Commonly Misunderstood Verses of the Bible: What They Really Mean - Softcover

"If you teach the Bible, preach regularly, or are a student of the Bible with a growing desire to know it better, this is a must-have. Commonly Misunderstood Verses of the Bible corrects the false interpretations we often uncritically accept about many biblical verses and concepts. It is another sterling example of the first-rate scholarship Robert Van Voorst makes accessible to the life of the Church."

--Brand W. Eaton, United Methodist pastor, Board Certified Chaplain

 

"With exegetical skill, clear prose, and pastoral warmth, Van Voorst looks at two dozen such passages. Just skim through the table of contents, and you will not be able to put down this book without reading a chapter!Van Voorst will make you think carefully about how to handle the Scripture."

--Robert L. Plummer, Founder and Host, DailyDoseOfGreek.com

 

"Robert Van Voorst has created an indispensable resource for both clergy and laity. He delightfully combines astute biblical insights with contemporary illustrations as he provocatively, yet graciously,overturns many of our long-held misunderstandings of key Bible verses. I have read similarly-themed works; this is by far my favorite. I look forward to using this wonderfully readable book as the foundation for an upcoming small-group Bible study."

--Lou Kaloger, Pastor, Tampa Covenant Church



"This new book by Robert Van Voorst is a rich mine of enlightening information and significant wisdom. Van Voorst demonstrates courage and awareness in addressing the common misunderstandings of twenty-four well-known Bible verses. Misunderstandings exist and are perpetuated because inadequate or even erroneous information obscures sound interpretations of key biblical passages. Indeed, the misunderstandings of these verses are not only poor interpretations; they also generate problematic applications of the misunderstandings to the concerns of everyday life. In his enlightening Introduction, Van Voorst discusses the frequently encountered problem of understanding verses of the Bible. He considers the reaction of certain people when questions are raised concerning the legitimacy of their own particular interpretations of Bible verses, and he then offers suggestions for how to read the Bible better. Van Voorst steps into this ongoing process of misunderstanding and misapplication with important and accurate information, insight, and much commonsense for understanding these commonly misconstrued parts of the Bible. The book does not simply identify and challenge problems incomprehension; the chapters work clearly and carefully in an encouraging way to teach factual materials, to demonstrate how to identify the plain sense of the Bible, and to model sound ways to think about and to relate elements of the Bible to living. Van Voorst shows that careful interpretation of the Bible is crucial, and he demonstrates that such interpretation does not have to belong solely to trained experts.Rather, careful study of the Bible and drawing informed and sound conclusions in interpretation are the activities to which all readers of the Bible are called. Van Voorst invites his readers to recognize the ways that the Bible is often misunderstood, and in working to rectify some serious misreading of verses of the Bible, he beckons readers to pursue sound interpretation and to make appropriate application of the Bible to life."

--Marion L. Soards, Professor of New Testament, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Robert E. Van Voorst served for twelve years as a parish pastor in New York, and then as a professor of religion in Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He is now a professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and he teaches the Bible regularly in churches. He is the author of eleven books, including six widely used textbooks on the New Testament, Christian history, and world religions.