What happens if you try to apply Old Testament passages today?
Trying to apply Old Testament passages directly today puts a person in trouble. Those writings must be understood according to what they say, why they say it, and to whom they were spoken, because applying them without that context makes all the difference.
Les explains that if you go back into the Old Testament, read some of those things, and try to apply it today, you're in trouble—he repeats it for emphasis. The reason is that Scripture must be understood by what it says, why it says it, and to whom it's being spoken. That makes all the difference in the world. His goal is to teach the Word so people understand those distinctions, not to preach at them.