2 Timothy 2:15 tells us that we need to handle accurately the word of God. This is not always as easy as we would like to think. One reason, I believe, is due to our failure to sometimes distinguish between what a passage actually says from what our opinion is about the passage or the issue it may be addressing.

In the Creation-Evolution debate, we try to show that there is a difference between the "evidence" (fact) itself and the interpretation of a fact or piece of evidence. For example, a fossil is simply a piece of evidence. To say that the fossil is millions of years old is an interpretation or opinion about it. The problem arises when one then confuses the fact with the interpretation of it, so that one thinks of the opinion as being the fact.

Similarly, we may have various opinions about particular passages or issues; we need to be careful not to think of our opinions as being on par with the what the text actually says. This could have disastrous results if we are not careful.

The Pharisees were guilty of this very problem. They knew the command to honor father and mother existed. But they had opinions about the application of it that resulted in a nullification and transgression of the word of God (Matt. 15). For this they were rebuked.

Having said all of this, it is necessary to interpret Scripture. It is not enough for us, in many circumstances, to just say, "that's what it says." That sounds noble, but I'm afraid that it can become an inadequate pat answer to issues that demand deeper study. It can be very shallow; even worse, it can result in distortion of the Scriptures through taking phrases and passages out of their context. A phrase may "say" something very different when taken out of context.

The Calvinist looks at Psalm 51:5, which says, "I was brought forth in iniquity," or "I was born a sinner" (NIV), and states, "See, that's what the text says. We are born with inherited sin." Another points to Romans 5:1 and boldly declares, "The text says that we are justified by faith," thus concluding that "faith alone" is obviously meant. But we readily point out that such interpretations are abuses of context, or do not fit with what other passages teach; and therefore such intepretations are wrong.

Sometimes when one states, "That what the text says," he may really be saying, "that's what I think it means." And so he has confused what the text really says with his opinion about its meaning. So the point is that we need to be careful to make sure that when we say "what the text says," that it really is what the text says and is not just our opinion about what we think it means. There may be a world of difference between the two. So we had better be sure that we know what a passages is really teaching before we say that "that's what it says."

I was listening to someone preach recently, who said that Hebrews 12:1 says that each one of us has his or her own sin that entangles. For one person that sin may be gambling; for another it may be lust. Now I agree that these sins may plague particular individuals, but is that what the text says? No. It may be that the "sin which so easily entangles" is what verse 3 suggests for everyone: the problem of growing weary and losing heart.

I've recently heard some make a big deal out 2 Timothy 2:5 and the phrase "the man Christ Jesus" as teaching the present humanity of Christ. After all, we are told, "that's what the text says." But is this Paul's point? Did he insert the verse here in order to say that Jesus is a human in heaven? Or is such an interpretation more of a proof-texting problem in order to bolster an opinion? Perhaps there's another reason.

Such things as context and other passages are involved in our studies of a particular verse or phrase. Most of us will preach this. But then we, at times, fail to apply it in our own studies. If not careful, we can easily become dogmatic about opinions under the umbrella of "what the text says."

By way of suggestion, then, here are a few thoughts:

1. Study the context of a passage carefully. What the text really says is affected by its surroundings. Avoid pulling the phrase out of its surroundings.

2. Try to distinguish between the text itself and an opinion about the issue that the text addresses. In this way we can avoid the problem of prooftexting.

3. Avoid using pat answer phrases to "prove" a case. It should be only after a careful study that one can declare, "that's what the text says."

It has been said that our goal in Bible study is to "get out of a text what God put into it, and then stop." I like that. Our goal is not to back up preexisting beliefs, or to proof-text a particular issue. Our goal is to know and understand the will of God so that we can become effectual doers of it (Jas. 1:25). R. L. Whiteside pointed out that the one who is seeking to please God and handle the Scriptures accurately "will not pervert, will not adulterate a passage of scripture to support a proposition, even if the proposition is true; but sometimes brethren do that very thing, though they berate sectarians for doing so." Let's be committed to the text, and not to our opinions about the issues the text may address.

Doy Moyer