We must be careful not to use the Scriptures to help promote a certain philosophy or doctrinal position.
In trying to trip up Jesus, the Sadducees, quoted the law that states that if a man dies and has no son to carry on his name and inheritance that the brother of that man must take that man’s wife as his own to sire an heir. (Deuteronomy 25:5)
They then expand the scenario to seven brothers who all die and still no heir was born. And then the wife dies. Then they ask, “Who wife will she be of the seven in heaven?”
It’s good to note what Matthew brings out about this religious group. You see, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and thus they quoted this law and made up this scenario to promote their belief in no resurrection.
Yet Jesus’ answer stumped them saying that they have no understanding of either the Scriptures or the power of God.
“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)
Basically Jesus was saying, “Don’t use the Scriptures to help spin your particular set of beliefs.”
Jesus says that at the resurrection people will neither be married nor given in marriage, and that God is the God of the living, not the dead. (Matthew 22:30, 32)
The Sadducees were not only trying to find a way to trip Jesus up, but at the same time promote their particular set of beliefs. And what Jesus points out is that they were stretching God’s word to fit their beliefs.
This speaks to our need not to do the same. We must never use God’s word out of context to promote a particular teaching or set of beliefs. Further we must let the entire word of God speak to a doctrinal position and not pick and choose those particular passages we like and disregard the rest.
God’s word must never be our own personal spin zone.
