form and speaks with God. In Matt 10:28 Jesus showed the body can be destroyed, but not the soul; and Abraham, Isaac, etc., are among the living—not dead!
32. Appeal to Questionable Authorities: Like using an outdated road map this speaks of using authorities whose work can be shown inadequate, as the JWs using the Emphatic Diglott as an Interlinear, to prove the Word was ‘a god’, while even the Christadelphians (as Benjamin Wilson was) reject it there. SDAs use Ellen White as authority, though admitting ‘serious errors’ in her books and she reinterprets the Bible. The JWs use Greber’s spiritualist New Testament as a guide for Jn 1:1; Heb 1:8; and other references where Jesus is God, or received worship! Their New World Translation was made by questionable authorities: a secret committee of 6 and Freddie Franz, having final say, couldn’t read Hebrew.
33. Value Judgments to Question Authorities: As drivers who only follow the speed limits they like, many refuse to accept qualified scholarship in Bible Exegesis for some personal reason. A JW makes appeal to Vine’s Expository Dictionary to prove Jesus died on a stake, not a cross. But he’ll reject this same authority as ‘pagan Trinitarian’ where it proves Jesus is God by nature! Similarly, many SDAs refuse to read any commentaries or Bible dictionaries, or Lexicons, etc. that don’t uphold their truths established by the demonstration of the Holy Spirit (Ellen White’s visions). Their book Light Bearers to the Remnant, like the Mormon’s book They Lie in Wait to Deceive tries to prejudice their readers from reading the works of those seeking to bring Christian Reformation into their church.
Thus it’s only natural for an SDA to read ‘the Sabbath’ into Genesis 2:2,3, although it’s not in the Hebrew text at all!
34. Eisegesis: Reading one’s meaning Into the Text. This is one of the most difficult pitfalls to avoid, for most adults already have an established set of beliefs, which we feel are all Biblically based. So we tend to interpret the Scriptures within that framework of our beliefs. Thus it’s only natural for an SDA to read ‘the Sabbath’ into Genesis 2:2,3, although it’s not in the Hebrew text at all! Even many others do the same. But it’s worse to read ‘the Word’ of John 1 as ‘Christ’ to make him the Christ at creation, so we can make the decalogue ‘the commandments of Christ’ and eternal life depends on Sabbatizing! God repeatedly warns against adding to His Word, which also prohibits reading my interpretation into the text! Thus we must come to the Bible with clean slates, and ask God to help us derive its meaning from its words, which is exegesis.
Sometimes we may be shocked at what we’ll find, when we do this, as this writer can testify he has been time and time again, not only as God’s Word has set him free from OT Sabbath keeping, but in many other doctrines in which he was raised as an Adventist, for many of these are intertwined. But as the Bible has presented its truth in these areas, it has also shown what errors had to be forsaken. There are reasons why we had developed a number of these errors in our teachings, for having begun like we did, with the prophetic teachings of 1843 and 1844, and the Great Disappointment, we were led into a number of changing views, from the basis of our understanding of Bible Prophecy, which itself was in error. But Sound Doctrine should begin from a solid foundation of the Fundamental Bible Teachings, historically, being Christ-Cross Centered, and systematically developing, as seen in Hodge’s Systematic Theology, for example. Then finally after establishing the foundation and other important Bible teachings, one should reach the Apex of Bible Prophecy—first that which is direct discourse, then at last that which is figurative (as in Daniel and Revelation).
Sadly, our forefathers with the Millarites, started in the very reverse, hanging all other beliefs upon the sky hook of our prophetic interpretations. So whether one believed the Bible was God’s inspired word and without error, whether one believed in Adamic Sin or not, whether one believed in the Deity of Jesus or not, whether one believed in the Trinity or not, whether one held to Christ’s atonement for our sins or not, whether one believed in Christ’s work and salvation by faith in Him alone, or not— was of no import for them. Their fellowship was based on Daniel 8:14, the 1843 and 1844 event, and subsequently holding to this and the new views which its failure generated, as well as to Ellen, as God’s prophet to guide his ‘little flock’ into the uncharted waters of learning theology through Bible Fender-Benders! †
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