In biblical terms, the concept of "distort" often refers to the twisting or misrepresentation of truth, justice, or the Word of God. This can occur through false teachings, deceitful practices, or the manipulation of Scripture for personal gain or to lead others astray.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament frequently warns against the distortion of justice and truth. In Deuteronomy 16:19 , the Israelites are commanded, "Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous." Here, distortion is linked with corruption and the perversion of justice, emphasizing the importance of integrity and fairness.

Proverbs 19:28 states, "A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity." This proverb highlights how false testimony can distort justice, leading to unrighteous outcomes. The distortion of truth is seen as a characteristic of the wicked, contrasting with the righteous who uphold truth and justice.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, distortion often pertains to the misrepresentation of the Gospel and the teachings of Christ. The Apostle Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 1:7 , where he warns, "which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ." Paul is concerned with false teachers who are altering the message of salvation, leading believers away from the true Gospel.

2 Peter 3:16 also addresses the distortion of Scripture: "He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." This passage warns against the misinterpretation and manipulation of biblical texts, which can lead to spiritual ruin.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, distortion is a serious offense as it undermines the authority and truth of God's Word. It is often associated with false prophets and teachers who lead others away from the true teachings of Scripture. The Bible calls for discernment and adherence to sound doctrine to prevent the distortion of the faith.

Practical Application

Believers are encouraged to be vigilant and discerning, testing all teachings against the truth of Scripture. Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans for their diligence: "Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true." This example serves as a model for Christians to ensure they are not led astray by distorted teachings.

In summary, the concept of "distort" in the Bible is a warning against the twisting of truth, whether in matters of justice or doctrine. It calls for a commitment to truth and integrity, both in personal conduct and in the handling of God's Word.1. (v. t.) To twist into an unnatural or irregular shape; to twist aside physically; as, to distort the limbs, or the body.

2. (v. t.) To force or put out of the true posture or direction; to twist aside mentally or morally.

3. (v. t.) To wrest from the true meaning; to pervert; as, to distort passages of Scripture, or their meaning.

1294. diastrepho -- to distort, fig. misinterpret, corrupt
... 1293, 1294. diastrepho. 1295 . to distort, fig. misinterpret ... Word Origin
from dia and strepho Definition to distort, fig. misinterpret ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1294.htm - 7k

4761. strebloo -- to twist
... a torture rack).]. Word Origin from streblos (twisted) Definition to twist
NASB Word Usage distort (1). wrest. From a derivative ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4761.htm - 7k

3344. metastrepho -- to turn (about), to pervert
... Word Origin from meta and strepho Definition to turn (about), to pervert
NASB Word Usage distort (1), turned (1). pervert, turn. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3344.htm - 6k

1425. dusnoetos -- hard to understand
... 2 Pet 3:16: "As also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which
are some things (1425 ), which the untaught and unstable distort, as they ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1425.htm - 7k

6140. aqash -- to twist
... A primitive root; to knot or distort; figuratively, to pervert (act or declare perverse) --
make crooked, (prove, that is) perverse(-rt). 6139, 6140. ...
/hebrew/6140.htm - 6k

6087a. atsab -- to hurt, pain, grieve
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to hurt, pain, grieve NASB Word Usage crossed
(1), distort (1), grieved (11), hurt (1), pain (1). 6087, 6087a. ...
/hebrew/6087a.htm - 5k

5765. aval -- to act wrongfully
... deal unjustly, unrighteous. A primitive root; to distort (morally) -- deal unjustly,
unrighteous. 5764, 5765. aval. 5766 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5765.htm - 6k

5186. natah -- to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
... bent (1), bent down (1), bow (1), bowed (3), came to stumbling (1), cast down (1),
decline (1), defraud (1), deprive (2), deviated (1), distort (1), distorts (1 ...
/hebrew/5186.htm - 7k

Regeneration
... always to be in view, in order that it may be opposed to those who, Christ being
cast aside and the Gospel being blotted out, wickedly distort the Scriptures ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 8 regeneration.htm

Article vi: of Confession and Satisfaction.
... good works. May God put to confusion these godless sophists who so wickedly
distort God's Word to their own most vain dreams! What ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 16 article vi of.htm

Preface
... They are under a constant temptation to evade or to distort what was evidently
of critical importance to the first witnesses to the gospel. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/denney/the death of christ/preface.htm

Defence of the Truth Should Precede Discussions Regarding It.
... On the contrary, some of them utterly, and once for all, give up in despair the
truth concerning these things, and some distort it to suit their own views, and ...
/.../the treatise on the resurrection of the dead/chapter i defence of the truth.htm

The Blessed Hope and Its Power
... the legalist only, who opposed and denounced his doctrine of grace and faith, but
of the school or schools which rather would applaud it"and then distort it. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/moule/philippian studies/chapter x the blessed hope.htm

Article I: of God.
... desired, in passing, to recount those things which original sin embraces, these
men, by framing an invidious interpretation, artfully distort a proposition ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 1 article i of.htm

Impressive Phrases
... strengthen. conform, submit, obey, and satisfy. confuse, distort, involve, and
misinterpret. consistent, congruous, firm, and harmonious. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section iv impressive phrases.htm

Don'ts for Public Speakers
... Don't "point with pride." Don't tell a long story. Don't rise on your toes.
Don't distort your words. Don't stand like a statue. Don't address the ceiling. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/donts for public speakers.htm

Professor of Sanskrit, Bengali, and Marathi
... of some of the infidel opposers of the Gospel, to see how ready they are to pick
every flaw they can in the inspired writings, and even to distort the meaning ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter ix professor of sanskrit.htm

Eighth Day. Submission to God's Word.
... religious opinion, all subordinate and subservient to this""How readest thou?" rebuking
the philosophy, falsely so called, that would distort the plain ...
/.../macduff/the mind of jesus/eighth day submission to gods.htm

Distort (8 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To twist into an unnatural or irregular shape; to twist aside physically;
as, to distort the limbs, or the body. ...Distort (8 Occurrences). ...
/d/distort.htm - 9k

Distinguishing (6 Occurrences)

/d/distinguishing.htm - 8k

Wrest (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To turn from truth; to twist from its natural or proper use or meaning by
violence; to pervert; to distort. 3. (vt) To tune with a wrest, or key. ...
/w/wrest.htm - 10k

Writhe (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To twist and to turn in pain; as to writhe from an ankle sprain. 2. (vt)
To wrest; to distort; to pervert. 3. (vt) To extort; to wring; to wrest. ...
/w/writhe.htm - 8k

Wring (4 Occurrences)
... clothes in washing. 2. (vt) Hence, to pain; to distress; to torment; to torture.
3. (vt) To distort; to pervert; to wrest. 4. (vt) To ...
/w/wring.htm - 8k

Twist (5 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To distort, as a solid body, by turning one part relatively to another about
an axis passing through both; to subject to torsion; as, to twist a shaft. ...
/t/twist.htm - 10k

Torture (9 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To punish with torture; to put to the rack; as, to torture an accused
person. 6. (vt) To wrest from the proper meaning; to distort. ...
/t/torture.htm - 9k

Troubling (51 Occurrences)
... Galatians 1:7 For other "Good News" there is none; but there are some persons who
are troubling you, and are seeking to distort the Good News concerning Christ ...
/t/troubling.htm - 21k

Distorted (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Distort. Multi-Version Concordance
Distorted (4 Occurrences). Job 30:18 By the great force ...
/d/distorted.htm - 7k

Disturbing (5 Occurrences)
... Galatians 1:7 For other "Good News" there is none; but there are some persons who
are troubling you, and are seeking to distort the Good News concerning Christ ...
/d/disturbing.htm - 8k

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