How Did You Come Up With THAT Interpretation?! By Jim B. Of Old Truth

I've never seen the bible twisted that badly before. It was about five years ago when I read a local newspaper article about the Metropolitan ("Christian homosexual") church in my city. The church was implying that all of the things in the bible that seem to oppose homosexuality are just a big misunderstanding. A page on their website took each of the scriptures apart one at a time, and assigned their own creative meanings. They essentially played the bible like a musical instrument, making it sound any way they wanted. That was the first time it ever hit me that it's possible to make the scriptures say almost anything you want them to say, with a little bit of twisting and self-deception. But how is that even possible?
It underscores the danger there is in not approaching the text of scripture with, as Martin Luther said, great humility. Otherwise we may easily impose upon it our own wants and wishes, rather than allowing it to speak to us.
As far as that church goes, a few years later I saw another article about their beloved pastor (as it's people referred to him); he had died of AIDS, and apparently the church disbanded.
Last weekend I was reading from one of DA Carson's books, which brought back memories for me of one verse that this church twisted badly. Take a look at what Carson says in this excerpt, and then we'll discuss what would make somebody interpret the bible this way:
The Metropolitan Community Church, a gay denomination found in many metropolitan areas, has published a number of pamphlets popularizing the view put forward in a few books that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality per se, but only "promiscuous" homosexuality. If a pair of gays choose to enter into a faithful, monogamous relationship, the Bible says nothing against them. One such piece of literature says:
"There are a few passages in the Bible that have been said to condemn gay sexual acts. Currently there is much debate about these passages. Some Christians believe these passages condemn all homosexual behavior. But a growing number of Bible experts are convinced these passages condemn only certain sexual acts that are idolatrous or abusive."
Note the slanted language: "some Christians believe" such and such, but "a growing number of Bible experts" believe what the pamphlet endorses. The list of cited authorities does not breed confidence. Nor are the relative numbers across the history of the church cited. Instead, "some Christians" are pitted against "a growing number of Bible experts". As for technical exegesis, a good place for anyone to begin, if in doubt as to what the Bible says on these points, is a learned article by D.F. Wright [title: "Homosexuals or prostitutes"].-- How Long O Lord, Reflections on Suffering and Evil
My intent isn't necessarily to talk about homosexuality, though I'm not opposed to that discussion in the comments as well. It is after all, a topic of growing importance due to the acceptance of it within some segments of the Emerging Church as being something other than a sin. The primary question I have though, is how did somebody come up with that interpretation of the bible? It could be that someone set out to deviously deceive people, knowing full well that the bible doesn't really mean what they are saying. Some of the language that Carson cites is pretty deceptive sounding, perhaps even deliberately manipulative. It's the kind of stuff that many denominations are made of. People approach the text WANTING it to say something, or, NOT wanting it to say something. That, then, becomes the priority. The bible is subsequently made to bend around those personal WANTs. It's sin; when we do this to the bible, that's the reason behind it.
Approaching scripture "with an idol" (as the video calls it), is not always as easily diagnosed as the example above however. Some other common interpretative idols include:
Hell. Some people can't allow it to be in THEIR bible; they have to bend the scriptures to make it temporary, non-existent, or even 'beneficial'.
Women Pastors. God is not a bigot some will argue, so the bible must be brought up to 21st century American standards.
Charismatic 'Gifts'. I'm going to make some angry by even suggesting this one, but I can tell you as an ex-charismatic that "personal experience" can influence you to interpret scripture in a way that will support whatever experience. (The 'experience' can become the idol.)
Election. Some will say it just doesn't seem "fair", and won't tolerate the concept in their bible. Some like Billy Graham will go so far as to say that people in distant lands where the Gospel is not available can still be saved. These are the kinds of things that people believe when they demand that the bible be "fair" by human standards, rather than allowing God's standards of what is just.
And there are many many more issues like that. I'm confident that the answers to so many of today's hot button topics CAN be known (even by doubting Emergents!). But if we're not careful, humble, and in prayer, we might find our own idols influencing our interpretation of the scriptures, just like the video described. The result then becomes - we end up changing the bible rather than the bible changing us.