Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Episode: "It's Okay to Quote a Single Verse...If You Understand the Context"
Host: Greg Koukl
Date: September 10, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Greg Koukl explores the issue of quoting single Bible verses without context—a well-worn aphorism in his teaching: "Never read a Bible verse." He unpacks the reasoning behind this advice, responds to a listener challenge about how Jesus and Paul themselves often quoted single verses, and offers guidance on how Christians should study and reference Scripture responsibly. The episode also features thoughtful, practical answers to listener questions touching on apologetics, Bible study resources, internet discourse, and faith in marriage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Never Read a Bible Verse" Principle

(Main Segment: 01:45–18:30)

• Greg's Personal Encouragement from Scripture

  • Shares how 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 has provided him enduring encouragement, talking about “momentary light affliction” and maintaining an eternal perspective.
  • Demonstrates the difficulty of quoting favorite verses perfectly and the need to check context (“One of my favorite verses… I can't recall it now, I'm messing up. All right, so here it is…” – Greg, 03:12)

• Explaining the Aphorism

  • “Never read a Bible verse": a memorable way to urge believers to always check the context, not an injunction against reading single verses per se.

    “The principle is not that you should never read a verse… but rather that you are mindful that verses do not exist in isolation.” – Greg (06:00)

  • Notes that verse and chapter numbers were historical additions—Scripture was not written as isolated one-liners.

• Proper Use of Single Verses

  • Exceptions exist, notably in Proverbs (from chapter 10 onward, many verses are designed as stand-alone aphorisms).
  • Context is needed for all but the most self-contained sayings.

• Addressing Listener Challenge

  • Listener points out that Jesus and Paul often quoted single verses. Greg affirms this is true, but:

    • Jesus, Paul, and inspired writers understood the full context and meaning—quoting responsibly.
    • Believers today should only cite verses in isolation if they understand the broader literary and redemptive context.
    • The misuse of verses often comes in modern proof-texting (e.g., Jeremiah 29:11), applying them outside their historical and covenantal context.

    “Yes, Jesus often quoted single verses. Why did he do that? Because he understood the meaning of the verse and he wasn't getting it wrong. Paul did as well… They are not abusing passages because those writers know the meanings.” – Greg (13:50)

2. Listener Q&A: Questions of Jesus and Healing

(16:50–23:00)

• Atheist Dan asks: Why didn’t Jesus heal everyone, if he could?

  “How many lepers did Jesus not heal? …How many blind people did Jesus not heal and why…if you and I had the power to heal leprosy, wouldn’t we? I certainly would… Why did Jesus think it was okay to watch the suffering…?” – Dan (16:50)

  • Greg’s response: “I don’t know” (17:52). He explains:

    • It’s fair not to answer unknowable questions; Scripture doesn’t specify.
    • References the limited accounts (“healed all who came to him” vs. “couldn’t do many miracles because of their unbelief”).
    • The challenge is not a real obstacle to faith; human inability to understand God’s reasons is expected.
    • Uses Bruce Almighty as an illustration; if everyone got what they wanted, chaos would result.

    “We don’t know enough to rule the universe, but God, at least in principle, does.” – Greg (21:40)

3. Practical Guide: Choosing Study Bibles and Commentaries

(24:00–38:25)

• Nathan from Madison asks for Bible study resource recommendations for laypeople

  • Greg doesn’t use a study Bible or rely on commentaries but prefers the NASB95 with cross-references and marginal notes.

  • Suggests Millard Erickson’s Christian Theology as an accessible, sound one-volume reference for systematic theology.

  • Recommends the Logos Bible software (“probably your best tool for that”) for accessing a broad range of commentary and study resources.

  • For deeper study, he turns to older systematic theologies/dogmatics: W.G.T. Shedd, Turretin, Hodge, and Wayne Grudem’s works (systematic theology and “systematic theology light”).

  • Cautions that all commentaries reflect theological perspectives, so multiple views should be considered.

    “…if you want to know what the best resource is, I would say it's a digital resource called Logos… you can go to any particular passage in the Bible and see what all these resources had to say about that passage.” – Greg (32:20)

4. Engaging Atheism on Public Forums

(38:25–49:53)

• Andrew calls in to ask about engaging a hostile atheist online over God’s morality and the flood narrative

  • Greg’s tactical advice:

    • Remember your audience is broader than the person you’re engaging—“ricochet evangelism” may impact silent readers (40:58).
    • You never know who may be influenced (shares a personal story where a third party, not the target, was ultimately reached for Christ).
    • Use questions: On the topic of morality and atheism, press how (without God) killing children can be considered “wrong” in an objective sense.
    • Uses the Autobahn analogy: No law, no law-breaking—no God, no objective morality.
    • Stay polite and thoughtful online (“you got to mind your manners”); negative conduct undermines the message.

    “It’s easier to keep my calm when I know everybody’s listening… other people are listening for good or for ill.” – Greg (48:48)

5. Faith and Theological Unity in Relationships

(50:54–57:44)

• Isaac asks: How much agreement is needed on “secondary and tertiary” issues in Christian relationships, especially where future children are concerned?

  • Greg's position:

    • Fundamental (core) Christian convictions must be shared: nature of Christ, authority of Scripture, etc.
    • Secondary issues (method of discerning God’s will, family structure) can be more divisive for marriage than for other relationships—seek as much agreement as possible.
    • Distinguishes between “how you make decisions” and “structure of family authority” (complementarian vs. egalitarian outlook).
    • Each similarity is “money in the bank”; each difference, a “deduction.” Enough differences can cause trouble, especially on major issues.
    • Disagreement on fundamentals or crucial practicalities is a red flag; on minor points, it is often manageable.

    “Every way that you are similar is like money in the bank… Every way that you differ is like a deduction, a liability.” – Greg (52:00) “If you think the husband is the head of the family and your wife doesn’t, that's trouble ahead.” – Greg (54:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Proof-texting Abuse

  “Chief offender right now…is the Jeremiah 29:11: ‘I know the plans that I have for you...’ There it is: for a specific people at a specific time, for a specific purpose connected to a specific covenant. And none of those things apply to Christians today.” – Greg (15:30)

• On Divine Authority of Biblical Reapplication

  “This is why it’s important…that they are speaking under the authority of the Holy Spirit. When they do this assessment of passages…sometimes we ask ourselves, how did they get this out of that?” – Greg (15:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Sharing 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, explaining importance of context: 00:29–06:00
• “Never read a Bible verse” principle and listener challenge: 06:00–16:50
• Listener question about Jesus not healing everyone: 16:50–23:00
• Discussion of Bible study resources & recommendations: 24:00–38:25
• Live caller: Engaging atheists online and public forum tactics: 38:25–49:53
• Unity in relationships, dealing with theological differences: 50:54–57:44

Summary

This episode guides Christians in responsible biblical interpretation, emphasizing the necessity of considering context. Greg Koukl addresses challenges to his oft-repeated aphorism about not reading (or quoting) single verses in isolation, explaining how even Scripture itself models wise, context-aware citation. He fields tough and practical listener questions, offers resource recommendations for Bible study, and gives tactical faith-sharing advice for both personal conversations and broader digital forums. He closes with measured, nuanced insight into the practical implications of theological agreement in Christian relationships, tying together clarity, truth, and wisdom in classic Stand to Reason fashion.