A Basic Illustration on Reading Scriptures Out of Context vs. In Context

            "...You received without paying, give without pay."

-Jesus

If you were to read the foregoing quote by Jesus, you might ask yourself: what exactly does it mean? To be realistic, I would assume it means that if I got something for free, I should give it away and not charge. But, the statement can be so general and applicable to so many things or situations that it can be confusing on its own. However, very often many folks share Scripture verses in this same way, and it definitely opens doors to vague interpretations. Of course, without an actual Scripture reference who knows when, where, and why Jesus said the quote. Well, this specific quote comes from the Gospel of Matthew 10:8. The translation is from the Revised Standard Version (RSV) Bible in English. The entire verse actually reads as follows:

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.”

Now, we are starting to get a better picture of what Jesus was really saying; however, to whom is he speaking? Perhaps, we should read the previous seven verses to get a better idea.

“1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.  2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zeb′edee, and John his brother;  3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[a]  4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.  5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,  6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  7 And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.”

Now, we definitely have a much clearer picture, and we are perhaps reading the Scriptures in a more proper way. We, now, know and understand that Jesus was speaking to his disciples in the beginning of chapter 10. It is better to read the entire chapter to get a broader view. Furthermore, if one reads the entire Gospel of Matthew, one gets a much larger and fuller picture. However, reading alone should not be considered a study of the Scriptures. One should have a study aid with historical references that provide details such as the year most scholars believe the Gospel was written, and so on. Anyhow, I hope this simple post discourages you from reading and quoting Scriptures out of context, although I am also guilty of doing it, as well, from time to time. Blessings!

Reference:

RSV Bible