Few things have caused more confusion, division, and harm in the name of faith than the misuse of Scripture. Not Scripture itself, but how it is read. Jesus lived in a culture saturated with religious texts. The Scriptures were revered, memorized, debated, and enforced. Yet again and again, Jesus confronted those who knew the Bible best, not for reading it too little, but for reading it without love.
Jesus did not reject Scripture. He reframed it.
At St Pauls Free Church, we believe the Bible is sacred, meaningful, and alive, but we also believe it must be read through the life and spirit of Jesus, not apart from Him. This posture is central to the Love of Jesus Mindset.
Jesus did not treat Scripture as a weapon to control people; He treated it as a witness meant to lead people toward life.
When religious leaders challenged Him, Jesus didn’t quote Scripture to dominate them. He used it to reveal God’s heart and to expose interpretations that produced fear, exclusion, and harm.
In one of the most direct moments, Jesus says:
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
— John 5:39–40
This statement is profound. Jesus suggests it is possible to read Scripture faithfully and still miss the point. Why? Because Scripture is not an end in itself. It points beyond itself, to Jesus, and to the life He embodies.
Jesus is not merely supported by Scripture. He is its lens.
Over and over, Jesus re-centers interpretation around love, mercy, and human dignity. When questioned about the law, He distills it not into stricter rules, but into relational clarity:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
— Matthew 22:37–40
This is not simplification for convenience. It is prioritization.
Jesus is saying: If your reading of Scripture leads you away from love, you are reading it incorrectly.
That’s a sobering thought, especially for those of us who were taught that “correct interpretation” means rigid literalism or unquestioned certainty. Jesus modeled something far more demanding: interpretation that bears loving fruit.
The Apostle Paul echoes this Jesus-centered approach when he writes:
“The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:6
Paul is not dismissing Scripture. He is warning against readings that strip Scripture of its life-giving purpose. A text divorced from love becomes oppressive. A rule disconnected from relationship becomes destructive.
This is why St Pauls Free Church reads the Bible with humility and context. We honor the Old Testament as a sacred spiritual and historical foundation, but we refuse to weaponize it against people Jesus came to heal. We read Paul’s letters as invitations into freedom and conscience—not as tools for shame or control.
The Love of Jesus Mindset asks a different set of questions when reading Scripture:
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- Does this interpretation reflect how Jesus treated people?
- Does it produce love, humility, and compassion?
- Does it lead toward healing or fear?
- Does it make people more human—or smaller?
Jesus Himself modeled reinterpretation when strict readings caused harm. When religious leaders accused Him of breaking Sabbath law by healing, He responded:
“The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.”
— Mark 2:27
That sentence alone reshapes how Scripture is meant to function. Scripture serves life, not the other way around.
Many people today carry wounds not from the Bible, but from interpretations that ignored Jesus’ spirit. They were told that God’s Word required exclusion, shame, or fear. But Jesus consistently challenged those conclusions.
This is why reading Scripture through Jesus is not a soft option, it is a responsible one. It requires discernment. It requires maturity. It requires resisting the temptation to use certainty as a substitute for love.
The Bible is not meant to settle arguments; it is meant to form people.
When Scripture is read through Jesus, it does not become weaker; it becomes deeper. Hard passages are held with care. Tension is acknowledged. Context is respected. And love remains the interpretive center.
This approach does not eliminate truth; it protects it.
Truth without love becomes cruelty. Love without truth becomes sentimentality.
Jesus held both and invites us to do the same.
Here is your invitation to spiritual upgrade:
This week, pay attention to how you read Scripture, or how Scripture has been read to you.
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- Where have interpretations produced fear instead of freedom?
- Where has certainty replaced compassion?
- Where might Jesus be inviting you to read more relationally?
Your practice is this: Let love be your lens.
When reading Scripture, ask:
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- How does this reflect Jesus?
- Who does this help heal?
- What kind of people does this form?
You are not being asked to abandon the Bible; you are being invited to read it the way Jesus did.
Scripture was meant to lead us to life.
Jesus shows us how.