Interpreting Scripture Out of Context

I actually wrote this in August of 2011.  I stumbled across it this morning while looking through the files on my thumb drive.

1 John 2:27 – But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.  But as His anointing teaches you about everything – and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you – abide in Him.

This verse in the first epistle of the Apostle John can serve to illustrate the danger of making an interpretation of scripture that is out of context with the verses surrounding it.  The under-lined portion is of note here.

The original audience of this letter were first century Christians scattered throughout the Roman world.  John is addressing them as an elder father to his young children.  Prior to this verse he has given guidelines for determining if true regeneration has occurred in someone.  The anointing mentioned here is referring to that salvation.  Therefore John is saying that a believer specifically does not need anyone to teach them.  The verse by itself and without any consideration of the passages surrounding it does indeed say this.

A well meaning but misguided student of the bible might use this verse to support a notion that fellowship and/or teaching from other Christians is not necessary.  Taking it further, the conclusion could be reached that membership in a local church is optional or irrelevant at best, un-scriptural at worst.

However, if we take a look at the entirety of the section this verse resides in a different perspective emerges.  In this chapter John is talking about false teachers and anti-christs; those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.  Verse 27 is placed after the description has been given of these satanic influences.  Thus the correct contextual meaning is that John is speaking specifically about the issue of false teachers and anti-christs when he says that believers have no need for anyone to teach them.  In other words, the indwelling Spirit of God is enough to provide discernment to a Christian regarding whether they are being exposed to untruthful doctrine.

The verse cannot be taken and applied in a general manner to any and all circumstances and applications.  Just as a modern author does not intend for an individual sentence or statement to be used alone without any reference to the rest of what has been written, so it is a distortion and a disservice to do that to the text of biblical writers.

Soli Deo Gloria