The CNN BeliefBlog explored the oft-misquoted nature of the Bible this past weekend, listing several favorite “verses” both the biblically ignorant and well-versed attribute to Scripture regularly. Most pastors are familiar with some of these misquotations—”God helps those who help themselves,” “God works in mysterious ways,” and “Cleanliness is next to godliness”—but other examples are less obvious, and some are even regional in nature.
The article quoted several religious scholars giving reasons for why people use these “phantom passages”: A rabbi at Middle Tennessee State University said people often profess love for the Bible, but haven’t actually read it entirely. “They have memorized parts of the text that they can string together to prove the biblical basis for whatever it is they believe in, but they ignore the vast majority of the text.” Others use these phantom verses because they’re confused by the biblical-sounding cultural sayings that sound “proverb-ish” and assume such sayings came from Scripture.
In some cases, the quips are pseudo-verses that have their basis in Scripture but aren’t completely accurate, such as “spare the rod, spoil the child,” which might have its origins in Proverbs 13:24, and “pride goes before a fall,” which sounds approximately like Proverbs 16:18. “We often infect the Bible with our own values and morals, not asking what the Bible’s values and morals really are,” said religious scholar Sidnie White Crawford from the University of Nebraska. Some misquotes come from embellishments on Bible stories provided by its retelling from artists and storytellers through the ages—for example, the story of Jonah and the “whale.” One scholar even said Scripture’s misinterpretation can be attributed to the many different translations available these days, and another said the Protestants’ tradition of studying the Bible without the assistance of a trained cleric has led to a personalization of the text’s meaning that isn’t always appropriate nor accurate.
How have you heard the Bible misquoted or misinterpreted in your ministry? Share your stories in the comment section below.
