Why the difference

We all (reportedly) worship the same God, are saved by the same Savior, and seek the wisdom of the same Holy Spirit.

So why do we come out of that with COMPLETELY different and opposing interpretations of the same scriptures?

I dunno, give an example. People read from different versions I guess.

Good day Rickyz,

Because for one, the scriptures say that this would happen, unfortunately:

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves."

To put it into perspective for our time frame, I believe that "great number of teachers" is all of the books/false teachings written by men which people adopt, YouTube, websites, hearsay, etc. There are also other people who only want to hear good things, i.e. have their ears tickled. They don't want to hear about the coming wrath of God and His plan to bring about the end of the age and so they reject it and attempt to discredit those who are proclaiming it. And you know who the author is.

a. Religious persuasion
b. What we have always heard
c. What my granddaddy believed (any family source)
d. Lack of context
e. Dishonesty
f. Lack of study or spiritual growth
g. Rejection of verb tense and or verbiage
h. Pride

etc........

I fully believe that the bible will lead ALL to the same conclusion....albeit that rarely happens on everything....maybe a few things.....

An example? You read the BDF's lol

Theologians call this the noetic effects of sin. It means that sin affects our minds too. Everyone has some bad theology, some are worse then others. Fortunately God will correct all this for us on the other side of the veil.

But other people I know are saved just as much as you will argue the exact opposite of what you present. So how do we know when they're wrong and we're wrong?

Do we even admit we could be wrong?

Same question as above ... how do you know you are not being persuaded off track by the list above? Are we willing to accept that the conclusion we come to may not actually be the one the Bible comes to?

That's true but for now picture some newbie or wanna be coming here, and having seen the division, thought "if these veterans can agree on what they believe what chance do I have?"

Just give a specific example as there can be lots of reasons....

I reckon some are

Different bible versions
Different churches doctrines influencing different peoples thoughts and interpetations, but that also can be traced back to...different bible versions
Different stages of maturity in reading the Bible, someone may have not read the whole Bible or only parts of it
Some people arent born again and so only looking at scripture from a natural perspective and not a supernatural one, as the holy spirit leads us into all truth
Not praying and asking God about what the scripture means
Skipping ahead or reading the Bible backwards. Some people actually do this, they dont read it in any order., or only read by topic, and not verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book.

Just because people disagree doesn't mean that the source is flawed. Abuse of a sufficient source doesn't invalidate it. Hence my above response.

Well for one, scripture. Their interpretation is usually based on not believing the plain, literal meaning of the scripture, i.e. not discerning between literal and symbolic. For example, the full preterist have to do a lot of allegorizing in order to get rid of the literal meaning of scripture. For example: we keep seeing people claiming that Matt.24:30-31, which is the Lord's return to end the age, as already have taken place in 70 A.D. In order to do this, they must allegorize the scripture interpreting it to refer to Titus and his legions as representing Jesus return. However, Matt.24:30-31 is very clear about Jesus' literal, visual, return to the earth, which is also supported by Rev.1:7, which says " behold, He comes with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced Him." There is nothing in either of those scriptures that would suggest a figurative/allegorical interpretation. They have to do a lot of hustle and flow to believe what they are believing.

When interpreting the scriptures, especially the book of Revelation, a necessary rule of thumb is that, if the plain, literal sense makes good sense then don't seek any other sense. Taking that into consideration, the scriptures state that Jesus would arrive on the clouds of the sky and every eye would see Him. In addition, He will send His angels throughout the entire earth to first gather the wicked, then the righteous. This takes place at the end of the age and initiates the millennial period, and which also brings human government to an end "without leaving a trace." (see Dan.2:31-45)

As for me, I will believe what the word of God says in the literal sense, unless it requires a symbolic interpretation, which from the context is usually obvious.

Understanding and knowledge!!

Some believers have grown in God further than others. God has given them a deeper understanding and revelation that He has not yet given to someone, not ready, to view the scripture as such. God knows why He does what He does.

This is why I remind people that Yeshua claimed, He did not come to bring Peace, but to bring DIVISION!!

And when 2 people DO NOT view a scripture the same, they tend to be DIVIDED between one another. This is just how God designed it!!

Well? Although, Jesus stated that in order to be His Disciple, one must "pick up your cross, and follow Me?" Ones' "cross", is not some wooden beam, that one can say for a certainity, "That's what it is!"
Tis a little(?) more complex, and complicated then that.

In "venues" such as here? There are believer's, and unbelievers, and those who have never even "picked up their cross", and those who teach, that "it's not required to pick up your cross."
And, those who have "picked up their cross."
And, arguments and dissent even with and upon those who have picked up their (own) cross. And, every "tangent", that is able to be taken, from that which I just typed above. As is fairly evident. Especially here, in the BDF forum.
As Christians? We should help one another bare their burden/s (cross). Right?
One of the first things one must do, in picking up one's cross, when God asks you "what are you doing?" He knows what such and such an author of the latest best-selling book has to say about any particular subject regarding the faith. He also knows what you have to say about it also. So, don't go and "quote" that which someones else says. Tell Him, what's in your heart/mind/soul/spirit/flesh. Like I said, it's not that He doesn't KNOW already. It's He wants to hear YOUR "view", or "testimony!"

It's actually, a pretty humbling experience.

It's burdens such like this? That no Christian SHOULD bare for another.

Sure......exactly why Paul called for the CORINTHIAN church, which had some 15 errors, to be OPEN to learning and instruction........I have no problem changing my view if I can be shown from scripture IN context, with HONEST evaluations of the words given, verb tense and more than 1 witness from the word......the truth....MANY are dead set and refuse to even consider that they may be wrong or skewed in their view......we are all hard headed at times

Most people do not try to harmonize the scriptures. The ones that they can not explain, they disregard. The scriptures must harmonize or you are not understanding the doctrine that Jesus taught.

That’s not how I interpret that at all. Just kidding. Sometimes I can’t help myself.

I think we are simply clouded by our fleshy nature.

This verse puts it into perspective for me:

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

If fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, this is a close second.

I will do you one better. Just because God told Noah to build an ark, does that mean we should all build an ark? We are a body. When a body runs the left arm goes up as the right arm goes down. Maybe every church shouldn’t be doing the exact same things at the exact same times. Perhaps one big church needs to support another smaller one financially so they can grow bigger where they are. Instead of planting a garden full of smaller plants where they can keep spreading we just keep watering the largest one.