Different Interpretations of the Bible?
I can divorce my wife since we’re not in love anymore, turn away from my elderly parents who need my help, beat my kids when they piss me off, take creative liberties with my taxes, get hammered with my buddies on “guys night”, drop a buck in the collection plate, make any choice regarding the life of my unborn children, and take one of many paths to heaven.
My interpretation of the Bible might not match yours and it doesn’t have to. People have different interpretations of the Bible, and always will. That is why I don’t go to church. The pastors are judgemental and all the members are hypocrites.
Wow, weren’t expecting that, were you?
I made up this statement from a fictional person, and while it seems a bit over-dramatic, how far is it from how non-believers AND believers think? I’ve either heard or all these beliefs or watched them in action, and I bet you have, too. We may even be the ones holding beliefs that are expressly rebuked in the Bible. I’ve violated a few of those above - how about you?
Obviously people do have different interpretations of the Bible, but is that what God intended when he had his words put on paper?
Why We Get Confused by the Bible
The understanding of some foundational issues, such as “What is Faith,” requires the assistance of the Holy Spirit. However, most of the Bible that deals with our daily Christian walk is pretty straightforward. I’ve listed a few areas that kept me from understanding the Bible.
- Symbolism - There are some highly symbolic books such as Isaiah or Revelation which are difficult to understand. I’m studying Revelation right now and I’m still not sure I understand. However, those books all deal with prophecy, not the details of our daily walk.
- Issues of Doctrine and Worship - There are some minor doctrinal issues regarding who has various spiritual gifts, or methods of worship. These are areas that were not clear in the Bible. I wouldn’t try telling two Christians arguing over speaking in tongues that it is a minor doctrinal issue, but arguments surrounding these areas don’t come from misinterpretations of the Bible. They come from our own pride.
- Parables - Even the most difficult ones were usually explained by Jesus directly afterward.
- God’s Intentions & Plans - The specifics are usually not shared. Who said they had to be? If God gave me all the details, then faith would be of no consequence.
- Historical Context - If we don’t understand the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of a particular book of the Bible, we are missing particular insights into gaining an understanding of the text. Most Bibles now have short introductions. Try reading from a few different Bibles to get a more complete picture, as some authors of these introductions concentrate on different aspects.
Help with Reading and Understanding our Bible
I listened to a message by pastor Shawn Wood of Seacoast Church that addressed the very issue of studying and interpreting the Bible.
The problem is that we are spending too much time interpreting the Bible, and not letting it interpret us. The big problem with our understanding of God’s word is not an acedemic issue - it is moral.
It is not that we don’t understand the Bible - It is that we don’t like what we understand.
This isn’t exclusive to those who are not saved, or even lukewarm believers in Jesus Christ. There are still many tough messages of the Bible for me to accept. I can literally feel my flesh cringing when I read them. There is some comfort in that even the “super-Christians” of the past felt this way.
“John Calvin once said that he would like to take a black marker an mark through all the things he didn’t like, and that would be his new Bible”
If you would like a free audio copy of the message, Shawn also gives some great tips about how to study your Bible. It’s a fresh perspective on the topic and I encourage you to download it from Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC
A Loving God Surely Wouldn’t…
I have certainly attempted what John Calvin suggested. I interpreted scripture to fit what I wanted to hear, and what would justify current or past sins in my life. Statements like “Well, that was a ‘cultural thing’ back then,” or “A loving God wouldn’t (insert remainder of selfish view)” When I was convicted by hearing God’s word via another person, I might even say, “Everyone has a different interpretation of the Bible.”
Do those statements sound vagely familiar?
Sometimes we might even just ignore those books of the Bible. I have just now gone back to read some books of the minor prophets. I previously avoided them because I thought they were all “doom and gloom.”
This was partly true. Most of the books of the minor prophets are messages to his people that they have gotten so far off course that there will need to be a dramatic correction.
Learning a Lesson the Easy Way
After reading some of these books like Amos, I realized that I don’t want the correction God warns of. I was getting far too casual with some areas of my life, and figured in my subconscious (and sometimes in my conscious) that “I’ll just repent about it later.” This is a problem for every Christian on the Planet (insert - be careful that you don’t fall.)
I like reading about the loving God. So do most of the 80-some-odd percent of people in the USA that claim they are Christians. This is not exclusive to the “ugly American,” either. I hear from missionaries that it is the same all around the world. Why do we read selected materials of the Bible and seek out only spiritual milk to feed our Spirit on? Many of us blame the “Hell-fire and Brimstone” preachers of our childhood church, or borrow someone else’s story if we didn’t have an equally dramatic situation.
My favorite excuse was my towering intellect and great understanding allowed me to mesh the Bible with how “life really works.” I later learned via the Holy Spirit, that I was full of (insert favorite phrase for excrement.) 
Why we Need to Know all of God
Leaving out any part of a person’s character results in an incomplete relationship. I am married to the love of my life, but life isn’t always perfect. I can’t duck out of the house whenever she is upset with me. Sometimes I sure want to 
but by staying and working through our issues, our relationship grows stronger.
God never walks out on our relationship. He is ready to complete the good work he once began in us. I encourage everyone to give Him the same opportunity.
It is not easy, and breaking through the multiple layers of denial that we build up to protect us from our own misdeeds is an arduous job. Jesus Christ has a huge wrecking ball and is great with a jackhammer - he can surely bust through anything and get into our hearts to fill it with the love of God.
Thanks for dropping by, and be sure to sign up for email updates. Also, pick up a free copy of Shawn Wood’s message about studying the Bible.
Be blessed -
Statements like “Well, that was a ‘cultural thing’ back then,†— I agree completely! It’s really hard to recognize that God meant for us to use and live the entire Bible, not just the parts we want to. Cutting pork out my diet (Lev. 11:7) was tough, but I’ve done it with Jesus’ help and lots of prayer. The hardest thing I went through was after my daughter Mary was born: my wife Myrta and I couldn’t touch (but we talked lots), and she couldn’t go to church for nearly two months (Lev 12:5). This was really hard on our marriage and on me (not being able to hug her while she was crying at times), but we’ve both talked heavily about it and recognized that this is God’s plan, and our faith and marriage are now the stronger for it. Thanks for posting this!
William,
Regarding the pork - you’re a stronger man than I
Thanks for sharing your family’s faith and struggles in walking it out.
be blessed!
I have to respectfully disagree with William on his comment. The verses he references are God’s Old Covenant with Isreal. We now live under a New Covenant. Jesus is the perfect High Priest. He provides a new, better, superior covenant. This is the covenant we live under now - not the old one with its dietary laws, restrictions, etc. But instead of presenting this truth in my own words, I will just relate to you some of the MANY verses on this subject…
“Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”
Hebrews 7:22
“But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of with he is a mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: ‘The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant…’”
Hebrews 8:6-8b
“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
Hebrews 9:15
“No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.” Romans 2:29a
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Romans 3:20
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
Romans 3:22
“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”
Romans 3:28
“It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.”
Romans 4:13
“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”
Romans 6:14
“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or uncean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’”
Acts 10:9-14
“So then, god has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Acts 11:18b
I could list more verses dealing with the superiority of the New Covenant - under the blood of Jesus Christ - but I think you get the point. I’m interested to hear what others think about this. Thanks for this forum. I look forward to hearing your responses.
In Christ,
Nathan
Finally… A little controversy
I certainly agree with all your stuff Nathan, and that last verse was the one that immediately came to mind when I read it.
We don\’t know William\’s entire story, though. He could be a Messianic Jew. There is certainly nothing wrong with obeying the Mosaic Law, (since God\’s laws were meant to protect us) provided he doesn\’t think his salvation has anything to do with it or lets the law get in the way of his relationship to Christ and mission to love others.
I think keeping law and grace separate would be easier said than done, but maybe my cynicism is a reflection of me being a spiritual baby sometimes.
Thanks for the great research!
Christianity makes about as much sense as Atheism, which isn’t saying a lot.
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