You may understand the Bible and I may misunderstand it. I may understand it and you may misunderstand it. We may misunderstand it differently. We may misunderstand it alike. But we cannot understand it differently. What kind of book would the Bible be if it said something to you that it didn’t say to me?
– by Eugene Britnell
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Irony
Irony, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is “The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning”. Consider the following examples.
“Please drink responsibly.” Out of context, this statement might be suggesting that consumers should exercise reasonable precautions with ordinarily harmless beverages. For instance, a cup of steaming hot coffee should be handled in such a way as to avoid spilling it on one’s lap. However, every television viewer recognizes these words from advertisements promoting alcoholic beverages. That’s ironic because there is no responsible way to consume an alcoholic beverage. The consumption of alcohol leads directly to drunkenness, which is explicitly and repeatedly forbidden in scripture (Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 6:10; Galatians 5:21). Intoxication is doubly sinful in that it prevents self-control, a necessary quality in every Christian (Galatians 5:23; 2 Peter 1:6). There’s nothing responsible about drinking alcohol.
“Please play responsibly.” This phrase might be used to warn a pitcher not to bean the batter. Instead, these words come from advertisements promoting lotteries in those states where such is legal. The lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. There is no such thing as responsible gambling because gambling is covetous (Ephesians 5:3; Hebrews 13:5), and violates the principle of legitimate gain (Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).
“Practice safe sex.” To a Christian, this means that sexual intercourse is reserved for marriage and marriage alone. Sadly though, safe sex to the world means taking precautions – even while engaging in sex with various partners – to make sure you don’t contract STDs and HIV. The only safe sex that has ever existed is intercourse with one’s own husband or wife (Proverbs 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Hebrews 13:4). All sexual relationships outside marriage are immoral (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8), and are unsafe because they incur the wrath of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 21:8).