I just can't understand why the bible is open to so many different interpretations. Can someone explain that for me. So many different bible versions, and different interpretations. I'm so confused.

Here is something I wrote a little while back that might help:

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

replying to Sam,

People interpret the bible differently because they are not honest enough to be open. Everyone
brings prejudice into the equation. Prejudice is either pre-concieved notions where one reads the
bible to confirm what they think it should say, or they have pre-taught notions that at one time
sounded good and logical, but others are now questioning such reasoning.

Remember that all the word of God is truth. John 17:17
remember that the sum of thy word is truth Psalm 119:160
remember that the truth is a light to our path Psalm 119:105
remember that all scripture is inspired 2 Timothy 3:16
remember that our responsiblity is to study it all 2 Timothy 2:15

Sam, it takes time to weed out all the error that is presented in the world of religion.
Just take it one step at a time and you will get there. First, put your trust in God, and
ask God for assistance. Then do your part by studying each issue that you question, or
seem to perceive that there are various interpretations. None of us are gifted as the
apostles were on Pentecost to redeive full knowledge immediatly. I think I know a lot, but I
have been doing this for nearly 40 years now. I still find I must examine myself (2 Corinthians 13:5)
from time to time and re-examine what I believe. As long as the scripture teaches it and I teach
according to the scriptures, I am sure that my teaching is sound. I better be right, because my
soul and the souls of those who hear me are at stake.

Since you are new, you need to learn. Please do not take this as a reprimand in any sort of
fashion. You have a lot to learn, and I am sure you want to learn it all right now. But remember
that patience is a virture, and the Lord will be patient with you while you learn, and grow.

He said, "seek and ye shall find, ask and it will be given, knock and it will be opened to you".

You need to seek,
you need to ask,
you need to knock on the door.
Jesus said "I am the door" no-one gets to God without that door.
Jesus also said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to God except through me" John 14:6

you make the effort, and we will pray for you.

Remember to contact me and I will get you in touch with someone in the Chicago area that can
help guide you into the truth of God's way and His salvation.
Carey
www.simplebiblestudies.com

I'm sorry but I cant seem to understand why so many preachers say they are the only ones that are preaching the Bible. I'm from the SOUTH and everywhere I went I knew they taught the truth because I checked what they said by the Word.

But where I now live it is very hard to find the truth. I now go to a church where they decorate for Holloween and have trunk-a-treat. They have Xmas parties for the ladies. They DO teach the truth but theydo other things that I feel are not what Jesus would be doing.

More than anything in the world I want to go to Heaven and do God's will. Am I wrong for being this way? Should I just not do the things they do and just make sure that me and my family are doing what we believe is God's will is for our lives?

I'm from a conserative background. Most of the church I have seen lately are liberal and getting more liberal each day. I believe that Jesus was a conserative as well. WWJD?

If I may...

This is a reason why WE are instructed to study to show ourselves approved of God ... rightly dividing 2 Timothy 2:15 We are to learn how God is and what He expects, buy what He has shown us, and how Jesus, our perfect example, lived and expects us to live.

We cannot know for sure if a preacher is teaching correctly if we don't study and compare, as the Berreans did. Acts 17:10-12

We can discern if teaching is leading to heavenly things or earthly desires. God tells us we can know, John 8:33 , if we become true followers of His teachings.

In Christian Love ...

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The LORD is my shepherd (Psalms 23:1a)

I am sure sorry to hear that the congregation that you ( oops98672) attend is doing the halloween thing. The Northside congregation in Harrison is doing the 'trunk or treat' thing, too. I feel the same way as you do about it.
So far I haven't heard of any Xmas parties, but I usually avoid going to their Dec. Golden year's class the Tues. before Xmas, because any of the seasonal outfits that some of the ladies wear are offensive to me.

Our little congregation does not do any of those things.

You are very wise to search the scriptures to see if what is being taught and practiced is according to God's will. Since there are few congregations in your area, I believe all you can do is avoid doing as they do, and perhaps, when they get to know you better, you can influence them to do away with such practices. The brethren in our congregation respect my faith in such matters, and most of them avoid wearing and saying what they know is offensive to me. ( But, then, I have been going there for over 25 years...).

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Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

There are many different interpretations of the Bible because there are many different people. All of us fall short of God’s glory without His help.

Remember that even as the Bible was written by men inspired by God, it can only be understood by men inspired by God. If this were not true then the ones who memorize and quote written scripture the most would the ones closest to God. This, of course, is not always true. I have known some confessed atheists who knew the Bible better than some confessed Christians.

The difference, of course, is God's Spirit working in us. Everyone who has any of God's Truth has had God work in them to that extent. Unfortunately, until we have overcome the world as Jesus overcame the world of His flesh [see John 16:33] we still have a measure of our old man wanting to retain his dominion in our hearts. The old man needs to die. [See eph 4:22-24]

The Bible alone is NOT the Word of God, but it contains the Word of God. The Word of God is alive. A Bible containing the best translation or version written is still DEAD as long as it sits on a shelf unopened and unread. Remember:

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." II Cor 3:2-3

And also:

"Who [God] also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." II Cor 3:6

The Word of God that each of has is written in our hearts, not in our minds. It is there by God's Spirit, not by our intellect.

“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might [of man], nor by power [of man], but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.’ Zech 4:6

The Bible is not open to as many interpretations as some would have us think, especially on those matters that affect our standing before God.

Two factors are at work.

The first is that God revealed Himself by means of the Hebrew and Greek languages, and therefore those of us who don't understand them must make use of a translation. Translations are the work of men, and often contain errors. It is also the case that a single word in Greek, for instance, can represent more than one idea, ideas that a represented with different words in English. So there is some dispute about the best translation of some passages in the original languages.

The second factor, which has a far greater impact, is that a large number of people don't like what the Bible says, and wish that it had said something else. So when they translate the Bible, or explain the meaning of a given passage, they look for a way to bend it to mean what they want it to mean. Some translations, when rendering some phrases, throw out the plain meaning of the original language in favor of something else; and in a like manner, there are religious leaders who spend their entire careers ignoring a plainly-worded passages that condemns something they stand for.

The only real solution is the one that isn't easy: Accept that you have a personal and individual responsibility for understanding the Bible to the utmost of your ability, and putting that acceptance into action.

I disagree with this statement. I can understand the Bible just fine and I am not inspired by God. Not directly anyway.

The Bible is not hard to undestand for those who really want to know what it means. It says within that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The mind of God is found within the holy writ. That is where we seek Him and the only place we will find Him. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And the only source for the word of God is through the scriptures.

Hebrews 5:8-9

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
KJV


All that is left is to accept that great truth and seek His will and obey it. It's just that simple.

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"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." 1 John 3:18-19

The church of Christ at Granby

I think he meant it in the way that only those with the Holy Spirit can understand it...

back to the question.

I have myself asked this question many times and its hard to find an answer, but I realized that there are so many interpretations because Men don't like to be wrong, its human nature to not like being wrong, so many people who are the reasons for these many interpretations denied that they where wrong in one way or the other and twisted it to fit them, and it kept getting twisted.

I also found that its not really import as to why there are so many interpretations but which one is right? because they all can't be right. which one is? well to find that out, we have to look at the word. all churches have to be backed by the bible, and be backed by it fully.

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Your Brother in Christ Will

The more this idea is explicated the more insupportable it becomes.

Exactly what deeper meaning lies in the words "flee fornication" other than is apparent from the very first reading of the words? The only factor "complicating" our understanding of the passage is that there are heaps of people who want fornication in their lives. Whether this is because of imperfect repentance or from a failure to repent at all is immaterial. The passage could not be plainer.

Furthermore, there is not one jot or tittle in the Bible, from Genesis to Maps, telling us that the word of God requires of us, in this age, more than these three things: A brain that works, our diligence in studying Scripture, and our uncompromising willingness to accept what it says. Or did Paul tell Timothy, "Now wait until the Spirit comes upon you before reading the next bit here, or you won't understand it" ? On the contrary, he said that some "will not endure sound doctrine."

Even if we took this idea seriously, exactly how would you go about proving that one person's understanding is merely human interpretation, while the other person's is divinely assisted? God can work behind the scenes and leave no fingerprints, if it pleases Him thus to act, and can act on us in any way imaginable to Himself without our noticing it in any way at all.

It may be that the fellow who has gotten a particular verse exactly right has no sensory indication of a special success in his understanding of God's Word, but the guy who has misinterpreted a verse, in order to justify continuing in his sins, is "rewarded" with a tingle in his spine, or a brief moment of vertigo, or some other sign, because in adopting this misinterpretation, the fellow has gone past that spiritual point from which repentance will not happen, and God has in turn decided that His purposes are best served by sending that man a delusion.

Trust God's word. Trust nothing else.

I have thought this verse, "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joint's and marrow, and able to judge the thought's and intention's of the heart". since the word is alive and can divide the soul and spirit,know's your heart, It would seem to me that the Word would reveil to you what it say's according to your heart.

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your participation.

I have a question about your post. Are you suggesting that two people can read the same passage from the Word, understand it differently, and both be correct because of what is in their heart? I'm just a little confused and would like for you to explain a little more about what you mean.

Thanks!

Understand it differently yes, both be correct not very often. Some people read the Word and say that's silly how can you believe it, some are saved by it. Bad heart and good heart.But if you had that bad heart did'nt believe the Word but wanted to try thru the Word Jesus would, could draw him, near to God. It might also mean people in different church"s are like minded,or like hearted.It has always been my believe that you are saved thru God's Word,which is Jesus. Alltho a member of Church of Chirst,His church is really people not building's,geting a little off topic here,sorry. Any way it seem's like everyone say's it say's something different and it does not.And you and I both know Jesus is concerned where your heart is.And some poeple are closer about what the Word say's than other's so I guess they have a better Heart. Let me know if this helped .

Yes, thank you.

Neh. 8:8 serves as a very real warning to us that the scriptures say/teach the same thing to us all. The word "intrepretation" should be understood as "meaning", in that the scriptures come from a singular Source, 2 Sam. 23:2, Jer. 1:7, Jer. 1:9, i.e. inspired verbally, c.f. 2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:20-21, and therefore truthful, Psalms 119:160, and plenary.

I did not get that out of neh 8:8, says those listining understood. I have to be honest I am not much of a old testament reader,mostly NT. but 2 peter 1:20-21 is talking about at the time the scripture's were wrote it was divine. 2 TIM3:16 is true but I don't believe it address the issue I brought up.I also did not see where 2 samual 23:2 related.

As Mysty so rightly pointed out that many are not rightly dividing the word of God as stated in 2Tim 2:15 many are not so to speak burning the midnight oil as like Bereans did in Acts 17:10-12.

The sad Part is that many people today are not putting their trust in the Bible as they should, they are putting their trust in man, their pastors or their church, their creeds or confessions and what does the Bible have to say about this; we read in

Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged

When one begins to put their trust in something else and is not in the Bible God's word then of course we can come up with any interpretation that we want, but if we listen to the Bible and the Bible alone then one cannot come up with so many different interpretations.

I suppose that Neh. 8:8 instructs us by the use of the word "distinctly" there, along with the word "sense" (meaning), "...and helped them to understand the reading."
What seems evident is that there is one meaning and one understanding, not including any room for any plurality.
Evidence provided by 2 Sam. 23:2 is that the "Spirit spake by me and His word was on my tongue." i.e. verbal inspiration, c.f. Jer. 1:7, Jer. 1:9.

I agree with John. The only time the clear waters of the Bible get muddied is when man stomps in the mud. If it is impossible for us to understand the Bible, then God provided a revelation that couldn't be understood or obeyed. That flies in the face of ordinary, everyday common sense.

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"that in all things he might have the preeminence." Colossians 1:18

Do you trust the Bible and the Bible only?

Kindly,
Don

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preacher@hydeparkcoc.org

Yes, Don

Thank you for the response. How do you feel about Hebrews10:25 in light of Acts 2:47.

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preacher@hydeparkcoc.org

To me Heb. 10:25 is a text that many like to use in reference to that of the corporate churches...and as far as Acts 2:47 the church that is in view can only be the Spiritual Church and not the corporate churches; that is to say the Spiritual Church is all of the true believers / God's elect.

And yet, you offer no support from the scriptures regarding your beliefs. Just because you say "to me" does not make what you believe right or in accordance with God's word.

You are not in agreement with what Hebrews 10:25 teaches because you do not assemble with the saints therefore you must reject what the Bible teaches. Of course, since you are not a member of the Lord's Church you are still in the world and hebrews 10:25 has no application to you.

You say the spiritual and the physical church are not one and the same, yet the Bible teaches contrary to what you believe. Ephesians 1:22-23 teaches that Christ is the head of the Church- his Body. In 1 Corinthians 12:27 Paul teaches that the saved are the Body of Christ and In Acts 2:47 we see that God adds the saved to the church which is Christ's Body which people make up.

The word "Church" is used in several different ways within the New Testament:
1. In A General or Universal sense: Matthew 16:18
2. In a local sense to designate the saved who work and worship together: 1 Corinthians 1:2
3. Used for an assembly of saints in worship: 1 Corinthians 11:18; 14:4,5,28
4. In a distributive sense (used in a singular meaning but referring to the whole): Acts 5:11, 8:1,3

Kindly,
Don

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preacher@hydeparkcoc.org