Bible Verses in Red
In this Bible Study I want to give you an example of how some people might misinterpret Bible Verses. I’ll use two similar verses as an illustration.
Both verses are true and both verses mean the same thing but the difference in wording has caused some to interpret one or both wrong. There is a reason God had different apostles write about the same thing. One is for emphasis and the other so that if you cannot get the entire meaning from one then perhaps another apostle’s style of writing or point of view may make the teaching clear to you. I will give you the book and chapter of each so that you can read both entire chapters and have full reference to the subject or object of the verse.
Hopefully this will help you when you are faced with a false teacher.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Destroyed the wicked
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Destroyed the wicked.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Allow me to point out the differences. Look at Matthew 24 verses 38-40 then look at Luke 17 verses 32-37.
Matthew 24
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Took away the wicked.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Then we see Luke 17:
32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
In Matthew 24:38 Jesus is talking about as in the day of Noah and in Luke Jesus uses the example of Lot’s wife. In Matthew 24: 40 there is not much separation between describing the days of Noah until He goes into talking about the one taken and the other left.
In Luke 17: 33 Jesus explains Lots wife, however in Luke 17: 34 Jesus says “I tell you, in that night” then He begins speaking about the one left and the other taken. In Luke 17:37 we see that the apostles asks to where are these people taken? This does not occur in Matthew.
What difference do these two examples make? The difference is extremely important.
If a person were teaching you from Matthew you could be lead to believe that the people who were taken were taken by God in a nice way even though both give examples of God’s wrath on the wicked (Noah’s day and Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot’s wife who wanted to preserve her old life, ergo “looking back”. Luke however mentions “in that night”. Night, dark, the moon or lunar (lunatic) and astrological times usually indicate something concerning Satan or his demons. The exception is as when God created the world and made darkness and light, night and day.
In Luke 17: 37 When Jesus tells the apostles where the people were taken to He says “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. Jesus is saying that these people were taken to where eagles (vultures) are and the body is to be devoured, dead, gone, destroyed, ergo: taken by the wicked one. How do I know it means this? Because Jesus never mentions where their souls go, only the bodies and the subject (from the example of Noah’s time and Lot’s wife) is God’s wrath, not His pleasure. Notice in Matthew 24: 39 the wicked were taken away. This is an important point concerning this subject.
Read both chapters mentioned here entirely and closely understand what the subject or object of each verse or set of verses is. The subject can change in the middle of a chapter so read carefully. You will see that both are compatible and mean the same thing but I’m sure you can see where a false teacher could lead you astray by leaving out some important connecting or relevant verses concerning the actual subject.
For example if the only thing a teacher read to you was the following verses from Matthew 24 it could mean many things because you would not know what the subject was.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
