Did God intend people to interpret the Bible according to their own fancies?

Question

Or the so-called “leading of the holy Spirit?” Hasn’t this led to crazy interpretations, the justification of slavery and the holocaust, prejudices, 30,000 Christian denominations and the disunity of Christendom? Not to mention cults led by people like Jim Jones and David Koresh who tell their followers to commit suicide? Is this Christ’s way of uniting Christians following his prayer for all of us to be one? I certainly don’t think so.

Jesus prayed that His followers would be ONE.
"that they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us..." (John 17:21)

St. Paul emphasizes that all followers of Jesus Christ should be ONE.
"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement." (1 Cor 1:10)

Why can’t Fundamentalists, Evangelicals and Pentecostals realize that when we bash each other we are effectively bashing Christianity? We have chosen different paths towards the kingdom of God. Why can’t we just walk the path we have chosen and let the other believers follow theirs for the sake of Christianity?

Your honest, prayerful, and ‘Christian’ opinion will be highly appreciated.

Jayasri devi
Constantine had nothing to do with the canon of Scripture. The canon of Scripture was not even discussed in the Council of Nicea.
Here is the entry from the Church time line about the canon of Scripture.
370-405 The Catholic Church decided what books were inspired by God, and put them into one book, "The Bible". The list of the 73 inspired books, as we have them today in the Catholic Bible, was first compiled by St. Athanasius (c.297-373). This list was confirmed by the Council of Hippo (393), Council of Carthage (397) both in North Africa (St. Augustine was active in both councils), Pope Innocent I (405), and the Council of Trent (1545-63). The Bible was preserved by the monks, who copied it over and over again in handwriting for the next 1000 years until the printing press was invented in 1450.

More than an hour and still no answer from Fundamentalists, Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

Expandhi ...
I agree with you. There is nothing wrong with asking a question of our fellow Christians if our intention is to be informed or clarified. It is quite another to ask the same questions again and again when we already know what the answer will be. To me that is not only bashing a particular Christian denomination but also bashing Christianity itself. As I said we have chosen different paths to God's kingdom. Why can't we respect that?

Answer 1

The individual Christian is urged to read the Bible in his own language for his spiritual enrichment, but not to use the translation in arriving at personal conclusions. One should read the Bible against the background of the interpretation given it by the Church as a whole, not on one's own interpretation. It is profitable, however, for one who studies the Bible to use short commentaries of the Church and to leave the dogmatic and systematic teaching to the Church, which is the authoritative and infallible body. Taking a Biblical verse out of context often is misleading and is the basic cause of the Christian Church being separated into many parts, each interpreting according to their own opinions and thoughts.

It is not the Bible itself that divides Christianity, but its interpretation based on personal premises. That is the weakness of the human element. This weakness of the human element is reflected in claims that the Holy Spirit has inspired the individual to interpret the Bible according to his own premise. This is where the fallacy lies - the claim that the Holy Spirit is the author of his own personal interpretation, a claim that all make. The fact that so many persons have claimed that the Holy Spirit has spoken to and chosen them personally, should be clear and unmistakable proof that the interpretation of Scriptures lies only in the authority of the Church as a whole, and not with individuals. It should be stressed that the Bible is written on the background of the life of the Church, which has kept the Christian Message, Sacred Tradition, both the words and deed of Jesus Christ, undefiled. The Church, not individuals, was and remains the infallible interpreter of the written word, the Holy Bible. The mistake is even greater when the interpretation of the Bible depends upon the translations instead of the original Hebrew, and especially the New Testament Greek text. The fact that there are variations of the translations of the Bible indicates most clearly the need for a common edition of the Greek New Testament on which other translations will depend.

The individual Christian should read the Bible as the Revelation from God Himself for his enlightenment and salvation. He should read the Bible with the fear of God and with true faith. The reader invokes the Holy Spirit to help him understand its deep meaning for his own personal and practical life. The Christian should read the Bible for his spiritual rebirth and divine. assistance in order to understand its sacred content carried by the letter, which is a human organ and tool. Nevertheless, it is the spirit that gives life to the reader, for it is "not of the letter (of the new covenant) but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life", 2 Corinthians 3:6b; that is, "spiritual and not literal", Romans 2:29b.

Because the Bible took its literal form in the Christian community, which kept it intact, this community - the Church - was and is the treasurer and interpreter of the Revealed Truths of Christ. This Revealed Truth, taught orally by Christ and His Apostles,, is the Sacred Tradition, a part of which later became the written New Testament. Therefore, when the Christian reads the Bible, he must read it ' against the background of. this Sacred Tradition at large. The reader should also have in mind that the various parts of the Bible were not written systematically, but occasionally. Therefore the Christian needs a guide to properly understand the meaning of the Scriptures. The guide is the interpretation given by the Church as a whole - which is infallible. The example that one needs to help him understand the Bible was given when Philip the Apostle asked the minister of Candace who was reading the Prophet Isaiah: "Do you understand what you are reading?". And the minister answered: "How can I, unless someone guides me?", Acts 8:30 (c.f. Acts 8:26-40). In order for the Bible to be read and understood by the people, it should be translated into the various languages of the people, using the interpretation made by the Church as a whole. This is the correct guide.

Answer 2

No. He sent that same Holy Spirit to create the Body of Christ, the Church, on the first Pentecost after the Resurrection...of whom Jesus Christ is the Head and all Baptized persons are the members. Jesus said the that same Church would be here until He comes again...and that "the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

Answer 3

All Christians are SUPPOSED to do according to Jesus is to love the Lord with all heart, mind and soul and to love each other (everyone not just Christians). If they aren't doing that which many are not, don't blame God, He is still right. This doesn't not mean however that True Christians have to agree or follow doctrines that are not included in their faith.

Answer 4

This is the one question that shuts protestantism down. It throws the spotlight on the fact that private interpretation doesn't work and was never intended by the Church. Scripture itself warns against it, yet somehow they conveniently overlook that.

Jesus taught one Faith and one Church, not 30,000 different ones.

Answer 5

No but he did give free will. This world is the cheaters and the cheated. So if they want to be cheated he lets them make up all their nonsense and the fools will follow. For the original New Testament before King Constantine changed the Bible in 324 AD with his click of scribes to control the citizens. He added Pauls teachings who never even met Jesus and was a false prophet. google gospelofthenazirenes.com following the original teachings of Jesus will set one free, not the Roman Governments version let by Constantine.

Answer 6

Agree! and often wonder why there are so many different interpretations? Should not be this way. We all answer to the same God, but why not the same beliefs?

Answer 7

So what's new? Muslims grab onto these things to demonstrate to themselves that christianity is a fraud.

Too bad they forget their own schisms, but that is the nature of religious thought. The I'm right, you're wrong mentality.

Answer 8

I see your point...I am still dissapointed at the church I went to that somehow thought grape juice was a good substitute for wine...yeah...as if...how do you get a buzz off grape juice? And no spray cheese for the wafer either.

Answer 9

the message that christ gave us is to love GOD,so you have to find GOD, not jesus,to be one.I have found the real GOD and if everyone would sign and agree we would be one.Until i give you the real GOD we will not be one.I will very soon.