July 6, 2009
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My Interp? Your Interp? Does God Have A Say?
In discussing a Bible passage with anyone, a comment often enters the discussion: “Well, that may be your interpretation, but . . .”
When you, or I, or any other people read the Bible, does God intend for each of us to walk away with a personal take on what He had written by his apostle, prophet, teacher, wise man, historian, or author? Does he want Fred to see that Charismania is correct, while John sees that Charismania ceased when the Bible was canonized? Does he want Calvinists to see eternal security and Armenians to see eternal insecurity? Does he want some husbands to see permission to remarry after dumping their wives, while other husbands see they should wait patiently for the hope of restoration of their marriage?
Is the Bible so vague, so indirect, that we cannot hope to ever agree on what it says, and what it doesn’t say? Are we, like the Corinthians of old, destined to have divisions, sects, and doctrinal wars over the variety of interpretations? Is the world around us destined to look always at a splintered, arguing Church, whose disunity testifies precisely the opposite of what the Church’s message should be: Christ is not from the Father, and we are not his disciples?
How can you, I, or any other individual read the scriptures, and be confident that with study, prayer, and a teachable spirit, we each can actually know what God intended in the passage? If I come up with the majority view, should I be confident? How about the minority view? What if I “like” what I think it says? Is that a valid criteria? Or what if I don’t like what it says? How can a Christian, who wants to know God’s will and wisdom, become confident that he is actually hearing God in his reading of the scriptures?
