Selective evidence fallacy: Cherry picking

23,145	Old Testament
7,957	New Testament
31,102	Bible

There are many verses in the Bible.

Some picked and paired verse connections are cherished.

How many ways are there to pick out two verses and relate them?

(31,102*31101)/2=483,651,651 or about half a billion ways.

This is your lucky day. You have just won the lottery. This is one of the potential dangers of relating verses in different places in the Bible (or any text).

How many of these ways may have important meaning?
How many of these ways may not have important meaning?
How does the situation change in the presence of translation errors?

[FORTRAN program analogy, structural induction]

[Judas hanged himself. Go and do likewise.]

More: A martyred witness to a translation error

More: Common translation error witness encounter

More: An opinion on hyperbole compared to code word models

In Biblical issues, the common way for someone to deceive, intentionally or otherwise, is to "cherry-pick" verses out of context and piece them together to support the desired point of view - which is often not the view of God as expressed by scripture.
Be aware of verses skipped, verses "cherry-picked" from various contexts that may be out of context, etc. When Satan tempts Jesus, Satan uses scripture out of context. Jesus answers and refutes Satan with scripture in context.

The use of "cherry-picked" is sometimes called "suppressed evidence" or "incomplete evidence". Whatever it is called, it encourages what is called "confirmation bias" and, as a result, a "faulty generalization" or "hasty generalization".

More: Confirmation bias

The phrase "cherry picking" is used when facts (e.g., verses) that match the idea that one wants to convey are used (out of context) and other ideas (e.g., verses) omitted to "deceive" listeners to believing what the speaker (the "deceiver") wants them to believe (is true in reality).

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

Here are some cherry-picked verses with links for more information.

Jeremiah 29:13 Cherry picking

Matthew 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, [kjv]

18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [kjv]

18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [kjv]

18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. [kjv]

18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. [kjv]

18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. [kjv]

18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. [kjv]

These verses having to do with children are often used as ARMS (Attractive Refrigerator Magnet Sermons).

More: Attractive refrigerator magnet sermons

More: Matthew 18:1-11 Great children ensnared in the middle

1	omit
2	(a) child
3	the children
4	this child
5	(a) child
6	little ones
7	omit
8	omit
9	omit
10	little ones
11	added
12	omit
13	omit
14	little ones
15‑20	omit

These verses are cherry-picked.

Verses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 14 are included.
Verses 1, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15-20 are omitted.

This should raise a red flag and motivate investigation.

What do these verses actually mean in context?

Jesus, Paul, etc., appear to use the word for a "child" to refer to believers (of all ages).

More: Matthew 18:1-11 Great children ensnared in the middle

... more to be added ...

Whenever studying excerpts of the Bible (or any book for that matter), one should always look at the context in which that excerpted segment is taken. Every part of a document has been "woven" together with "texture", like a garment without a seam.

John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. [kjv]

οι ουν στρατιωται οτε εσταυρωσαν τον ιησουν ελαβον τα ιματια αυτου και εποιησαν τεσσαρα μερη εκαστω στρατιωτη μερος και τον χιτωνα ην δε ο χιτων αραφος εκ των ανωθεν υφαντος δι ολου [gnt]

… contexta … [v]

The word "context" comes from the Latin "contextus" ≈ "joining together, weaving together" which comes from the Latin "texere" ≈ "to weave, to make". The English word "texture" is from the Latin word "textura" ≈ "weaving, web, texture".

John 19:23

All

KJV: Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

Greek: οι ουν στρατιωται οτε εσταυρωσαν τον ιησουν ελαβον τα ιματια αυτου και εποιησαν τεσσαρα μερη εκαστω στρατιωτη μερος και τον χιτωνα ην δε ο χιτων αρραφος αραφος εκ των ανωθεν υφαντος δι ολου

Latin: milites ergo cum crucifixissent eum acceperunt vestimenta eius et fecerunt quattuor partes unicuique militi partem et tunicam erat autem tunica inconsutilis desuper contexta per totum

Wessex: Þa þa cempen hine a-hengen hye nämaen his reaf & worhtan feower daeles aelche kempe aenne dael. & tunekan. Sye tuneka waes un-ä-siwed. & waes al awefen.

Wycliffe: Therfor the knyytis whanne thei hadden crucified hym, token hise clothis, and maden foure partis, to ech knyyt a part, and a coot. And the coot was without seem, and wouun al aboute.

"A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text". Dr. Carson who attributes it to his father, a Canadian minister.

The "proof text" refers to some text used to "prove" some (personal) claim or belief.

This is often done by "cherry picking" verses that support one's personal view which is a form of "confirmation bias". Another name for this deception is that of "selective evidence".
Question: Is the sun hot?

More: A biased view about being unbiased

Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. [kjv]

και προσελθων ο πειραζων ειπεν αυτω ει υιος ει του θεου ινα οι λιθοι ουτοι αρτοι γενωνται [gnt]

7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? [kjv]

η τις εξ υμων ανθρωπος ον αιτησει ο υιος αυτου αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω [gnt]

Would false leaders as "birds" give their children "stones" [oblivion] (human infrastructure of "sand" like a "tree") in place of "bread" [something worthy]?

[good not-eating or fasting tree]

More: Matthew 7:7-10 Ask and seek and knock gifts to children

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [kjv]

ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν γεγραπται ουκ επ αρτω μονω ζησεται ο ανθρωπος αλλ επι παντι ρηματι εκπορευομενω δια στοματος θεου [gnt]

Does your pastor speak words out of the mouth of God (opinion, glory)? Some speak out of their own mouth (opinion, glory).

The devil quotes scripture. Jesus detects the deception and quotes back scripture in context. Context is important!
Observation: The only people who get upset at false teaching are those that understand what is being said.

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations