Dear Friends,

Some people abuse the Word of God, distorting it to make it mean whatever they want it to mean. This never builds anything that will last and only leads to utter confusion. How should the Bible be handled? Today’s devotional will explain. God bless you.

Because of Calvary,
John Janney

• II Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

“Such veneration we ought indeed to entertain for the Word of God, that we ought not to pervert it in the least degree by varying expositions; for its majesty is diminished, I know not how much, especially when not expounded with great discretion and with great sobriety. And if it be deemed a great wickedness to contaminate any thing that is dedicated to God, he surely cannot be endured, who, with impure, or even with unprepared hands, will handle that very thing, which of all things is the most sacred on earth. It is therefore an audacity, closely allied to a sacrilege, rashly to turn Scripture in any way we please, and to indulge our fancies as in sport; which has been done by many in former times.

But we ever find, that even those who have not been deficient in their zeal for piety, nor in reverence and sobriety in handling the mysteries of God, have by no means agreed among themselves on every point; for God hath never favored his servants with so great a benefit, that they were all endued with a full and perfect knowledge in every thing; and, no doubt, for this end — that he might first keep them humble; and secondly, render them disposed to cultivate brotherly intercourse.” [John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries XIX, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, n.d.), p. xxvii]