There is a huge deception that we are not to cherry pick Scripture verses. The reason why many do not want to cherry pick is because, either they don’t know how to cherry pick verses or to degrade the weightier and important matters using the unimportant things.

Here, we will learn how to cherry pick Bible verses from what Jesus taught.

Temptation of Jesus

Matt 4:6-7 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”  Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

When Satan tempted Jesus by quoting Scripture, Jesus also quoted from Scripture. What makes anyone think that the Scripture quoted by Jesus is superior and what Satan quoted is not? If we think both Scripture verses have equal authority, then we are terribly mistaken.

Ps 91:11-12 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Deut 6:16 “You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah.

There is nothing wrong with Psalms where God will shall give His angels to charge over us. But when we think that this verse sung by David in Psalms as the ultimate authority of Scripture to even ignore what God Himself taught in the law that not to tempt Him, we are in serious trouble. In other words, we must learn to cherry pick the verses spoken or taught by God Himself and not to think that a prophet’s song or praise has ultimate authority.

Weightier Matters

Matt 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

There are weightier matters even in the law. This means, not all Bible verses in the law are equal. All Bible verses referring to Justice, Mercy and Faith are weightier matters in the law. Jesus is not saying to ignore lighter matters of the law but He is teaching that not all verses are equal.

Num 19:11-13 ‘He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days. He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him.

The parable of the good Samaritan is all about cherry picking. Do you think the Pharisees and scribes were not helping the poor wounded man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho without having a heart to help? Absolutely not! They were just following the law. Both the Pharisees and scribes knew, if they help that wounded man, and if he happens to die, they will be unclean for 7 days unable to do God’s work in the Temple. They had to purify themselves with water on the third and seventh day. If he failed to do this purification, he will be cut off from Israel. Now, why would the Pharisees and scribes risk becoming unclean? Jesus taught that they must help the wounded person and even if it is at the risk of getting ritually unclean because mercy is a weightier matter of the law and cannot be rejected by the law of being ritually clean. We must learn to cherry pick verses that are of weightier matters like justice, mercy and faith.

Christ’s Words Supersedes the Law

Deut 18:18-19 ‘I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.

The law explicitly mentions to listen to the Messiah.

Matt 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matt 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

The Messiah came to fulfil the law, however, He did not preach the law but His commandments of the New Covenant. Do not commit murder is the law. But Jesus said, being angry with a brother without a cause is equal to murder is not in the law but New Covenant. Do not commit adultery is the law. But Jesus said, even lusting a woman in the heart is never found in the law but of the New Covenant. Anyone who does not listen to the Messiah, the Father will require it of Him.

Matt 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Matt 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

The law will not pass away until the heavens and the earth pass away. But Christ’s words will never pass away even after heavens and the earth passed away. Hence we need to learn to cherry pick Christ’s words and His teachings over the law.

Disciple is not above his Teacher

Matt 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

None of the disciples are above Jesus Christ. Nor any of their teachings above Christ’s

Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Christ also in His great commission gave explicit command to teach what He commanded.

Matt 23:10 “And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

There is only one Teacher, Christ. Hence, we need to learn to cherry pick what Christ taught.

How to Cherry Pick?

The order of Authority as explained in our about page or statement of Faith is all about cherry picking the higher authority.

All interpretations must match God’s spoken words, Christ’s teachings, Scripture (Law, Psalms and Prophets) and the teachings of apostles and disciples in the authoritative order. If you cannot find the conclusion of your interpretation taught by Christ, or found in Scripture, or spoken by God in the authoritative order, then your interpretation is wrong. Similarly, if you interpret Scripture that does not agree with Christ, then your interpretation is wrong.

Conclusion

Jesus taught us how to cherry pick Scripture verses. During His temptation, He cherry picked Father’s teachings in the law when Satan used David’s song. Jesus also taught how to cherry pick weightier matters of the law. Since Christ is the only Teacher and His words supersede the law and Scripture, and a disciple is not over his Teacher, we are to cherry pick His words over His disciples’ teachings.