) If the meaning of the Bible is so clear?

Question

so easily interpreted—and if the Holy Spirit leads every Christian to interpret it for themselves, then why are there so many different Protestant denominations, and millions of individual Protestants, all interpreting the Bible differently?

I guess by the answers its not quite so clear and their are many interpitations how do you know which is right.

Answer 1

Who says the Bible is easily interpreted? There is a very wide spectrum of beliefs because man has free will to think and act as he chooses.

Answer 2

A couple reasons I can think of.
The individuals have not learned to properly understand/interpret the Bible. A common mistake is that a person arrives at a meaning they just don't like, so they write it off, thinking (or making ) it to mean something else. We see that a lot in the area of gender roles.
Another reason may be they have not learned to not see things through something else besides the understanding of their own culture. For instance, the culture was different then...what we know as wine,(alcohol) wasn't necessarily alcoholic in the Bible. There were at least three different things made from grapes all called wine.
Much study needs to go in to finding the correct understanding.
This is a guide- we have all been preaching the same things for almost 2000 years. If someone comes up with something new or different, it sure is most likely incorrect. After all this time, I'm leaning towards believing all that can be known has been discovered already and has been made known.
Yet, each generation re-learns it all over again.

Answer 3

I don't think it's true that the Bible is "easily" interpreted.

As far as everyone having a different interpretation, that's true of anything and everything under the sun.

But I believe if one reads the Bible with an open heart and an open mind, the Holy Spirit will guide those who truly believe in the word.

Answer 4

I don't think the meaning is all that clear and it certainly is not easily interpreted. This is why there are so many interpretations. Twenty people could read the same children's book and come up with twenty different interpretations. A lot of people try to read to far into the word and actually make it more difficult than it is. You will understand what you need to understand and you will remember what is necessary for you to remember. The human mind is not capable of understanding all of what God is.

Answer 5

because without the real and full context of the Bible :

Apostolic Tradition (from which the New Testament came),

the authoritative One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church( guided by the Holy Spirit who inspired the Paradosis/Tradition and the Bible)
and
the Natural Law/Reason that God plans within us

There can never be real unity on what the Bible teaches or even what books are in the Bible or what the Bible is to be used for until we approach the Bible in tradition in the Church.

Answer 6

God created us all to be responsible for our own salvation.Thatis why all the different beliefs and interpretations If Gods plan for us was so simple what would the challenge be ? People would not depend on him for amswers they would only take the advice of humans and not strive for real answers.

Answer 7

Who said the meaning of the Bible is clear? You could sit in this room for days arguing about the mystery of Cain's wife, or whether or not certain stories were meant to be taken as metaphors or literal truth.

Answer 8

Where did you hear that the meaning is clear? The Bible doesn't even claim that.

Matthew 13:10-15 The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (11) He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. (12) For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. (13) Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand. (14) In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive: (15) for this people's heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.'

In answer to how do you know which one is right:
There are passages that are clear. Most mainstream denominations agree on the major principles of Christianity.

There are passages that are not quite as clear. These will not prevent a person from being a Christian.

Answer 9

The reason is that they reject the authority of the Church Jesus authorized to be the interpretive authority.

Matt 16: Jesus replied, " . . . And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Jesus repeated this last statement to all the apostles in Matt 18:18. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

In other words, the most important work of the Church is to explain and interpret Jesus' teachings after the resurrection.

A good example is a decision made by the Church leaders in Acts 15, where they decided that new Christian converts did not have to be circumcised and observe Jewish dietary restrictions, but only "to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood."

That decision by the Church leaders as agents of Jesus was bound in heaven.

Much of the Bible is not clear, partly because Jesus usually spoke in figurative language, and partly because he spoke cautiously because the religious leaders wanted him dead. But he explained everything to his disciples as they questioned him (e.g., Matt 15:18: Peter said, "Explain the parable to us"). Jesus said, "What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs" (Lk 12:3).

Not everything is in the Bible (see John 21:25). The private explanations come down to us as Sacred Tradition, which was written down by the Fathers of the Church.

Moral: Interpreting the Bible out of context, without the help of the Church, is not only impossible, it is unbiblical.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 10

The reason there are different denominations within Christianity is because the Bible allows for us to have differences of opinions. Within Christianity there are very few essential doctrines that define what it means to be a Christian. These essential doctrines are,

Jesus is both God and man (John 1:1,14; 8:24; Col. 2:9; 1 John 4:1-4).
Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:14).
Salvation is by grace through faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 3:1-2; 5:1-4).
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8-9).
There is only one God (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8)
God exists as a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (See Trinity)
Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary (nature of incarnation)
As long as a church believes in these essential doctrines, then it is Christian. However, there are many things in the scriptures that have been interpreted in different ways. For example, what day of the week should be worship on, Saturday or Sunday? Should we baptize by sprinkling or baptize by immersion? Do we take communion every Sunday, once a month, or once a year? The answers to these questions do not affect whether or not someone is a Christian. It is in these issues, and others like them, that denominations are formed. It does not mean that one denomination contradicts another. It means that though they agree in the essentials, they differ in some nonessentials. This is permitted in Scripture:

"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2 One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind," (Rom. 14:1-5).

Sadly, there is another reason for denominational differences and that is the failure of Christians to live according to the will of God. The truth is that we are all sinners and we do not see things eye to eye. It is an unfortunate truth that denominational differences are due to our shortsightedness and lack of love. But, the good thing is that God loves us so much that He puts up with our failures. There waits for us, in spite of our differences, a great reward in heaven. Neither salvation nor damnation is dependent upon our differences. Our salvation is based on our relationship with Christ.