Recently while playing that joyous weekly game of 'choose the hymns' I came across a new song that I almost chose -then changed my mind when I discovered it contained the words ...

You were lifted on a tree, crying 'Father God, forgive them, Place their punishment on me.' 

I don't mean to be pedantic, well yes, actually I do, but from which gospel is this a quotation?  It certainly isn't in the canon to which I am accustomed.

It is a shame, the song says some good things, and I could, I suppose, simply correct the quotation and write 'altd' on the song sheets.  But I am saddened that there is such a seemingly cavalier attitude towards quoting scripture.  People get very hung up over interpretation of the Bible; it might be nice if we were clear what it said first.

I don't think I'm being 'an old literalist,' just trying to avoid eisegesis (reading 'in' what we think) when we are called to exegesis (reading 'out' what it says).  Misquoting (as distinct from paraphrasing) almost inevitably does the former.