If we take verses, or even passages, out of context then in effect we can make the Bible say what we want it to. Of course there will always be those that deliberately choose this path for various reasons. But if our desire is to correctly interpret the Bible, looking at verses and seeing how they relate to what is written around them enables us to have safeguards. We'll use the issue of Christians and alcohol as a case study.

In the British Church there is often conflict between those Christians that drink alcohol and those that don't. One of the passages that the former often turn to is Romans 14, particularly quoting verses 2, and paraphrasing it to read 'One man's faith allows him to drink anything, but another man, whose faith is weak, does not drink alcohol.'

There is a story in one of Adrian Plass' books (The Sacred Diary), where a smoking and drinking Christian is challenged by a hard-line Fundamentalist couple about his ways. He held up his glass and his pipe. 'My dear Mrs Flushpool, if my drinking or my smoking is tempting you unbearably, I shall never drink or smoke in front of you again. Say the word!... Stenneth and I are not tempted to drink or smoke, or indulge in any other vice, Said Mrs F firmly.'

And this is often how it is projected. The term weaker brother derived from Romans 14 and 15 is used in this context by many Christians. Romans 15: 1, 'We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak' is an oft-quoted verse.

But that verse goes on to say '...and not to please ourselves'. Therefore if you genuinely believe that you are strong in something, then for the sake of the Body, we should actually be examining our lifestyle, not flaunting it.

Taking Romans 14 and the argument of the stronger/weaker brother to justify the individual Christian drinking alcohol, the question we ask ourselves is, are we interpreting the Bible correctly? Perhaps we are trying to justify something we do and using scripture to endorse that? We have to make up our own minds on that, its all about personal conviction.

Substitute alcohol with drugs, adultery etc, does our strong faith allow us to do those things? In the Adrian Plass story, replace alcohol and smoking with other practices. Is that a right attitude to have? Above all how does it all harmonise with the rest of Romans 14 and also with the rest of the Bible?

If we are to formulate a view on Romans 14, we need to take the whole passage in context and not just isolate verses to enforce our argument. For example, we need to consider verses such as 13 when interpreting the passage. 'Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brothers way.'