Reading Someone Else’s Mail
Understanding the Audience in Scripture
When studying the Bible and sharing the gospel with others, one of the most crucial aspects to consider is the audience. Many well-meaning individuals, especially within denominational circles, often take passages out of context to support doctrines like faith alone or once saved, always saved. However, failing to recognize who a passage is addressed to can lead to serious misunderstandings of God’s plan for salvation. As one preacher aptly put it, many are “reading someone else’s mail.”
The Epistles: Letters to Christians, Not Alien Sinners
A common mistake is using the epistles—letters written to Christians—to teach alien sinners how to be saved. The apostles wrote these letters to those who had already obeyed the gospel, instructing them on how to remain faithful. Consider the introduction of Paul’s letter to the Romans:
“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…” (Romans 1:7, NKJV).
Paul was addressing saints, not those outside of Christ. The same is true for other letters:
“To the church of God which is at Corinth…” (1 Corinthians 1:2, NKJV).
“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse…” (Colossians 1:2, NKJV).
These letters were not written to alien sinners to teach them how to be saved; they were written to Christians who had already obeyed the gospel.
Salvation is Found in the Gospel Accounts and Acts
If we want to understand how alien sinners are saved, we must look at where the gospel was preached to the lost. Jesus Himself commissioned His apostles to preach salvation:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV).
The book of Acts records the fulfillment of this commission. Every conversion account in Acts follows a consistent pattern: belief, repentance, confession, and baptism. Here are a few examples:
The Jews at Pentecost – Peter preached, and when the people asked what they should do, he instructed them:
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38, NKJV).
The Ethiopian Eunuch – Philip preached Jesus to him, and when they came to water, he said:
“‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ … So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:36-38, NKJV).
Saul (Paul) himself – After encountering Jesus, he was told:
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16, NKJV).
These accounts show that hearing, belief, repentance, confession, and baptism are necessary for salvation. It was never faith alone, but faith accompanied by obedience to God’s commands.
Warnings Against Twisting Scripture
Peter warns us about mishandling Paul’s writings:
“…as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:16, NKJV).
Many twist scriptures by taking instructions for Christians and applying them to alien sinners. For example, Romans 10:9-10 is often used to teach salvation by confession alone, but Paul was speaking to those who were already believers (Romans 10:1-4). Likewise, Ephesians 2:8-9 is used to claim salvation is by “faith alone,” but Paul was writing to those already in Christ (Ephesians 1:1).
Rightly Dividing the Word
Paul instructs Timothy:
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).
Understanding the audience is part of rightly dividing the Word. If we fail to recognize the intended recipients of a passage, we risk misapplying Scripture and misleading souls about God’s plan of salvation.
Don’t Read Someone Else’s Mail
To properly teach the lost, we must use the right scriptures in the right context. The epistles were written to Christians, guiding them in their faithfulness. If we want to lead an alien sinner to Christ, we must point them to where salvation was preached to the lost—in the gospel accounts and Acts. Only then can we accurately handle the Word of God and bring souls to Christ as He commanded.
“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32, NKJV).