The Bible, revered as the inspired Word of God, serves as a guide for righteous living and a revelation of divine truth. However, throughout history, the Scriptures have been misinterpreted and twisted by those with wicked intentions, leading to their own spiritual ruin. This entry explores the phenomenon of the wicked distorting the Scriptures, as evidenced in biblical texts and teachings.

Biblical Warnings Against Twisting Scripture

The Apostle Peter provides a stern warning about the distortion of Scripture in his second epistle. He refers to the writings of the Apostle Paul, acknowledging their complexity and the tendency of the ignorant and unstable to twist them: "He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16). This passage highlights the danger of misinterpreting Scripture, emphasizing that such actions lead to spiritual peril.

Examples of Scriptural Distortion

1. Satan's Temptation of Jesus: One of the most notable examples of Scripture being twisted is found in the account of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Satan, in an attempt to deceive Jesus, quotes Psalm 91:11-12, urging Him to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple: "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone'" (Matthew 4:6). Jesus counters this distortion by correctly applying Scripture, saying, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test'" (Matthew 4:7).

2. Pharisees and Legalism: The Pharisees, religious leaders during Jesus' time, often manipulated the Law to serve their own purposes, focusing on external adherence while neglecting the heart of God's commandments. Jesus rebukes them, saying, "You have nullified the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that" (Mark 7:13). Their legalistic approach distorted the true intent of the Scriptures, leading to spiritual blindness.

3. False Prophets and Teachers: Throughout the Old and New Testaments, false prophets and teachers are depicted as those who twist God's words for personal gain or to lead others astray. Jeremiah warns against such individuals: "Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal My words from each other" (Jeremiah 23:30). In the New Testament, Paul cautions Timothy about those who deviate from sound doctrine, urging him to "preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2).

Consequences of Twisting Scripture

The distortion of Scripture by the wicked leads to dire consequences, both for the individuals involved and for those they influence. The Bible consistently portrays such actions as leading to spiritual destruction. The Apostle Paul warns the Galatians about those who pervert the gospel: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!" (Galatians 1:8). This curse signifies the severe judgment awaiting those who corrupt the truth of God's Word.

The Call to Rightly Divide the Word

Believers are called to handle the Scriptures with care and integrity. Paul exhorts Timothy to "present yourself approved to God, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). This charge underscores the importance of accurate interpretation and application of Scripture, contrasting the destructive path of those who twist it for wicked purposes.2 Peter 3:16
As also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The First Great Deception.
... I am frequently asked," said ... the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion
of the wicked. ... evil."(954) The death referred to in these scriptures is not ...
/.../33 the first great deception.htm

The First Great Deception
... I am frequently asked," said ... inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of
the wicked. ... The death referred to in these scriptures is not that pronounced ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 33 the first great.htm

Of the Last Resurrection.
... Thus the wicked often experience the beneficence of God ... 24:15); yet Scripture more
frequently sets forth ... one who attentively considers the Scriptures will see ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 25 of the last.htm

part iii.
... the adversary of all good and our wicked hearts combining ... promises, and teachings
of the Scriptures on this ... be presented before the mind as frequently at least ...
//christianbookshelf.org/clark/the faithful steward/part iii.htm

Covenant Duties.
... from the very nature of society, require frequently to be ... error of his way; and the
obstinately wicked we ought ... use of as many copies of the Scriptures as can ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

On the Councils, Or, the Faith of the Easterns.
... pain at the actions of the wicked against God ... and involved expressions the heretics
very frequently elude the ... were written in the divine Scriptures by Prophets ...
/.../the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/on the councils or the.htm

According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections ...
... of the Christian faith so frequently, so plainly ... of the wicked, but that the wicked
turn from ... regretting contemplations, wherewith the holy scriptures are full? ...
/.../proposition vi according to which.htm

Of the Lord's Supper, and the Benefits Conferred by It.
... 8. First of all, we are taught by the Scriptures that Christ ... If they will wrest it
in support of their fiction, let them ... [643] From these wicked calumnies, I ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 17 of the lords.htm

The Mystery
... saints, whose relics, likewise, that most wicked man abominated ... of which kind was
that frequently heard in ... ancient Christians chose to call their productions of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery 2.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... it as the highest insult for the wicked to boast of ... of the same kind occur in the
Scriptures, from which ... We frequently read (they say) of the prayers of angels ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm

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