Bible Contortionists

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (II Peter 3: 16)

The Greek word for "wrest" alludes to the twisting and contorting done by "contortionists." The English word "wrest" (the root word of "wrestle") means to "distort" or to "twist," and when applied to words, means to "alter the nature or meaning of" them, generally, by "wresting" words "out of context."

To "wrest" someone's words is "to divert" them "to an improper use" or to "misapply" one's words or give one's words a "strained interpretation," to contort the "meaning." Truly "the devil is in the definition" and in the "interpretation."

"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." (II Corinthians 2: 17)

The Greek word for "corrupt" alludes to the practice of wine merchants who "corrupted" the wine they were selling by "watering it down," or "diluting" it and "pawning off" the diluted and corrupted wine as pure wine.

Applying this metaphorically to interpreters of words, or to conveyers of messages, or to reporters of news, it alludes to the practice of altering the meaning of texts, words, or messages, often intentionally, and with deceit.

One can oppose an historical text one of two ways. He may openly disavow its credibility or truthfulness; Or, he may oppose it underhandedly. In the latter manner, the opponent of the text openly avows the truth and authority of the text, but secretly does not, and so begins to undermine faith in it by re-defining the words in the text, or perhaps by omitting or adding a word here and there to the historical text.

"But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully..." (II Corinthians 4: 2)

Most who read the Bible do not go to Heaven. Among this group are those who come away from reading the Bible with open opposition to what they see it clearly says. These Bible unbelievers will not be much involved in trying to alter what the Bible says. Other Bible unbelievers of the Bible text, however, will come away from their reading the Bible with the intent of making it say something other than what it actually says, at least in those places where he cannot accept as true what it says. They are described as they "Who changed the truth of God into a lie." (Romans 1: 25)

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3: 1-5)

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (II Corinthians 11: 3)

So, the Devil himself began this black art of corrupting the word of God. He first questioned the veracity of what Lord God had said, and then he denied it by adding one word to what Lord God had said, the word "not." He "corrupted" the word of God, and has been instructing men in this "art" and "craft" ever since, these Bible Contortionists.

"If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, 'He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.' Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (See Matthew 4: 5-10)

The Devil mishandled the word of God, citing a text from scripture and then totally misapplying it or else giving to it a "twisted" or "contorted" interpretation.

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (II Timothy 2: 15 NIV)

This is the practice of the true Bible believer. He is honest with what he reads in the word of God and conforms his thinking to it, and not as the Bible rejecter, who rather dishonestly attempts to make the Bible text conform, "hook or crook," to his thinking. The underhanded enemies of the Bible might well be described in these words of the Apostle Peter to Simon Magus, that first great wicked enemy of the gospel who "infiltrated" into the Christian assembly in the first century.

"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13: 10 NIV)

Simon Magus was like others in the first century who were "...throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1: 7)

"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30: 5)

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22: 18, 19)

Just as men do not like to be misquoted or taken out of context, nor misinterpreted, especially when they have spoken clearly, nor does Lord God. Great judgments are pronounced by him in his word against all who meddle and tamper with and corrupt and handle his word deceitfully and dishonestly.