If the Bible is the word of God, why can't we all read it and get the same interpretation?

Question

Why would God make it so confusing to know and understand him?
Do you think Christians will just answer with I am stupid for not reading it right?

Answer 1

Because God (or His ghostwriters) had no concept of plot, character development or dramatic storytelling. Though He did do a good job with the sex and violence. Two Thumbs Up.

Answer 2

I am Christian and I think your question is very good.

First, you need to know that the Bible is translated and transliterated from a few languages; Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic.
Herein lies the problem. For example; let's take the word love. There are different types of love, one in the Bible spoken of frequently is agape. Now if you didn't know there were other meanings, you'd go by the one you know (in your culture, etc.).

That is just one example. There are many different meanings that you need to have a Strongs Concordance for, so you can break the words back to the Greek and Hebrew and get the correct meanings. Now, some denominations don't do this, they may take something "literally", or of their own understanding for their language and culture. For example; there is a verse in the Bible that pertains to a woman "covering her head". It has been misused by different denominations because the pastors/ministers/priests have not interpreted it correctly, therefore giving it to their congregants incorrectly. This is passed down and after generations of believeing this intrepretation, they will not change once someone shows them the actual translation.

That is why it is very important to understand how to read and understand the Bible. You need a Strongs Concordance, maybe even a Companion Bible and a good Bible. I prefer my King James, some prefer the newer versions, however I feel there are many errors in those that make it even more confusing to explain.

More and more, we are seeing intelligent people understanding that what someone taught them years ago (erroniously interpreting) from the Bible is actually another way explained by the correct translation.

I hope my answer makes sense to you. I suggest you go to a book store and see a Strongs Concordance so you can understand what it is and how it works with a Bible.

Answer 3

Man likes to think they know...they know why we're here, what our purpose is; and some men even think they know the mind of God. Hence personal interpretations of the Bible.
Even within the Bible itself it teaches against personal interpretation of the Word...doing so leads to doubt, false doctrine, and false faith and teachings. There are now 30,000 different denominations within Christianity, all with different interpretaions of the exact same Word. Who is right, who is wrong...no one knows. Some Protestants preach the evils of the Catholic Church, even though the Catholic Church was the first "church". Is the Catholic Church evil...or is it the other way around? Some churches teach the once saved always saved dogma...others teach that it is through works alone...others say that it is both faith and works that bring true salvation. And there are so many other examples...sprinkling, dunking, "spiritual" baptism...again, who is right?
And God is complicated because He is God...if He was human, it would be so much easier to understand God's true nature...but because humans like things to be on a human level, they put God on a human level as well (as in a box to human experience) all the while making God even more complicated to understand. To believe in a God is hard, and even harder when Christians can't even agree on who He is and was.
And no, I don't think you're "stupid" for not reading your Bible or not being able to understand. A lot of people are going to say that if you pray, the Holy Spirit will guide you...or that it will flat out answer your question. That is not the case, sure you can have a better understanding of something, but that doesn't mean you understand it fully. Hence faith...you must have faith for the unknowable because especially when it comes to God, who knows...and people don't help matters.
My suggestion is that one has to know themselves to have any faith at all...if you can't fully accept the Christian God, then you never will. If can accept Him, then no amount of personal interpretation on the part of others will change that faith. I don't agree with a lot of Christians on a lot of issues, but you know, that's fine...I know that my God is "their" God (in the broadest sense of the word) and that my belief in Christ is strong and true. I don't personally read my Bible either...because I know my limits and the fact that I could interpret it wrong and do nothing but confuse myself. To not understand is human, and we are made that way...to "think" you do know all and understand completly...that in itself is a false teaching...because we are all human, and aside from the Christ, we don't know anything about anything.

Answer 4

First of all let me say I am a Christian, and no you are not stupid for asking this question if you really want to know the answer. One must first be a Christian through the Blood of Jesus. You cannot just read the Bible you must first ask for understanding and God will give it to you. So many times people believe that all they have to do is read the words. It is more to it then that God says. We must ask, pray and study. Then the Holy Spirit will teach us.

Answer 5

I'm not here to argue if God is real or not.

I'm here to provide the simple answer to your question, which is:

The bible may be confusing to you because it wasn't written by one person, and it's original language wasn't english. In fact, the bible was put together from an assortment of texts, all written by as much as several hundred years apart, and all by different people.

Some of the authors never even witnessed the things they wrote in their books!

Over the last 2000 years, these texts have been passed through generations by word of mouth, and translated into many languages.

Even if the bible IS the word of God, do you not think man is capable of misinterpreting the word of another man?

Ever play grapevine? You know- the game where you whisper something into someones ear, and they whisper into someone else's ear? By the time it gets back to you, it's nothing close to what you said in the first place, right?

This is what happens when a book is translated through several languages, cultures, and periods of time.

Disagree? Look at the English used in the bible- that's from the 16th century! Nobody talks like that anymore! Further proof? Go to Bethlehem, and find me one person who says, "My father, thou art the power and the glory...."

ENGLISH IS NOT THE NATIVE LANGUAGE FOR THE CHARACTERS IN THE BIBLE!

In closing, God or not, the word has been misinterpreted by man.

Answer 6

I am Christian and think that you ask a good question. The best answer I can come up with is that we are all in different stages in our life so when we read different passages in the Bible, it will speak to us in different ways. I know when I read some passages in the Bible now versus say 10 years ago, they speak differently to me or I can interpret or relate to it differently.

Always Laughing gave a really good answer to the second part of your question. Sometimes it seems hard or confusing to know and understand God because we cannot physically see him. But God does speak to us through the Bible.

Answer 7

People don't get the same interpretation when reading about socrates. Think,please! God did make known. Man did thru and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The holy spirit guides us when we read the word of a God. Some Christians don't stoop that low to call you names but I am sure some would like to! We are all human. Ask God UR SELF and pray! Don't make it hard for yourself!

Answer 8

some people can't even get the "same" interpretation out of a math book ~ so how would you expect all mankind to have the same interpretation over God's Word?

The Holy Spirit is the key.
The Holy Spirit is what enables Christians to understand/apply God's Word, to their lives. That's just the way God intended.

A person isn't STUPID if they can't understand God's Word - Just "Ignorant" because they refuse to ask for directions.

Which category do you fall in?

Answer 9

For the very same reason that your responders above answer your question in such various ways. We all seem to read your very same words from a different perspective, therefore give you a different answer. You're words upon the screen are the same to each and every one of us. We can each copy your question and they'll all read identically, but because we come to your question from a different background or a different disposition as we are on our computers as we answer your question, our answers are different because our perception of your question and the reasoning behind it are different. The very same is true in how we "interpret" God's Word. We each "interpret" your question differently, and therefore we each answer it somewhat differently, with some overlapping of course. It's not that God's words are different or that they change. It's that you're perspective that you bring to reading God's Word is different from others and from the time you read His Word previously. It's what you bring to the table that's different. Not God's Word. And then there's the wonderment of how we can ever imagine ourselves fully understanding God's Word. That's like completely understanding God, and anybody who thinks they've got that capability is a scarey person to be around. The Word is there, and it never changes. It's us fickle individuals who approach The Word of The God, thinking that we, any individual, can understand such awesomeness, that is astonishing. God Bless you. God Bless us all.

Answer 10

Because the original version was in Hebrew with more books than modern bibles. Also we're all reading different translations, with different interpretations. If you don't understand, then you should pray for understanding. God does not deny those who honestly seek him. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the feeling in your heart, that tells you what is right and what is wrong, that God sent to guide us.

Answer 11

The bible isnt the word of God. The bible is a library of different books. No you are not stupid, you have to interpret it in the way you believe God would want you to interpret.