forum week 13

The more I read the post-gospels part of the New Testament, the more I become aware of the dangers of proof-texting. In Romans alone, there are singular verses highlighting faith, works, and grace. Without looking at the whole picture, it would be impossible to figure out what the Bible is actually trying to teach. Bible bashing is so useless and counterproductive. It looks at such a narrow view of the beautiful doctrines contained in the New Testament. 
Realizing this has inspired me to be more active in how I study the scriptures and contextualize the verses. It's even caused me to revisit some of my favorite scriptures (specifically John 16:33) looking at the full context of the story instead of just a "soundbite."