Volume 33: Don’t Make The Bible Say What It Doesn’t Say

DON’T MAKE THE BIBLE SAY WHAT IT DOESN’T SAY

One of the biggest challenges in studying Scripture is not always misunderstanding what the Bible says. Sometimes it is becoming so confident in what we think it says that we stop checking the text.

The Bible commands: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Notice the words “rightly dividing.” Truth can be mishandled.

Sometimes we repeat something because a preacher said it. Sometimes because we heard it growing up. Sometimes because it fits our theology. And sometimes we simply read our assumptions into Scripture. But there is an enormous difference between:

What the Bible says.
What the Bible implies.
What we interpret the Bible to mean.
And what the Bible never actually says.

For example, the Bible never calls “Hallelujah” the highest praise. That is a familiar church expression. Hallelujah means “Praise Yah” or “Praise the LORD.” Its significance is not found in Scripture ranking it above every other expression of praise, but in the fact that the praise is directed specifically to Yah Himself.

That distinction matters. The same discipline must govern everything we study.

Scripture speaks of angels who sinned and were placed in chains (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6), yet Satan is still described as actively walking about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, we should not casually place every fallen spiritual being into the same category.

Genesis 6 speaks of the “sons of God” and the Nephilim, while later Scripture speaks of Anakim, Rephaim and other giants. Instead of forcing a convenient explanation onto those passages, serious Bible students must acknowledge what is stated, investigate what can reasonably be connected, and admit where Scripture does not provide every detail.

READ WHAT IS ACTUALLY THERE

The Bereans were praised because they did not simply accept what they were taught.

“They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Think about that. They were fact-checking Paul.

If apostolic preaching was examined against Scripture, surely sermons, traditions, devotionals, commentaries—and even AI-generated Bible explanations—should be examined too.

Never surrender your Bible to someone else’s confidence, especially artificial intelligence. AI can process enormous amounts of information and generate remarkably articulate answers, but it does not receive revelation from God, possess faith or have a relationship with Him. Yet many believers are beginning to trust AI-generated spiritual content without ever opening their Bibles to determine whether what it says is actually true.

A person can sound convincing and still be wrong. Machine-generated information can sound articulate and still lack revelation.

A tradition can be hundreds of years old and still need to be examined. A preacher can be sincere and still misinterpret a passage. And you can love God deeply and still discover that something you have believed for years is not actually written in Scripture.

That is why revelation requires humility. When Scripture corrects your theology, change your theology—not the Scripture.

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

So open your Bible. Read the surrounding verses. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Use a concordance and search the Scriptures line by line. Ask what the text actually says before asking what someone says it means.

And when the Bible stops talking, have enough humility to stop speaking about the subject with so much certainty.