Adam wrote: Valerie wrote:Question- from time to time Jesus would quote passages from the OT- and also certain passages the disciples would recall, - I understand what people are saying about proof texting (which I didn't even learn of this until Mennodiscuss) but since the Lord & disciples would bring up certain passages themselves, is it wrong to do so?
Valerie, it is a good observation that Jesus and the disciples often quoted from the Old Testament in a way that we might be tempted to classify as proof texting.
The difference is that they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak/write they way that they did. And even so, they never quote the Old Testament in such a way as to ignore the witness of Scripture as a whole or speak in contradiction to the bigger picture of what God was doing in history.
Generally those who offer proof texts today do so to the neglect of other Scripture references that would disprove their point. That is generally what I consider a proof text.
When making a point regarding what Scripture teaches, we need to take into account the entirety of what Scripture teaches on the subject, giving priority to Jesus first, the rest of the New Testament second, and, finally, the Old Testament. So, we
can cite just one Scripture so long as our interpretation of that Scripture is faithful to the testimony of Scripture as a whole and the bigger picture of what God is doing in history.
I believe that is what Jesus and the disciples did, but that is not usually what happens these days when one Scripture is pulled out of context to prove a point.
For example, I could quote Proverbs 21:20a, "Previous treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling," and then argue that the Lord wants me to store up precious treasures for myself on earth because it is wise to do so, but that would be in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus, who says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth."
If I quoted and interpreted Proverbs 21:20a in that way, it would be a prooftext. I would be relying on one Scripture taken in isolation to make it say what I want it to say even though my interpretation of that Scripture is out of line with what the whole of Scripture teaches.
I don't think Jesus or the Apostles do that when they quote the Old Testament.