In a recent livestream, Isaiah Saldivar tackled one of the most overlooked but important topics in Christian circles today: the misuse of Scripture.
“This is not to water down the Gospel,” Saldivar said early in his teaching. “This is not to water down those Scriptures and be a religious guy and be like, ‘You can’t use these verses.’” His goal, he explained, was not to shame believers but to help them rightly understand the verses they often quote without considering the full context.
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“Misusing verses is not a mistake. It’s a tactic of the enemy,” Saldivar warned, referencing how even Satan quoted Scripture out of context when tempting Jesus in Matthew 4.
Here are seven of the most misused Bible verses according to Saldivar, along with his direct quotes and contextual explanations:
1. Jeremiah 29:11
Misuse: Used as a personal prosperity promise.
Context: A message to Jewish exiles in Babylon, promising restoration after 70 years.
“This was written to a specific group — the exile Jews. We could apply God’s character from it, but we shouldn’t… make it our personal fortune cookie.”
2. Philippians 4:13
Misuse: A motivational quote for success in sports or business.
Context: Paul is speaking about being content during suffering and hardship.
“This verse has difficulty baked into it… This is not about striving. The context is suffering. And the supernatural strength that comes when your identity is in Christ.”
3. Matthew 7:1
Misuse: Used to argue against any form of judgment.
Context: Jesus is addressing hypocritical judgment, not judgment as a whole.
“Jesus says actually, here’s the thing, I do want you to judge your friend… but first make sure there’s no plank in your eye.”
4. Romans 8:28
Misuse: Quoted as a blanket assurance that everything will work out positively.
Context: God uses all things for spiritual growth in those who love Him, not necessarily for comfort or worldly success.
“It doesn’t mean everything is good. It means God will use everything for His good.”
5. 1 Timothy 6:10
Misuse: “Money is the root of all evil.”
Context: The Bible says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
“Money is not the problem. Love of money is evil. That’s the misquote.”
6. Matthew 18:20
Misuse: Used to validate small prayer groups or gatherings.
Context: Jesus was discussing church discipline, not corporate worship.
“This was about disputing. This was about unity in the church among believers. This was about agreement.”
7. John 3:16
Misuse: Implies salvation is only about intellectual belief, with no repentance or life change.
Context: Belief is tied to obedience and coming into the light.
“Belief that doesn’t transform behavior is not saving faith.”
Saldivar’s plea is simple: don’t stop quoting Scripture, just quote it right.
“There’s even more power in these verses when we know them in the right context than before when we’re quoting them wrong,” he said.
“We need to be careful that we’re wielding the sword of the Spirit carefully because the Bible is sharp. The Bible can be dangerous if we misuse it.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
