That’s Your Interpretation, Part 2

Jehovah is and always has been a reasonable God (Isaiah 1:18). He is looking for those who

understand so He wrote the Bible so that it is not too difficult to understand (Psalm 14:3; II

Timothy 3:16-17). “God is not the author of confusion” so He made the scriptures plain (2

Corinthians 14:33; Habakkuk 2:2). God did not leave any Bible verse up for interpretation. He

had a message to deliver so that all could understand His will and He succeeded in doing so.

When discussing controversial topics from the Bible many lean on the crutch of modern day

philosophy citing, “that’s just your interpretation.” Every idea and concept, whether from God or

man, is open for examination. If that concept is found to be true based on the evidence by using

the principles of reason (logic), it is worthy of belief. One way we can examine ideas is by

following it to its logical end and see if the conclusions are true.

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then Jesus lied. Matthew 7:21-23 teaches clearly that

there are some people who will 1) claim Jesus as Lord and 2) do many wonderful works, but will

not be saved. This implies that there are incorrect ways to follow the word of God. Jesus did not

lie (1 Peter 2:22). This means that we cannot interpret the Bible any way we like without running

the risk of being incorrect and losing our soul.

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then Jesus is not perfect. John 17:20-23 records a

portion of Jesus’ prayer to the Father. He expressed His desire that all of His disciples

(Christians) be united. When we allow the Bible to define its own terms, we see that unity

means that there is one faith and one baptism (Ephesians 4:3-6). But the religious world says

there are many baptisms (sprinkling, pouring, immersion) and many faiths (belief systems). This

is what happens when anyone can interpret the Bible any way they want. It results in a lack of

unity in spite of Jesus’ prayer. If Jesus allows everyone to have their own interpretation, He

contradicted Himself and is therefore imperfect. Of course Jesus is perfect and sinless making

him an appropriate sacrifice for the sins of the world (Hebrews 5:9).

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then every interpretation is acceptable. History records how some have interpreted the Bible erroneously with devastating consequences. Hitler

famously wrote in Mein Kampf, “Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the

will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of

the Lord.” If we believe that any interpretation is as good as another, who can say Hitler was

wrong? Clearly he believed “cunningly devised fables” instead of looking for God’s message as

intended in the scripture (2 Peter 1:16).

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then there are some commands in scripture that cannot be obeyed. For example John 7:24 teaches us that there is some level of judging that we are to

perform. Of course that judgment must be “righteous judgment” which means without any

partiality or bias but relying on the scripture for what is required. Also 1 John 4:1 commands that

we examine teachings to make sure they are false doctrines from false teachers. At the heart of

the concept, “everyone has their own interpretation,” is the mandate that I must not judge any

action or teaching. But God clearly wants me to discern actions and teachings in these verses!

We must conclude that the Bible is not up to my interpretation nor yours. It is obligatory that

each of us lay aside our preconceived notions before we examine the scriptures so that we can

clearly see what God intended for us to grasp from the beginning. Only then will we be united as

God desires.

For part 1 click here.