...in light of 1 Corinthians 14:33 which says "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
Why are there so many interpretations of the bible? It must not be very clear what is meant.
2006-12-28 03:03:48 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Have you ever tried to get 6 people to decide which restaurant they all want to go to together? If you can't get 6 people on the same page about a silly restaurant, what makes you think that Millions of people will be on the same page about religion? Everybody has their own interpretations of what the scriptures are saying. It's up to each one of us to read, study, and decide for ourselves what it means.
And while you are at it, read and study the writings of other religions. You will find tons of similarities in them all. They all have the same basis, after all.
2006-12-28 03:13:16 · answer #1 · answered by kj 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Christians" have different beliefs than true Christians because they pick and choose what they want to believe from the Bible. True Christians accept the bible as is and don't try to change the bible to fit their needs, instead they ask God to search them and take out anything that is not like him. This acknowledges two things, the first that they cannot change themselves. Second that Jesus Christ set the standard to which we all should work up to, he was perfect and we are not (in fact we can never be but that doesn't me we shouldn't try).
I am a Christian and nothing upsets me more than when people (who claim to be Christans) disagree as far as the bible is concerned because it confuses sinners and make them say how can they tell me what to believe when they don't know what they believe. The truth is that anyone who questions the bible is in fact questioning God and therefore cannot call themselves a follower of Christ.
2006-12-28 11:31:02 · answer #2 · answered by lil_bit 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
It is man who is sowing the misguided path by way of changing the true meaning and lessons of the word of God.
The KJV bible is the one to read and study from. The reason there are so many "new and easier to understand "versions is just bcause every time a "new" version is printed, a new copyright and patent is made, and more money is then made, and the word of God becomed dyluted and changed away from God's original message. This is what causes confusion among the people. That is satan causing the confusion in the name of money for profit.
For example...Take a glass of water which is pure to start with. (such as the word of God is) start to pour vinigar in that pure water a little at a time. slowly the water looses it's purity, much the same way the word of God looses it's truth, and then that "pure water" becomes dyluted vinigar.
Through all those translations, the word of God becomes critically dyluted and is no longer the word of God, but it has become the word of man. Stick with the real thing. The KJV bible.
According to man's logic, the reason for the constant re writes of the bible is because they cannot understand it. But I can assure you,that if you asked God before you read His word, to open up it's meaning to you, it shall be done!
Once you get accustomed to reading the KJV bible, all of it will be a breeze to undestand. Anything worth having is worth working hard for. It's complicated appearance is there to put our determination to leard God's word to the test. Praise the Lord!!
2006-12-28 11:23:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The bible is the living word through which God speaks to us in a special way. Since we are all different with different needs, the message changes as our experiences change. I could read the same text for 40 years and each time have a different message from the Lord. The peace is in God accepting us where we are and not telling us we have to believe the same way all of the time.
2006-12-28 11:12:17 · answer #4 · answered by Mary W 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since God first spoke to man, man has preferred not to listen and would rather teach and do what seems good to them at the moment. This is still true of those who interpret God's word. God is not confusing, people just would rather not listen to what He says.
This is the first example and it has continued to prevail since then.
Gen 3:1-7
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
(from New International Version)
WHAT WAS CONFUSING ABOUT WHAT GOD SAID????
2006-12-28 16:12:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not. Many passages and sections of the Bible have been interpeted in so many different ways that plenty of Christian sects only have cursory similarities. The Bible is full of vague descriptions and turns of phrase that lead to very different ideas in the minds of different people...including very odd ones (No blood transfusions for JWs, no medicine at all for "Christian Scientists", a day of rest for Seventh Day Adventists, alcohol forbidden in some sects and not others, gambling forbidden in some sects and not others, the list goes on...).
The only conclusion is that the Bible is not at all clear on the "Word" of God. This has led some to create their own "Words"...from Muslims to Mormons. And yet even those are subject to multiple interpetations.
2006-12-28 11:14:08 · answer #6 · answered by Scott M 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have ansewered this quesetion in greater detail before, but the essence is this, pride and an improper hermanutics. There is an obvious way to find the right answers out of the Bible, but alot of people just read it to justify their pre formed traditional beliefs. That's their fault not God's.
2006-12-28 11:15:40 · answer #7 · answered by inserviceofthemaster 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Confusion is a tool that the devil uses to cause dissension. I am a big fan of modern translations of the Bible, however some of them change the context of scripture. This just serves as fuel for the fire that critics use to question the true intent of scripture.
that is why God gave us the Holy Spirit, to help us interpret scripture for ourselves.When you read a passage, pray that God reveals what the author is saying, pray for discernment, and pray that you can interpret and apply the passage to your life.
2006-12-28 11:07:32 · answer #8 · answered by bzqqsq 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The only ones that I know of that differ that much are the cults. Main stream Christianity rejects them as part of the Church. So excluding them there isn't a lot different among the churches... Jim
2006-12-28 11:19:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As you well know, when it comes to interpretations, it depends on the interpretor on what meaning will come through. The Bible has been interpreted many many times, so there are bound to be many inconsistencies. Take your pick on how you yourself interpret, and it will differ from others.
2006-12-28 11:13:34 · answer #10 · answered by Lou B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋