At the prodding of my co-blogger Ryan, I’ve recently been pondering the centuries-old practice of citing Bible verses to support theological statements (theological proof-texting). We’ve done our fair share of it on this blog. But perhaps you can help me further think this practice through.
Please read the excerpts below, and let me know (comments, contacts, or emails are fine): What is the difference in how they use the Scripture?
I’m not asking about the difference in theology; that will be clear enough. My question is one of methodology. How does one excerpt’s manner of using proof texts differ from another’s? I believe they do, in fact, differ. The question for us to consider is: How?
Excerpt #1:
The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man’s nature, [John 1:1, 14; 1 John 5:20; Phil 2:6; Gal 4:4] with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; [Heb 2:14, 16-17; 4:15] being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. [Luke 1:27, 31, 35; Gal 4:4] So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. [Luke 1:35; Col 2:9; Rom 9:5; 1 Pet 3:18; 1 Tim 3:16] Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man. [Rom 1:3-4; 1 Tim 2:5]Source VIII.II.
Excerpt #2:
Jesus’ opposers accused him of making himself equal to God. (John 5:18; 10:30-33) However, Jesus never claimed to be on the same level as Almighty God. He said: “The Father is greater than I am.”—John 14:28.
Source
Jesus’ early followers did not view him as being equal to Almighty God. For example, the apostle Paul wrote that after Jesus was resurrected, God “exalted him [Jesus] to a superior position.” Obviously, Paul did not believe that Jesus was Almighty God. Otherwise, how could God exalt Jesus to a superior position? —Philippians 2:9.
Excerpt #3:
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'”
Source
Excerpt #4:
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
Source
You’ll see that excerpts 1 and 2 form a pair, and excerpts 3 and 4 form a pair. Each excerpt makes a point and uses one or more Bible verses to support that point. Each pair uses the same Bible to make contradictory points.
But I ask: What is different about about how the quoter in each pair uses the Scripture? How is their methodology for proof-texting distinct from one another?
If we’re not careful with our methodology for proof-texting, we run the risk of using the Bible to serve our own ideas, rather than conforming our ideas to those of the Bible. Or, as I believe English preacher Dick Lucas has said, we use the Bible the way a drunk uses a lamppost: more for support than illumination.
Can we identify a methodology for proof-texting that assists conformity of our ideas to the text rather than conformity of the text to our ideas?
