Here is a quote I came across in my reading for one of my classes that impacted my own heart as I preach and teach God's Word and often find myself (half) quoting Scriptures:
It is an . . . injustice to use the Word of God in a careless or deceitful manner. In all our efforts to establish doctrinal truth by quoting the Bible, we should quote it with exactness. They who would serve in the ministry of the Word should make it a point to store their minds with an exact knowledge of many important passages of Scripture, in order that they may be able, whenever occasion offers, to wield the sword of the Spirit carefully, skillfully, and with precision. It may be said that this requires a good memory, and this is undoubtedly true. Even the best may sometimes have difficulty on this score. If we are not sure of ourselves, it is best not to quote from memory, but to open the Bible to read what it says. Naturally, this requires a thorough acquaintance with the Bible and the ability to locate the necessary passages (Louis Berkhof, Textual Aid to Systematic Theology, 60).
