For years now, I have had this issue that concerned me regarding the manipulation of God’s Word, but I never took the time to act on it. It would come up, and I would see this thing that would bug me, but I would not do anything with it, and it would not be long before I forgot about it; at least for a while.
What is the issue? It is when someone puts something up on Facebook or Twitter or any number of social media sites, that sounds like it MIGHT come from the Bible but to me it just does not seem quite right. So I look up the Bible, book, chapter, and verse at the end of the “verse” and when I read it in the bible it is not quite right.
I will say I have never found any that were blatant lies, but I have found many that could be misleading. This last week was one of those situations. It referred to the verse in Romans.
The Two Passages
I knew it was a poor paraphrase as soon as I read it, and it was not because I have a great memory, but because of the work, the Holy Spirit has done in my life and the importance of that specific verse in my life. The phrase was simple:
“God promises to make something good out of the storms that bring devastation to your life.”
I looked and looked at that passage. I even went through all the Bible translations on the Bible Gateway site to see if any of the translations had that phrasing, but none did because it is not what Paul related to the Romans.
The actual passage is different:
Romans 8:28 (ESV Strong’s)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The difference is subtle at first glance, but the implication is significant, and its impact means everything.
The Paraphrase
Can you see the difference between these two passages? I think it is significant. It separates the two passages. It has to do with the word “good.” The paraphrased version says that “God promises to make something good out of the storms” in our lives; just the storms. It also infers that that the change will only affect us specifically.
The way this read is that God will make a big change in fortunes. My circumstances are going to change. The passage lacks the specificity that is provided in the actual verse.
Romans 8:28
In Romans 8, there is much more to the passage than just that one verse. Paul is speaking about life in the Spirit and Heirs with Christ Jesus and the future glory of believers and the suffering that we will experience. He begins explaining our future as heirs. For me, it started at verse 16.
Romans 8:16-18 (ESV Strong’s)
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Future Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Paul reminds us that those of us who love the Lord and have been saved are children of God and heirs with Christ and there will be suffering in this life. But that suffering will never compare to the glory to be revealed.
Then Paul explains the waiting to be adopted as Sons and Daughters.
Romans 8:23-25 (ESV Strong’s)
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
And finally, the passage that takes us through Romans 8:28. This verse often stands on its own, but I think it is important to remember the verses before and after it. There is so much power in theses passages.
Romans 8:26-30 (ESV Strong’s)
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
There is so much more in Romans 8 and specifically verse 28. The focus is that “all things work together for good” for all that love God. It is not just the calamities, but everything. Paul does not single out anything specific; he explains all things “work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Mislead?
The problem I have with these snippets is that they can mislead people. What is to be gained by changing or over simplifying God’s Word. It is unnecessary and it just leaves a person misinformed. Being misinformed can lead to incorrect expectations. Incorrect expectations can so often lead to disappointment. The only way to avoid this is in God’s Word.
We need more of God’s Word than the single verses that get posted on social media. We need enough to know when one is real or not, and when one may be a little reckless. We need to know the truth so that we know what to expect even if it is simply to stand firm in our hope.
Romans 8:23-25 (ESV Strong’s)
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
This knowledge does take time, but it is not out of our reach. In the U.S. there access to God’s Word is as close as Google.
For Good
I sit this morning and reflect on examples of Romans 8:28, and how God uses all things to work together for our good and two examples come to mind from God’s Word. The first is the story of Joseph.
Joseph was thrown in a well. He was sold into slavery. He was tormented by his masters wife and ended up in prison and eventually became the number two man in Egypt second only to the Pharaoh. From there, as a willing servant of God, he was able to save many during a massive famine and bring his family back together. His brothers feared him because of what they had done to him, but he had no ill intent. His heart was focused on God. I appreciate how he calmed his brother’s fears after the death of their father.
Genesis 50:19-21 (ESV Strong’s)
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
That is such a powerful response. Only God can bring that kind of peace and contentment. Just thinking about what Joseph endured is amazing. I am sure he never imagined that he would live to become the most powerful man in Egypt besides the Pharaoh, and with all that power, he stayed a man of God with a kind heart.
For Wisdom
The second comes from Deuteronomy. It is found in the eighth chapter.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (ESV Strong’s)
2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
In this passage, God speaks through Moses and reminds the people that the forty years spent in the wilderness had a purpose. God did not do it on a whim. The goal was to test what was in the heart of his people.
Personal Experience
The last example I have is personal. I lived it. I came to the Lord a bit over ten years ago, and it was an amazing transformation. But I was still a workaholic and very driven. I also did not manage stress well. On occasion, I left victims in my wake. I will say my temper was much better than it was before my transformation, but a lot of that was because I held my tongue.
As a result, I had a couple of strokes that pulled me out of work. I cannot manage anxiety or the slightest bit of pressure. I also have trouble with speech that gets worse when the crowd gets larger. But there is an amazing upside. God gave me a gift of capturing His creation in photography and helped me convey my thoughts in writing.
If ten years ago you would have told me that a stroke would be a blessing, I am not sure if I would have laughed or punched you in the face… I am just not sure. But today I can tell you it was and is an amazing gift. With it, God closed several doors and opened many more.
As a result of my stroke, Romans 8:28 is one of my go-to verses.
Romans 8:28 (ESV Strong’s)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Some of my circumstances have improved, but many have not and somedays it seems like they are worse, but it is not about my physical condition that I am concerned. It is about my spiritual condition that I am focused on; that is what matters to me.
Closing Thoughts
I give thanks to God for His Word and His promises, but I struggle a bit about paraphrasing and tying chapter and verse to something because there are so many that do not have a firm grasp of the scriptures. I do not think it is helpful. In fact i think it can be harmful.
I know because of my memory, I paraphrase things all the time in discussions, but I have enough of the passage committed to memory that I can google it and find the right chapter and verse. I also limit that kind of discussion with people that I know have a working knowledge of God’s Word because I know they will keep me in check. Often, they do have the chapter and verse memorized.
Today so many people seem focused on discrediting God’s Word. I think that we need to be accurate when we present the Word of God. It must be an accurate quote rather than just kind of close. It is too easy to question when it is just close to God’s Word.
Prayer
Father God help me that I might stay in Your holy Word; the only source of absolute truth. Help me clearly and accurately share your Word with others and not intentionally deceive anyone. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.
Excellent, Dan! I think that many people have “good intentions” but are willing to “interpret” or misrepresent that Truth context of Scripture because they have been deceived by the spirit of this world…pride/selfishness. That makes it easy to interpret so that it “works for me” or for those who I’m trying to persuade, draw in, etc. (this is the case in so many of our churches today)!
One further thought The Lord laid on my heart years ago when preparing for a sermon entitled, “Kingdom Things” based on Matthew 6:33…we so often choose to interpret or see Scripture through our own selfish lens (even when we don’t recognize). So, we as human beings, “interpret” Scripture from a “Happiness” translation, that better fits our needs and desires (usually driven by our selfishness) and then call it “grace.” Grace is certainly amazing but the purpose of it is not to bend or attempt to change God’s Truth to fit us and our desires! If it did it (and therefore we) would make God out to be a liar, all the time claiming “grace.” Romans 8:28 was one of the verses I used to show how we do this even when we don’t know we are (also used 2 other very familiar texts – Psalm 37:4 and Proverbs 3:5-6).
The Lord laid on my heart that the Kingdom interpretation of “those” has much more to do with the collective body of His people than it does any one of us personally! God certainly does work for the good of each of us who believe in faith and walk in Christ as His followers/disciples, but He is much more concerned about the eternal for each of us and those we can influence and touch for Him and His Glory by pointing them to His salvation by grace through faith!
My pain, struggle, loss, etc., may actually never go away in the here and now but His Word tells us to rejoice and give thanks in all things as we pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) as that is His will for us in Christ. As we do this He not only comforts and guides us but uses our adversity and trial to encourage those in His Body to know Him more deeply and glorify Him as well as shines a light for the lost to see a difference! My struggles, not matter how temporary or lengthy is always used of Him to “work together in all things for good” for all those who love Him and are called according to His purpose – His Bride, Body, Family…The Church!
Thanks for your wonderful posts and encouragement to His Body! Make it a great day in Him…no matter what you’re facing…He’s working in all of it for the good of His People! God bless in Christ!
Thank you Greg, that is a good point. I had never looked at those verses that way before. Certainly is food for thought. Thank you again for all your encouragement. You have a blessed week as well
Not only you have a gift taking photographs but also a great explainer of God’s word. I love your blog dear Dan. It is so fulfilled with spirit. That was, I guess, a reason why I reached out for you. God bless.
I am glad to hear that you find value in these posts. To God be the glory!