If God will give you guidance to read and understand the Bible?

Question

Why are so many people coming up with wildly different interpretations? Are some people praying wrong?

Answer 1

I think there are other factors. To a certain extent we are limited by our abilities and our biases.

There are a number of things that I understand differently now than I did when I was younger. I do believe that God helped me to understand, but through a process, not immediately or miraculously. Events in my life have brought me to the understanding I have now. I've had insights along the way that tempered what I believe.

I don't think I have arrived. I think it is a process. So to some degree, it depends on where you catch us in the process as to what we understand.

I think there is also the element of individuals being different. What I most need to work on may not be what someone else needs to work on. The fine points will probably always vary from individual to individual. Much in the same way that if we both read great literature or heard great music it would move us differently, but would be the same music. We might not analyze it exactly the same, but we should be able to agree on major themes and motifs.

Christians can also be blinded by what they struggle with or have been hurt by most.

I had a really hard time understanding the balance between grace and works. Of course, as a child I had never experienced grace. And as an adult I could see that people abused the concept of grace.

While a hefty part of the Bible can be difficult to understand, I think the basic message is that God made us to have a relationship with Him. Mankind broke the relationship through sin, and God gave us law. We learned through law that we are not capable of being perfect law keepers. That knowledge of good and evil that Satan told Eve would be such a great thing, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. We know what to do, and still have great difficulty doing it. Even when there are consequences. And the guilt is hard to bear. God made a covenant with one nation through which He would keep His promise to Eve that a Savior would come and conquer death. The wars and strict laws of purity were all about keeping the nation in tact and pure in order to fulfil the promise. God sent His Son to pay the penalty of death, which is the payment required for sin. Because of that gift, if we lay down our own lives and take up His life, we have salvation, forgiveness, and a new life with Him.

The Apostle Paul said, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." I Corinthians 11:1. As a Christian, I cannot promise that I will walk perfectly or understand perfectly, but I trust that God knows what my weaknesses are and that He will help me to deal with them and forgive me when I fail. And I do fail.

I cannot ask that others believe because I believe. Or do what I do because I am something. The best I can do is point others to Whom I follow. I don't have all the answers. But He does.

It isn't a mysterious, magical transfer of wisdom, but a walk with Him in which following His example leads to wisdom.

I'm sorry this is so long. I hope that makes some kind of sense.

Answer 2

No, their are different interpretations of certain gray areas of the Bible, like eating meat, keeping the sabbath day Holy, etc. The Bible is very clear about God's wrath, Christ's birth and resurrection, and his coming again. I have read certain books of the Bible a few times and each time I get something else out of the book, so I also believe interpretation is up to how open minded the reader is and their current situation. The Holy spirit helps guide me through the book and ponder what I am thinking, and assists me in answering those questions.

Answer 3

Sometimes people will try to justify their beliefs or actions by "interpreting" a particular verse a specific way. These people may not have the personal relationship with God that they should have or they are like the Pharisee and want attention. They could also be trying to find an answer to something in their lives and just may be seeing something that isn't there. The only thing you can do is read it for yourself and get your own interpretation.

Answer 4

i detect it outstanding that somebody might state that "faith in God comes clearly"; i'm a hundred% beneficial that if I had not at all heard of the Christian faith or had any seen the Bible etc. that i does not believe in that God. anyhow, the priority with human beings telling you that with the intention to believe in God you may study and understand the Bible is this does not make experience. evaluate that the Bible that Christians study became into written via men, via human palms. sure, possibly there became into divine intervention guiding their palms, yet while that became into the case, then why are their 4 testaments approximately what occurred to Jesus? Granted, curiously it became into an significant component of the Bible, yet while that have been so, why does not God have basically made the author say "it relatively is the main considered necessary component of the Bible"? So, the Bible isn't needful to having faith in God. in case you lived on a abandoned island with a preacher who instructed you all approximately God, and you believed, are you nevertheless going to be despatched to Hell considering you probably did no longer study the Bible? of direction no longer. So, certainly, the Bible isn't needful to believe in God. additionally, the Bible supplies you conflicting messages anyhow. in case you're taking a seat and study each thing, and that i propose each thing, with out glossing over the brutal and bloody aspects, there are distinctive contradictory messages and around good judgment that ought to certainly ward off somebody from believing in God.

Answer 5

No, the only way you can pray wrong is by not praying sincerly.

Your interpretation depends on your situation and what God wants to tell you.
Also, not all interpretations are God inspired. Some people make it into what they want it to be.
Just because God will give you guidance, doesn't mean people ask for that guidance. Nor does it mean they head that guidance.

Answer 6

The Bible is clear but people fail to read it for themselves and therefore they take the interpretation of men and do not test it against the Bible. I was watching last night on NG 'Secrets of Revelation' and a pastor said that there will be no hell everyone is going to heaven and he has alot of followers who claim to believe and know the Bible. Hosea 4:6 says that God's people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge and we have no excuse because we have free access to the Bible and to God's throne through prayer.

Answer 7

Because the bible being written by men is WIDE open to wildly different interpretations by people.

Answer 8

Well, one person here has said that people nitpick and skew the bible to fit their own agenda....

Uhm... this is the only possible way to interpret the bible darling. Because the bible contradicts itself completely from one chapter to the next. And if you think I'm making that up... then obviously you haven't read the bible.

Give that a shot, then come back and try to defend it. If you actually attempt to do so, I doubt we'll see you back here again.

Answer 9

The Holy Spirit will guide you. Wisdom of God's knowledge only comes from one source. Period.

Your right, there are several different idea's, thoughts. etc.

True KNOWLEDGE, only has ONE way of attaining it.

Keep in mind, There are a lot of Parts of the Bible that is...lets say..Personal conviction". What is right or wrong for me, may not apply to you.

SO..Bottom line is this. A Person does NOT need to be on here, preaching personal convictions. Thats what splits churches up everyday.

Good Question.

Answer 10

You gotta remember that God gave us free will. That means that we have the ability to screw up anything. :)

When we read something, our understanding is based on many things - life, our perception of the world, our religion (or lack of it), how we were raised, etc.

Too often, we DO get guidance from God - but it is just too gentle to overcome our prejudices, fears and personal beliefs.

Try praying in that instant just before sleep overtakes you and see what happens... You're at your most open perceptive time then.