Context or Pretext?

Context or Pretext?
In this short presentation I want to show you how to determine if your pastor is teaching the Bible or is he using the bible to teach his own thoughts. One of the most common errors I have seen in all the Churches I’ve been to is the practice of using the Bible as a pretext. Instead of teaching the meaning written therein they use the Bible as a pretext to teach what they want to teach. I call it textual high jacking.

When asked the question, most Christians will tell you they want to hear; what does God have to say and not what man has to say.
Using the bible as a pretext is not teaching God’s word, it is a platform for a false teacher to teach his own words and to add legitimacy to his teaching. It takes a lot of work to teach the Bible in its original context to relay the message God wants His children to receive. Every book is intertwined with each other and there are no contradictions.

One of the main reasons for this contextual high jacking is because the pastor doesn’t know the Bible from cover to cover and is unable to teach it properly. Most of the pastors I have encountered are unqualified to teach the Bible because they haven’t matured to a level equivalent to an Apostle.

This process could take some people 20 years or more. Having a BS or DD in front of your name does not qualify you to teach or be a pastor. If God has not called you out and qualified you it is impossible. You may think you are a teacher but a GP in the sky doesn’t mean “go preach” in could mean “go plow”.

Most of the sermons I hear fall under the category of platitudes, attitudes and also salvation and baptism which are all good but there is so much more. Without a doubt prophesy is the most misunderstood subject in the Bible. Without knowing the prophets teaching, many modern day self proclaimed prophets claim to know more than the real prophets do.
I have never seen a pastor teach systematic theology in order to arm parishioners with tools needed to learn for themselves. Not once have I seen them teach how to use a Concordance or a dictionary of the Hebrew or Greek. Most of them are not aware of the tainted translations out there that were done by non Christians with questionable backgrounds. Basically, the blind leading the blind. They want the congregation dependant on them to perpetuate their so called ministry and hand over their tithes in a pastoral shakedown.

Here is a classic example of contextual high jacking in Titus 2:13; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The blessed hope of every Christian is the hope of eternal life and to see the face of Jesus when we die. False teachers claim this is speaking of a rapture. Our trust is in Jesus who is God. Our trust is not in a rapture. With or without rapture we are given eternal life through Jesus Christ and our blessed hope is not contingent on anything but believing in Jesus.
By far the modern day rapture teachers are the worst of the worst when it comes to taking scripture out of context. John 14
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Anytime the expositor takes the word out of context it must be stated as such. There is nothing wrong with the application of the Word in a personal sense but the listener must be made aware when it is done.
The word is not a “segue” but it is “The Way”

Nehemiah 9:14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:
Psalm 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Psalm 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Psalm 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Psalm 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
Psalm 119:45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
Psalm 119:56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts.
Psalm 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.
Psalm 119:69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
Psalm 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause:
.

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: