We christians claim that the holy spirit is teaching us into all truth so why then do we have contradicting interpretations of scripture?
We christians claim that the holy spirit is teaching us into all truth so why then do we have contradicting interpretations of scripture?
- Thread starter TheLearner
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Perhaps it has a lot to do with the fact tht only the Cross is truly important ot understand, while all elce is window dressing, however many things given us to know from the Word help to build and strengtnen our faith.
It is not given man to interpret all of the Word, simply enough to remain on the Way until all is revealed.
Those who believe they may seize truth have much to learn.
It is not given man to interpret all of the Word, simply enough to remain on the Way until all is revealed.
Those who believe they may seize truth have much to learn.
Do you learn everything at once, or is your understanding progressively growing/broadening/deepening?
It's because too many Christians rely on intellect instead of the Holy Spirit. It is a consequence of spiritual pride, where "being right" is way more important than being righteous. No one has been sent to hell because they believe infant baptism is the way to go. I don't agree with them, but I can have fellowship anyway. Of course, that assumes that they will accept my right to a different point of view.
All Christians bring some baggage into the new life. That's why we need renewed minds. (Romans 12:2). Many things I once believed firmly had to change. I've been saved 50 years. I am still very much a learner.
There is a trend to forget about truth and concentrate on experience. Some churches are not even preaching in the Sunday meeting. This is even more dangerous. God's people are being destroyed through lack of knowledge. My advice is to pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, stay humble and avoid contention. The "truth" you hold to so firmly may turn out to be a misunderstanding. The caveat to this is that there are fundamentals that Christians agree on that are not subject to change. It's usually the peripheral arguments that are the cause of more heat than light
Truly , I believe we learn all we need at once, though it takes a lifetime of studyding, meditation, and prayer to arrive ssafely to our home with our Maker.
Too many are led astray by false teachers
2 Peter 2
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them
IMO, the Holy Spirit imparts unto us the understanding we need at the particular time we need it. Agreeing with Magentas comment. New Believers are only able to sup on milk and honey, and not feast on the meat of Gods Word. Thus, the Holy Spirit nurtures the New Believer, and continues to teach them/reveal to them understanding as they grow and mature in their walk with Jesus.
This can cause passionate Believers to argue/disagree with each other on the interpretation of His Word. I see it here all the time. New Believers (Paul called carnal believers) can be insistent that their interpretation is the correct one; and it actually is FOR THEM at that particular time. However, as they grow and mature, they will often find that a new and deeper understanding of a particular Scripture will be revealed to them.
This can cause passionate Believers to argue/disagree with each other on the interpretation of His Word. I see it here all the time. New Believers (Paul called carnal believers) can be insistent that their interpretation is the correct one; and it actually is FOR THEM at that particular time. However, as they grow and mature, they will often find that a new and deeper understanding of a particular Scripture will be revealed to them.
People want answers from the Holy Spirit "now", and if they don't get them "now" or they get an answer they don't like.... they just make stuff up! Happens all the time.
Isn't it funny that the bible goes on about how wisdom and understanding are so important.... but then tell you "lean not on your own understanding"! He wants us to be really smart, but will never let us get so smart that we can figure everything out without his help.
Isn't it funny that the bible goes on about how wisdom and understanding are so important.... but then tell you "lean not on your own understanding"! He wants us to be really smart, but will never let us get so smart that we can figure everything out without his help.
I suppose one could consider that all we need to know is that God loves us
And perhaps that can be known in an instant, though it took me 33
years to know/experience it, and another sixteen years to accept it
I do accept that as being foundational
Yet many would consider plenty of other things necessary to "know" in order to understand Scripture,
including reading the Bible for starters, which takes time (meaning, it does not happen all at once
) 
Just like we understand that God first gives us the Faith to Believe in him, but it doesn't mean everyone is given the same Measure of Faith. Many have great Faith and some have just enough to Believe in God and accept Him as Lord and Savior. A better example are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. We're all filled with God's Spirit, but not all of us have the same Gifts. Knowledge is the same way. Some have great knowledge and others just enough to feel secure about the things they read and understand. If we all had the same Measure of Faith, the same Gifts of the Spirit, the same Knowledge, the Body of Christ would be extremely ineffective. Thank God we're not Robots!
T
TheIndianGirl
Guest
I am not sure if different levels of faith or knowledge, or maturity, is the reason for the different interpretations. There are the learned in each denomination (elderly people who have prayed/meditated/studied the Bible since childhood, old professors at seminaries, long-time pastors, etc.) who still end up having different interpretations.
because we don't know.... all the answers. but not all are very aware that they really don't know.
NASB 1995
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
from: https://pamecrement.com/2017/08/25/seeing-through-a-glass-darkly/
"... but we can also get stuck. We can get stuck because sometimes we just want answers..."
so we accept other's ideas... often without even realizing it perhaps...
"because the lack of answers or those that make no sense to us are intolerable..."
... but they lack truth -- or they aren't whole.
"We can also get stuck because in the absence of light to see everything clearly, we can add things."
which can cause confusion then to us and others -- in one form or another...
"he who leads into captivity must go into captivity"
...even much confusion (misunderstandings whether known or not) for decades and even centuries (religious dogma).
My simple answer to this question is this. We don't listen. if I am rusted onto a denominations teaching I don't place much value on what the Holy Spirit says.
I wrote to the head of one denomination who was bemoaning that there were not enough ministers to go round to start churches.
I suggested that they started home fellowships under lay leadership and let them develop from there. No go. Can't start a church without a minister and a building.
I wrote to the head of one denomination who was bemoaning that there were not enough ministers to go round to start churches.
I suggested that they started home fellowships under lay leadership and let them develop from there. No go. Can't start a church without a minister and a building.
There are many reasons why we do not have all Christians interpreting the Bible the same way:
1. False teachings crept into the churches even while the apostles were on earth. This is confirmed by the letters to the seven churches in Revelation.
2. The Early Church Fathers introduced many incorrect interpretations which were not corrected subsequently. These teachings became a part of "Holy Tradition" in the Orthodox and Catholic churches.
3. The Reformers failed to go back to Scripture in some doctrines, and adopted the same erroneous teachings as the Catholic Church.
4. The Reformation led to several denominations which held on to their particular man-made interpretations, and refused to change them.
5. Rationalistic and Naturalistic "scholars" and theologians during the 18th to 20th centuries began to attack the Bible, Gospel truth, and Bible truth, and many mainline denominations adopted the Social Gospel while rejecting the true Gospel and true Bible doctrines.
6. Other false prophets and false teachers arose in the 19th and 20th centuries, and introduced bizarre and/or heretical teachings, but gained many followers.
7. Fundamentalist churches began to water down their Gospel and doctrines, and gradually devolved into "Emergent Churches".
8. Well-known televangelists began to veer away from Gospel truth and Bible truth, and the Word of Faith Movement led many astray.
9. The Bible became less and less important, and alternative methods of preaching and teaching were introduced in many churches.
10. Churches became more and more apostate and began to ordain women and homosexuals. At the same time modern bible versions began to be used, and that also changed Bible doctrines and interpretation.
As you can see, the Enemy has been constantly sowing tares among the wheat, and the present state of Christendom is not totally biblical. Therefore there are conflicts and contradictions in books, periodicals, and Christian forums.
None of this means that the truth cannot be discerned by those who sincerely desire the truth, and look to the Holy Spirit for understanding and wisdom when handling the Word of God. But those will always be a minority.
It's because I assume 99% of the world are nonelects.
Read
1 Corinthians 2:9-16
2 Timothy 4:3
Bottom is true gospel, that God told me to post/preach. Looking for the sheep/God's elects.
After God gave me the Holy Spirit, by read the 10 commandments, I found proof that TV, movies, watching sports (violence like football, covet their lives and they are idols), novels, music, video games and computer games are all sins, except Christian stuff that don’t have sins like sermons and Christian music words that gives messages which are rare. I found out that in them there is lying, stealing, adultery (Matthew 5:28 looking at someone with lust is adultery), fornication which is sex before marriage, revenge, violence (Psalm 11:5), murder (hate is also murder 1 John 3:15), jealousy/covet, greed, pride=self-pity, hypocrisy, using God’s name in vain as a curse word, they are all idols (breaks 2nd Commandment) because most people can’t live without them and they love them more than God and more. Just read the 10 commandments for a list. You must remove those sources of sin.
1 John 2:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 New King James Version
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Now I will be preaching about how to receive the Holy Spirit and be 100% going to Heaven.
First, it’s only by the grace of God that he gives you faith in Jesus Christ in order to give up your sins. It’s only by the grace of God that he leads you to pray to him to destroy all your evil desires of watching TV or any sinful desires. When you pray to God to destroy all your evil desires of watching TV or sinful desires (Romans 6:6-7 and Galatians 5:24), Satan will intervene and extremely tempt you in watching the TV. But if it’s God’s will and if you are one of God’s elects, you will overcome it and God will destroy all your evil desires of watching TV. After God has destroyed all your evil desires of watching TV and if you are one of God’s elects, you receive the joy of the Holy Spirit for a short amount of time. After the joy wears off, all existence of boredom no longer exists and you no longer burn out (psychology) anymore. That is when you have received the Holy Spirit.
Then it’s by the grace of God that he forgives you of your sins, as you confess and repent of your sins (confess and not do those sins anymore) throughout your life which is called sanctification.
After you have received the Holy Spirit and have confessed and repented of any known sins that you have done, then you pray to God to get rid of all evil spirits out of you.
Say “In the name of Jesus Christ I bind and cast out all evil spirits out of me.” Then automatically your mouth will open and you will exhale all those evil spirits out of you.
When you sin, demons have the legal right to enter your body and you have less self-control in what you do.
The Holy Spirit is the permanent cure to boredom but it is only given to God’s elects. (Proof: John 14:26-27 and Philippians 4:7) The Holy Spirit also gives the fruit of the spirit.(Galatians 5:22-24)
Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Why does God hate sin? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean that “you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23)? | GotQuestions.org Sin Will Never Make You Happy (What does the Bible say about hypocrisy? | GotQuestions.org) Gives thanks to God, that you are free from sin (sin deceives=never satisfied no matter how many times you do it, gives pain, makes you guilty, go from bad to worse) if you are one of God’s elect, to fight off self-pity is to give thanks to God for everything. What does the Bible say about self-pity? | GotQuestions.org Is eternal security a “license” to sin? | GotQuestions.org
If you love God, you will not go after the sin when tempted.
When tempted out of no where, pray to God to remove or destroy the sinful temptation instantly/automatically.
Avoid: The First Step to Defeating Lust // Six Steps to Defeating Sexual Sin
Youtube: Unreserved love, We Are The Reason
The reason why am hated for no reason since I was physically born and never fitted in is because am one of God’s elects. (John 15:18-19)
Read James 4:4, Proverbs 29:27, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Just so you know Jesus had to carry all of God’s elects sins and endure the punishment for God’s elects sins which is Hellfire spiritually, which is extreme love and mercy.
Go to the bottom website, for better explanation.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jesus-eternal-punishment-hours/
https://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html
Lazarus and the rich man Luke 16:19-31
Extreme Dehydration, rich man begs for a drop of water.
Luke 16:24 King James Version (KJV)
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
A place of outer darkness Matthew 8:12
A place of no rest Revelation 14:11
A place of blackness and darkness forever Jude 13
A place where people are tormented with fire and brimstone Revelation 14:10
Extreme pain since you are in everlasting fire and constant guilt.
If Jesus didn’t die on the cross and carried all of our sins=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jesus-eternal-punishment-hours/, God would still be just and holy, in sending us all to Hell because we are all guilty of our sins. Remember TV, movies, video games and computer games are all sins, except Christian stuff that don’t have sins like sermons. Just read the 10 commandments for a list.
But God was willing to have some mercy (to God’s elects), which we don’t deserve because we are all guilty of our sins. At least God was willing to have at least some mercy (to God’s elects), better than no mercy at all.
Isaiah 1:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant (God’s elects), we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Jesus came to save us elects out of sin.
There is no contradiction in scripture.
Jesus said
JOHN 14:25-26
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John15:7-8
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
many people claim many things but all that is said must be judged in the light of all scripture. There are many applications of the word of God yet only one interpretation.
What Jesus said in John 14:6 is the Foundational verse to the context of all chapter 14- 16
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
If all will do as Bible-believing Christians build our understanding on Jesus is the only truth you will never be deceived
If we build on Jesus as Being the only way You will never follow a false way.
And IF we build and accept Jesus as the Only Life we will have eternal life.
Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone on which all: both Old and New Testament both Hebrew and Greek scriptures are built on.
Man will never know all but we will never be deceived IF we make Jesus Christ the foundation of all scripture as HE is the Word of God.
I think that means the Holy Spirit led the writers of the scriptures in all truth. What we have now is the canonized Bible so that is what the truth is. People who contradict what the Bible says clearly aren't understanding the truth or being taught in the truth. It's a great sign if someone can learn to tweak and alter their held doctrines to conform to the Bible.
Unfortunately, there are other factors that prevent people from understanding what they want to know: their own self-interest, the influence of other people, and the influence of demons.
Thanks all
I think false teachers today is a big part of it. Our backgrounds and culture plays a row. Poor teaching in the public schools on reading, writing and literature. A lot of classical English literature has the bible as a canvas and paint brush.
I think false teachers today is a big part of it. Our backgrounds and culture plays a row. Poor teaching in the public schools on reading, writing and literature. A lot of classical English literature has the bible as a canvas and paint brush.
Yes, false teachers and false prophets. Not everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God actually does.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."—1 John 4:1
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."—1 John 4:1
Precious friend, probably because of violation of one Or More of
God's Bible "study" Rules:
(1) “Let ALL things be done Decently and In Order!”
(1 Corinthians 14:40 KJB!)
(2) Study ALL Scripture Rightly Divided! :
“Study to shew thyself Approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth!”
(2 Timothy 2:15 KJB!)
(3) Never Ever add to, Or take away From, God’s PURE And Holy Word!
{ Including "God's Contexts!," [Prophecy] Rightly Divided from [MYSTERY]! }
(Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18,19 KJB!)
(4) Be noble students :
“These (in Berea) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in
that they received The Word with all readiness of mind, and
searched The Scriptures daily, Whether Those Things Were So!”
(Acts 17:11 KJB!)
(5) Build Sound Doctrine, God’s Way! :
(5a) “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept;
line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little!”
(Isaiah 28:10 KJB!)
(5b) Find ALL Related Scriptures For A Specific doctrine! :
”ALL Scripture Is Given By Inspiration Of God, And Is
Profitable For Doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness : that the man of God may
be perfect, throughly furnished unto ALL good works!”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJB!)
(5c) Compare ALL Related Scriptures to learn and know a
Specific doctrine! :
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s
wisdom teacheth, but Which The Holy Ghost Teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual!”
(1 Corinthians 2:13 KJB!)
{Comparing Scripture With Scripture!}
“Simplicity” in CHRIST! (2 Corinthians 11:3 KJB!) Amen?
(6) The Best "Interpretive" Commentary On The Bible Is :
The BIBLE Itself!
NEVER ever interpret The Many Plain Scriptures
by the "few" difficult verses, But, ALWAYS Always
Interpret the few Obscure/Difficult/Dubious verses
By ALL Of The MANY Plain and Clear Passages Of
God’s Pure And Holy Word!
+
ONE Final Excellent Rule for Knowledgeable Bible study! :
(7) In order to Honor The Father And The SON (John 5:22-23 KJB!),
in Preparation For Judgment, Always keep {Uppermost} in mind :
”Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do ALL to The Glory Of God!” (1 Corinthians 10:31 KJB!)
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And then we ALL, who are "Called Into Fellowship With
God's SON, The LORD JESUS CHRIST" (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJB!), And,
"Endeavouring For The Unity Of God's Spirit In The Bond Of
PEACE!..." (Ephesians 4:3 KJB!), can obey God's Exhortations! :
”...speak...the things which become Sound Doctrine!”
(Titus 2:1 cp "SAME mind And judgment!" 1 Corinthians 1:10 KJB!)
Amen?
Would the Results of following All of God’s Rules Above Be:
“That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in
love, and unto all Riches of the Full Assurance Of Understanding,
to the acknowledgement of The Mystery Of God, and of the Father,
and of CHRIST!” (Colossians 2:2 KJB!)?
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Precious friend(s), Please Be Very RICHLY Blessed!