Why so many interpretations of the Bible?

January 9, 2008

Last weekend a man told me that it was important to trust the “man upstairs” yet at the same time he had no use for the Bible. When I asked why, he said there were too many different ways to interpret it; one person says one thing, and another has a different view. Since everyone claims to have the correct interpretation and (in his thinking) this is impossible to sort out, he tossed the whole book.

I suggested to him that the reason for all these views is that each person wants their own way, and when we come to the Bible with that in mind, we will interpret it according to our own way. It is only when we can willingly give up all our “I wants” that we can begin to understand what the Bible truly says. He was somewhat surprised at that answer since it fit with his complaint of everyone claiming they are right.

This is a huge issue for many people, both Christian believers and those who do not believe in Jesus Christ or the Bible. Every person wants a reliable and correct understanding, yet with a multitude of interpretations, who can know for sure what is correct?

I see this as two issues with several possible solutions, some applying to unbelievers, and others are for Christians who disagree on what the Bible says.

Unbelievers struggle with the Scripture because they are trying to interpret it without the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-20 says that, “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

This means that even the men who wrote it did not rely on their own wisdom and understanding in the process. Instead, God moved them, or ‘inspired’ their writing. The writer is a glove and He is the hand that moves the glove. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible would not be the Word of God, but just as the Holy Spirit was vital to the writing, He is also vital to the understanding. 1 Corinthians 2 says “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,” and no eye or ear can grasp these things, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”

If I tried to read a book in a foreign language, I would similarly need an interpreter. I’d need to meet the author and be able to communicate in some way. When the author explained the writing, I would begin to grasp what his book says.

Yet even those who have the Holy Spirit living inside of them through faith in Jesus Christ can still have different interpretations. This is likely more confusing than the first problem because many of them seem to be godly people claiming to have the inside scoop on what God says. They may even know verses like Daniel 2:21-22, “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him” and claim that God has shown them that their interpretation is correct.

My devotional reading today gives one good reason why there are differences between believers about Bible interpretation. The author likens it to the view as a person climbs a mountain. The farther up they go, the more the landscape changes. That which they saw on the bottom is correct and true, but so is the view from the peak, even though the appearance is much different. He likened this climb to closeness to God. The deeper one’s relationship is, the more their view changes, even enlarges. The initial view is not wrong, just limited.

That is a grand image and applicable in many cases, yet the Bible gives a few more reasons why believers can differ on their interpretation.

One is that some of us fear the Lord and some of us have lost that, or have an undeveloped sense of reverence. Proverbs 25:24 says, “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” Without a positive respect and awe for God, the Holy Spirit will not open my eyes to His truths and my understanding of Scripture will be incomplete at best, or in error at worst.

A second reason I can misinterpret the Bible is because I am not obedient to what I do know, Jesus said in John 7:17, “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” Knowing the will of God and the Word of God depends on my willingness to obey it. If I am not willing to do what it says, the Holy Spirit is not going to show it to me.

Another reason for many interpretations is that Christians sometimes fall into the sin of trying to look good to the world instead of being concerned that God is glorified. Verse 18 adds, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

I’d not put this verse with verse 17 until thinking about this problem. However, I know that it fits. If I am concerned that people are impressed with me, then I’ve lost touch with the Holy Spirit whose main goal is to glorify the Lord. As soon as that communication link is broken (by this sin or any other sin), then I cannot properly interpret the Bible.

It would be best if Christians who are out of touch with God would stop trying to figure out His book, but sadly, we sometimes don’t recognize our slide into self-rule. We may not see how this slide creates a view much like that of a mountain climber who slipped and started rolling downhill!

When this happens, I must confess my sin to Him and be forgiven and cleansed, not keep on as if nothing were wrong. My backsliding distorts my understanding of the Bible, causes disagreements with other Christians about what it says, and results in great confusion for those who are still seeking God’s truth. Instead of being a light, I am then not only stumbling about in the dark, but causing others to trip over me.