The Word of God
39 Ways We Treat God’s Word with Disrespect
(or as though It Were Insignificant)
(or as though It Were Insignificant)
A. In Our Preaching and Teaching of It
1. While we are teaching or preaching we may say something like, “I’m not going to read the entire passage.” In essence, that is like saying, “After all, it’s just God’s word, and what I have to say is much more important and significant and valuable for you.”
2. Reading it fast, as if we’re in a hurry to get through it so we can get
back to OUR words, which we must believe are more important.
3. Attaching only the scripture where the passage is found instead of reading it at the proper time.
4. Paraphrasing God’s word ‘briefly’ and sometime even wrongly.
5. Quoting worldly, secular, protestant, or catholic writing or speech as authority for a point we may be making.
6. Misquoting it through maliciousness, intentionally.
7. Throwing it up to others to ‘beat them over the head with it.’
8. Not preaching from it.
9. Teaching it redundantly, teaching only the “milk” of His word.
10. Not reading from it often when we teach or preach, but just drift into our own thoughts and words. B. As Hearers and Students
1. Not understanding it through lack of desire or effort.
2. Accepting any translation or version, thus accepting error without carefully examining and weighing it for truth and accuracy.
3. Seeing still the Jews as God’s ‘chosen people’ and reading His word with that in mind.
4. Misquoting it through ignorance.
5. Taking it out of context.
6. When we reject any occasion to hear it proclaimed. C. As Our View or Philosophy, Doctrine, Creed, or Guide
1. Misapplying His word.
2. Quoting Old Testament scripture as our authority for living or doctrine today.
3. Allowing others to interpret it for us without question.
4. Denying its truth or power.
5. When we remove some of it in our belief system or teaching.
6. When we add something to it.
7. When we deliberately mistranslate it.
8. When we do not rightly divide it or handle it aright.
9. When we doubt it and mistrust it. D. In Our Approach and Attitude in Living, Application, and Practice
1. Disagreeing with God’s word or denying it.
2. Being critical of it.
3. Not obeying it, even rejecting the truths in it.
4. Not letting it guide us.
5. Letting ourselves become bored with it.
6. Treating it inconsistently or as it suits us.
7. Talking or otherwise disrupting during its reading.
8. Not teaching it every chance we get.
9. Not reading it or teaching it to our own children and family.
10. Joking about it or making fun of it.
11. Not reading it with dignity.
12. Reading it slothfully.
13. Not taking it seriously but lightly.
14. Never reading it, hearing it, learning it, understanding it, quoting it, or memorizing any of it.
1. While we are teaching or preaching we may say something like, “I’m not going to read the entire passage.” In essence, that is like saying, “After all, it’s just God’s word, and what I have to say is much more important and significant and valuable for you.”
2. Reading it fast, as if we’re in a hurry to get through it so we can get
back to OUR words, which we must believe are more important.
3. Attaching only the scripture where the passage is found instead of reading it at the proper time.
4. Paraphrasing God’s word ‘briefly’ and sometime even wrongly.
5. Quoting worldly, secular, protestant, or catholic writing or speech as authority for a point we may be making.
6. Misquoting it through maliciousness, intentionally.
7. Throwing it up to others to ‘beat them over the head with it.’
8. Not preaching from it.
9. Teaching it redundantly, teaching only the “milk” of His word.
10. Not reading from it often when we teach or preach, but just drift into our own thoughts and words. B. As Hearers and Students
1. Not understanding it through lack of desire or effort.
2. Accepting any translation or version, thus accepting error without carefully examining and weighing it for truth and accuracy.
3. Seeing still the Jews as God’s ‘chosen people’ and reading His word with that in mind.
4. Misquoting it through ignorance.
5. Taking it out of context.
6. When we reject any occasion to hear it proclaimed. C. As Our View or Philosophy, Doctrine, Creed, or Guide
1. Misapplying His word.
2. Quoting Old Testament scripture as our authority for living or doctrine today.
3. Allowing others to interpret it for us without question.
4. Denying its truth or power.
5. When we remove some of it in our belief system or teaching.
6. When we add something to it.
7. When we deliberately mistranslate it.
8. When we do not rightly divide it or handle it aright.
9. When we doubt it and mistrust it. D. In Our Approach and Attitude in Living, Application, and Practice
1. Disagreeing with God’s word or denying it.
2. Being critical of it.
3. Not obeying it, even rejecting the truths in it.
4. Not letting it guide us.
5. Letting ourselves become bored with it.
6. Treating it inconsistently or as it suits us.
7. Talking or otherwise disrupting during its reading.
8. Not teaching it every chance we get.
9. Not reading it or teaching it to our own children and family.
10. Joking about it or making fun of it.
11. Not reading it with dignity.
12. Reading it slothfully.
13. Not taking it seriously but lightly.
14. Never reading it, hearing it, learning it, understanding it, quoting it, or memorizing any of it.
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This includes some great points that I want to share with others! Thanks, Perry