Many years ago, I was somewhat startled when someone purported that the Bible says there is no God. How could that be, I thought. Sounds preposterous, doesn’t it? And yet, I soon discovered the Bible indeed does say, “There is no God.”

I need to explain this.

When I first heard the Bible says there is no God, it was actually in a Bible class. The teacher was making the point you can prove almost anything from the Bible. The example he used was Psalm 14:1 where it says, “There is no God.” However, it became quite obvious he omitted what preceded, and the verse is accurately quoted as, “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.”

His point well made.

It is very important in reading and understanding the Bible that one is careful to accurately quote it. It’s equally important to not take things out of context. While there are many other crucial items to consider in rightly understanding the Scriptures, these two would seem quite obvious, wouldn’t they?

Yet all too often the Bible is misquoted and taken out of context. Is that because of a lack of respect for the Scriptures? Or, is it because misquoting and taking out of context is so common in our culture today? Maybe it’s both.

In our society today, things people say are often misquoted, and countless times taken out of context. From family members, to coworkers, to entertainers and politicians, it seems to happen everywhere.

Meanwhile, the Bible is viewed by some (including me) as the standard for truth, and as such, careful study gives a right understanding. For many others, not so much. But if we do not have and understand a standard for truth, where does that leave us?

A couple of years ago, entertainer Steve Harvey said, “If you don’t believe in God, then where’s your moral barometer? If you’re an atheist then you’re basing your goodness and morality on what? You’re an idiot!”

Steve went on to say that maybe that wasn’t politically correct to say it like that. Meanwhile, the Bible states one who says there is no God is a fool. And it’s interesting the word “fool” in Psalm 14:1 means a vulgar churl. Not exactly a compliment!

For those who do choose to believe in God, the Bible, rightly understood, is filled with treasures of great wisdom and knowledge. As we read it, let’s be careful to not misquote it, or take it out of context.