I have frequently been amazed by ridiculous interpretations of Scripture of people who isolate single verses or passages from their contexts. I have been greatly dismayed at times to discover that I have done the same thing. It makes me feel only slightly better to know that I’m not alone, and that, as William Whitaker writes, “Indeed, the ancients frequently fell into mistakes from not attending to the series and connection of the text.”

[W]e ought to consider the scope, end, matter, circumstances (that is, as Augustine says, the persons, place and time), the antecedents and consequents of each passage; and by this means it will be no hard matter both to refute many errors, and to arrive at a clear understanding of those things which seemed at first obscure. The Rhemists conclude from 1 Pet iv. 8, (where Peter writes, that charity covers the multitude of sins,) that charity hath the power of taking away and extinguishing sins, and thereby of justifying us before God; and therefore, that faith alone does not justify. Now, if we consider the occasion, scope, preceding and following context, and the other circumstances of this passage, we shall find that the apostle is not speaking of our charity as justifying us before God or procuring remission of our sins, but of that fraternal love which represses many occasions of offence, and so quenches feuds and enmities amongst brethren. But how shall we understand that this is the sense of the passage? Why, from the context itself. The apostle says, in the words immediately preceding, “having sincere love one towards another.” He is speaking, consequently, of the love wherewith we should embrace and respect our brethren. And, if we compare this place with another, namely, with Prov. x. 12, whence Peter took these words, this will appear still more plainly. There we read thus: “Hatred stirreth up strifes and contentions, but love covereth the multitude of sins:” where, by reason of the antithesis between the first and second clauses of the sentence, the meaning of the latter may easily be gathered from that of the former. Christ says, Matt. xix. 17: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” From this all the papists collect that we are justified by the merit of our works, but, in the meanwhile, they reflect not what sort of person it was to whom Christ said this; a person, namely, who had come to Christ resting upon the opinion of his own righteousness, and, elevated with pride, had asked, what he ought to do to obtain eternal life. Such persons, who trust in their own merits, are deservedly referred to the law; that so they may come to understand how far they are from perfect righteousness. Indeed, the ancients frequently fell into mistakes from not attending to the series and connection of the text.

—William Whitaker, Disputations on the Holy Scriptures (Soli Deo Gloria, 2005), 470–471.