The Bible in Our Sound-bite Culture

A Haiku Deck Slide

“Judge not, lest you be judged.”

“Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

“for the husband is the head of the wife . . .”

Hear any of these verses or sayings in our culture today?  We live in a sound-bite culture where messages are often communicated in short-quick statements.  We read the paper, scan a news website, or scroll through Facebook looking at short headlines.  When we watch ESPN or CNN they are constantly streaming news in the ticker in short quick bursts.  Political candidates vying for 2016 election are already formulating their slogans and what sound-bites they want to emphasize.

The problem is we have also adapted this attitude toward the Bible.  How many people use and say the sayings I referenced above without knowing their CONTEXT?  A verse or sentence of Jesus can take on a life of its own in our culture and is often disconnected from the original context.

For example, how many who quote “judge not, lest you be judged,” understand Jesus is speaking of hypercritical and hypocritical judgement.  He is not forbidding speaking to someone about their sin and trying to help them overcome it.  Later he even says, “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers’ eye” (Mat. 7:5).

The story of the woman caught in adultery is abused as a story where Jesus goes light on sin and refuses to condemn or rebuke this sinful woman (John 7:53-8:11).  Unrepentant sinners love to quote to those trying to encourage their repentance, “he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”  But in context, the whole episode was not about the woman, but about the Pharisees and Scribes trying to trap and test Jesus so they might accuse him.  They weren’t interested in obeying the law or the woman, they were after Jesus.  Jesus avoids their trap and refuses to condemn the woman, because he was not her accuser.  He instructs her to sin no more.

How many abusive husbands know and quote to their “rebellious wives” that the Bible says the “husband is the head of the wife.”  This is certainly true, but they fail to recognize that in the same context Paul says a husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:21-33).  He should nourish and cherish her.  Yet, he holds to his “sound-bite” while he shamefully treats his bride, trying to demand the respect he doesn’t deserve!

I could go on and speak about abused Old Testament stories or how people know one verse as it relates to salvation (like John 3:16 or Romans 10:9-10) and fail to follow the rest of the Bible’s teachings on that subject.  The key is CONTEXT.  We must study to take the overall message of a text or even the entire Bible.  Just like with our sound-bite news, we must look deeper than just the headline.  This requires reading, effort, and time; somethings we often don’t want to give in our sound-bite culture.

The Bible was meant to be read and studied in context, not to be lifted and abused with short, sound-bite statements that often convey a different meaning than the original text.  (By the way, preachers are some of the worst, myself included, at misusing verses out of context).

Don’t believe all the sound-bites you hear said in our culture about scripture.  Open up God’s book and read it for yourself, you will be amazed at some of your discoveries!