Believers: if the bible is the truth....why are there so many interpretations of it?

Question

you guys have already determined that your book is THE book....when will u determine which interpretation is the correct one?

mighty...i didnt say that it made it false..i'm just asking...which interpretation is correct???

I thought I had you blocked, special ed buck

Wise, you truly are wise

boy, believers sure are willfully ignorant...a number have said that there arent *interpretations*...if thats the case, why are there so many sects of xianity

believers are soooooooooooooooo ignorant

Answer 1

They have to keep writing and rewriting it till the bible says what THEY want it to say.

Answer 2

The fact that there are so many Bible versions is both a blessing and a problem. It is a blessing in that the Word of God is available to anyone who needs it in an easy-to-understand, accurate translation. It is a problem in that the different versions can create controversy and problems in Bible studies, teaching situations, etc. The differences between the translations can also be a subject of great division within the church body.

It is probably wise to have access to at least 2 or 3 of the major translations (KJV (King James Version), NIV (New International Version), NAS (New American Standard), NKJV (New King James Version), NLT (New Living Translation), for comparison's sake. If a verse or passage in one translation is a little confusing, it can be helpful to compare it side-by-side with another version. It is difficult to say which translation is the "best." "Best" would be determined by a combination of the translation method personally considered best and your interpretation of the textual data underlying your translation. For example, the KJV and NAS attempted to take the underlying Hebrew and Greek words and translate them into the closest corresponding English words as possible (word for word), while the NIV and NLT attempted to take the original thought that was being presented in Greek and Hebrew and then express that thought in English (thought for thought). Many of the other translations attempt to "meet in the middle" between those two methods. Paraphrases such as The Message or The Living Bible can be used to gain a different perspective on the meaning of a verse, but they should not be used as a primary Bible translation.

There are many more Bible versions out there. It is wise to have a personal method for determining whether a particular Bible translation is accurate. A good technique is to have a set of Scripture verses you know well, and look those verses up in a translation you are unsure of. A good idea is to look at some of the most common verses which speak of the deity of Christ (John 1:1, 14; 8:58; 10:30; Titus 2:13) to make sure a Bible version is true to the Word of God. We can be confident that God's Word is truth, and that it will accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 55:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12).

Answer 3

Because there are many inconsistencies and the the bible is highly corrupted so many concepts are missing. Also, scripture is form in a manner that anyone can look at it and perceive their doctrine in it - anyone can pick it up and perceive what they want to from it, this occurs by reason of ones filter of beliefs, the perspective from which they naturally perceive life. It's like the mind of the experimenter affecting the experiment.

The bible like all scripture was written in the language of the soul, and is truly a projection of the mind and being into text. It's allegorical and quite esoteric towards projecting aspects of being and the forces/laws that work upon it. To be honest though, there is only one interpretation and that is to apply the key of knowledge, which is to turn the scriptures within and not read them in the manner of a history book. In this way the interpretation that you get does not matter, what is important is that you are strengthening and refining the connection and ability to draw upon your own inner resources (soul self) to invoke spiritual knowledge/gnosis. If it drives you to grow that connection and increase your capacity to draw within yourself, then it is good.

But the "believers" that you are mostly referring to read it as if it were a history book. You can know exactly what they relate to, it really isn't hard the because the patterns within it is seen throughout all of life and throughout most ancient writings, be it Greek mythology, or otherwise. Scripture is the projection of the mental mind unto the text, and in its allegory it is a display of the inner workings of our mind. Also since I've mentioned that the versions we have are massively edited via the various assemblies and etc, also the original Matthew was written in Hebrew and Hebrew was and is unlike any language in this world, their words are symbols.

Answer 4

There are different interpretations for several reasons but the main reason is because people speak differently. I don't understand the language used in the KJV but somebody else might love it. In the end, the only version that is completely truthful is the original and sadly most of us can't fully understand it. So we use the one we do understand to the best of our human ability (though it probably isn't good enough since we are HUMAN and fallible). I don't get caught up in the version/interpretation thing or I'd do nothing else but correct others to MY interpretation when I may be the one who is reading it wrong! I just do my best to show people the love Christ has for them!

Be blessed.

Answer 5

Good point!

The translation from the Aramaic tends to make a bit more sense than the others, but interpreted literally, or according to accepted dogma, it has become worthless as a spiritual guide. And, the Bible contains no more insights into the nature of being and reality than all the other 'sacred texts' around the world - as well as many non-sacred ones.

BUT, it contains no less, either.

Psychological, metaphysical truths were always told through allegory, parable, myth and metaphor. The story of Odysseus contains as much psychological insight into ego transcendence as Jesus' 'death and resurrection' but if you do not grasp the psychological symbolism both are nonsensical and worthless.

The people who are the most defensive about the Bible (or Koran, Upanishads, etc, etc.) are the one's who DON'T get it. They all contain wisdom if you are TRULY on the journey to authentic being and empowerment.

Answer 6

Excellent question! I will tell you the problem... and will employ a little psychology in the process. Yes we believe the Bible is not only THE truth, but the ABSOLUTE truth. What so few in the world and even in the church know is that this can be proven. Using history, archeology, logic, and even "science", it can be proven. But that's for another time, I guess. Regarding your question, what has gone so wrong is not the bible itself, but the people reading the bible. It is a psychological and scientific fact that people will often believe whatever they want to believe, and in doing so, interpret whatever they read to fit their belief system. In social psychology this is called the "confirmation bias" (google that if you wish:). And in Christian circles world-wide, there are people who will not read the bible with an open mind but rather, will approach the bible with an already pre-conceived idea of what they think it is trying to say, and in reading it, state that it is saying the exact opposite of what it is actually saying. And thus, the world will call it "an interpretation", when in actuality, it is nothing more than a falsehood. Certainly there are things in the Bible that are vague, and people give opinions or "guesses", but in those cases, it should not be called an interpretation either, but rather, "a guess at what no one can possibly know". And one cannot claim the Bible false either for having vague passages. For in those instances, it is clear that we are not supposed to know. God must still in some sense keep his mystery. So all in all, what I am trying to say is that truth exists; however because we live in a fallen world with an imperfect humanity, man is naturally prone to search for that which he wants to believe, often disqualifying what is plainly written. So if you want to know truth, I would encourage you to just read the scriptures and leave all pre-conceived ideas/judgments/feelings outside of its covers. And I promise you, it will change your life forever.

I would bet my life on the truth of the Bible. I would give my life for it.

Answer 7

Anything deeper than "see Scott run" will have numerous interpretations because of psychological, human nature issues.

Human beings need to feel intelligent. So they have to always have "the best" opinion. They can't come up with something already thought of. Oh, no. It has to be something "only that person" could have ever pieced together.

Another reason is that, consciously or unconsciously, the person interpreting has an agenda. Sometimes that agenda may be just as simple as making the group (religion, ethnic, ect) that they belong to subtly superior than everyone else. Or it may be as major as a desire to sway politics, gain power, or outright bilk someone.

If God himself wrote a book, there would be no way to determine what he really meant after it went through five or ten human hands.

Answer 8

Like someone else said, its not different meanings necessarily, its different translations. Having just finished a Greek class, its easy to see how the words used in the original writings could be translated differently. If you really want to know what the Bible says in the words, learn Greek and study the ancient manuscripts and all the different meanings you can get out of one Greek word, and how much of a difference that can make!

Answer 9

Yes there are many interpretations but they all correlate with one another so the true meaning is not totally lost. They all follow a constant pattern...like the stars, they all look the same from the naked eye but they are individual planets with different "make up". So thats how you should understand interpretations.. God's Word is still vibrant and not lost within text at all.

Answer 10

It contradicts itself, so it can be used in a variety of interpretations. The bible was written by 40 different authors. Books were chosen centuries after Jesus' death in the Late Roman Empire, which also set a vote as to whether or not Jesus was divine.

In the 19th century, some Americans used the Bible as justification for not giving pain relief to women in childbirth (Genesis) or for supporting slavery.

It can literally support any philosophy under the sun if you cherry pick.

Answer 11

All sarcasticness aside-

Many of the believers of the Bible do not read it thoroughly and/or seriously. Many just skim it and whatever interpretation they get past that sticks with them. It is important to not only read it, but to understand it and study it. All of these misconceptions and misunderstandings, differing viewpoints and perceptions are due to lack of study of the Bible, plain and simple.

King James Version is the standard primary Bible.