Wrong Scripture Verse Has Entirely Different Meaning

I heard of a minister who was away on his summer vacation when he learned that one of the young women in his church had just been married. He decided to send her a wire of congratulations, and thought immediately of a beautiful Scripture verse. Therefore, he wired simply this message, “Please read 1John 4:18.” The telegraph operator at the other end, however, did not know the difference between 1John, the Epistle, and John the Gospel. When she relayed the message, therefore, instead of writing, “Read 1John 4:18,” she simply wrote, “Read John 4:18.” When the happy bride received the telegram delivered to her house by the messenger boy, she rushed to the Bible to see what message her pastor had sent her. Actually 1John 4:18 would have been a beautiful message. It reads, “Perfect love casteth out all fear.” When she turned, however, to John 4:18, this is what she read, “He whom thou now hast is not thy husband.” (Encyclopedia of Illustrations #7388).