Proof Text

Trusting in God's Word is one thing. Knowing what God meant so that you can trust it is another. Everyone does it at some level, but One Right Churches tend to use the Bible for proof texts. A proof text means you take an isolated text and use it to prove something, usually that you are right. When you proof-text, you typically try to understand the meaning of a word without the context that gives it meaning. For instance, "run" could apply to jogging, a nylon, a baseball game, a nose, a car, a refrigerator, or simply being in a hurry (gotta run). How do you know what "run" means? You have to look at the context. Context helps you decide within the semantic range of a word, which is the preferred meaning. Besides ignoring context, it is easy to jump to application too quickly. You make the jump by aking your experience and assuming that is what the text is talking about. What the text means to you is always derived from what the text meant to the original readers. If the writer of the scripture didn't have your situation in view, you probably need to be humble about your interpretation. And, the context will help you hone in on the intended meaning. This episode encourages you to trade your proof text for context!