Stop Cherry-Picking Scripture.

Jane Isley
Sep 15
3 min read

Open ancient book with text on wood table, surrounded by scrolls, dark ink pot, and quill. Warm lighting creates a historic mood. — ChatGPT

We all do it. We pick verses. That in itself isn’t a bad thing. I’ve got verses tacked all over my office walls for references and research.

The issue comes when a verse is cherry-picked, yanked out of its context, and treated as a complete thought or command, and is used to fuel an opinion, personal agenda, or doctrine that’s not Biblical.

Then everything else around that verse is conveniently ignored. That’s the problem here.

Honestly? It’s about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, right up there with sticking your finger in a light socket or trying to tip a cow.

A Quick Little History

1445 — Mordecai Nathan

Jewish teacher who divided the Old Testament into either chapters or verses (can’t figure out which for sure). Long before that, though, scribes were already making divisions in the text to mark sections for teaching or public reading.

1205 or 1227 — Stephen LangtonHe was a professor and an Archbishop, credited with the chapter system we currently use today. He added chapters to the Latin Vulgate.

1244 & 1248 — Hugo of Sancto Caro

He was the first person believed to have attempted to divide the Bible into chapters (thinking this was for the NT, by the sounds of it). He did this twice while revising the Latin Vulgate, and in 1236, he also gave us the first concordance.

16th Century — Back to Langton

His chapter arrangement was put into Greek manuscripts of the New Testament sometime during this period.

1551 — Robert Estienne

He was the one who numbered the verses within the chapters, and they were printed in his Greek New Testament edition.

1553 — Hebrew Bible — Robert Estienne

Here we get the complete French Bible (OT & NT) printed with chapters and verses.

1557 — Geneva Translation

First complete English New Testament translation with chapters and verses.

1560 — Geneva Translation

We get the full English Bible (OT & NT) printed with chapters and verses.

So, that is definitely not the complete history. But I’m not burning more brain cells on Google today.

Why The History Lesson?

Because it was people who applied chapters and verses only to assist in studying and teaching both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

It was not done to permit people to pick one line, slap it on a bumper sticker, and die on that hill.

All the writers, all their words, were inspired by God. He wouldn’t hand us this incredible book just for us to slice it into isolated fortune-cookie quotes. And nowhere did Jesus ever say, “Yeah, just ignore the Old Testament now.”

The Old Testament didn’t die when Christ died. To prove that point, when Jesus was teaching and reading, guess what He was referencing and reading from?

The texts WE call the “Old” Testament.

Also, so did the apostles after Christ died.

God’s Perspective.

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are outside of time; humanity has time because we need it, God doesn’t.

He doesn’t see “Old” and “New,” like we do. He sees only His words on paper.

Words that are interconnected between books written decades apart from each other. He saw what was written before His Son came and died for us, and what is written afterward.

His one complete message to us.

And we should to.

The more I study, the more I come to see these complex interconnections within the entire Bible, and the absolute need to not die on any cherry-picked hill that leads to unbiblical doctrine or teachings.

We are to lead the world to Christ by example. So when you’re busy out there cherry-picking, why can't an unbeliever? You just fed them their permission.

I came across a fantastic video on this. Don’t worry, it’s actually entertaining and engaging. The creator, Hailom, defines cherry-picking as:

“An argument that only takes into account pieces of data or information that are favorable to the argument while ignoring anything that is not.”

Smart, wise young lady. She discusses complexities and nuances in Scripture that we need to wrestle with. It’s just 15 minutes and 28 seconds, and it covers things I would have missed here.

Two of her standout points (to me at least):

“We often put words into the author’s mouth.”
“Human beings are capable of rationalizing and spiritualizing violence. Maybe it’s [the Bible] showing us something about ourselves, how quickly we fall into tribalism that destroys lives.”

I’m going to end this here. She finishes this article very well, and I believe my point has been made.

You cannot cherry-pick verses and expect to hang your entire theology on them and justify sinful behavior, unbiblical teachings, and personal agendas, and still expect to stroll through the pearly gates.