First of all, we must realize that Satan deceives by confusing man as to what God has really said. The first temptation that mankind ever faced was grounded in confusion over what God had really said. In the garden of Eden, Satan confused Eve as to what God had said, and tricked her into trangressing the instructions God had given to Adam. Genesis 3:1:
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Satan convinced Eve that she could not take the word of God at face value. "Oh Eve! You really cannot believe that balderdash about dying if you simply eat a fruit! How absurd!" Having lured Eve away from accepting a common sense interpretation of what God had revealed, Satan sold her on a lie.
Does this not happen so very often today? Some self appointed 'expert', liberal preacher, or cultist convinces people that they cannot take the word to mean what it plainly says, then they lead them into deception. They convince you that, since you don't know the original languages, you cannot understand the scriptures. They convince you that they alone have the God given key, and everyone else has misinterpreted the Bible. Peter warns us of unstable teachers who will wrest the word of God. II Peter 3:15,16:
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable WREST, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
This passage from Peter also underscores a second reason why there are many different interpretations of the scriptures. Note in verse 16, Peter says, "speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood". There are different interpretations because some portions of scripture ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND. This being the case, it is only natural that men will make mistakes in interpreting the Bible.
Difficulties in interpreting the scriptures also arise from our fallen sinful flesh. The Bible is a SPIRITUAL book, while we are inherently UNSPIRITUAL AND CARNAL. Concerning this fact, Paul writes in I Corinthians 2:14:
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The carnal flesh of man is opposed to receiving anything that comes from God. Only a born again child of God has the capacity for understanding many things that are found in the Bible. But even a born again child of God can be carnal if he walks in his flesh, and does not reach a point of spiritual maturity. Such a Christian will also be incapable of receiving many spiritual truths. They can receive the milk of the word, but not the STRONG MEAT. Paul said that many of the Corinthian believers were like that. I Corinthians 3:1,2:
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Often we cannot understand the scriptures simply because of our own UNBELIEF of the scriptures. Christ upbraided his disciples who did not understand the scriptures which foretold that Christ must rise from the dead for their unbelief in what the Prophets had written. Luke 24:25:
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
HOW DO WE AVOID MISINTERPRETATIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES?
We must realize that because the scriptures are God given, we cannot understand them in the wisdom of human education. God is not concerned about man's wisdom, and man's wisdom will never lead him to a knowledge of divine things. Paul writes in I Corinthians 1:20,21:
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Paul did not desire the Corinthian's faith to stand in human wisdom! I Corinthians 2:4,5:
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Since the scriptures cannot be understood by human wisdom, the believer must incline to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains in I Corinthians 2:12,13:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
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.
The Holy Spirit will lead the believer into all Truth. Jesus said in John 16:13:
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Since we must be taught by God, we should always pray for His guidance when we read the scriptures.
Since the Bible was given by the Holy Ghost, we should always compare scripture with scripture. When weighing the meaning of a verse, search the scriptures for other passages which will throw light on the one you are reading. Let God give the commentary on what the text means. There is nothing in the Bible which is not explained somewhere else in scripture. In many places, the explanation is given in a near immediate portion of scripture.
Other methods of understanding the Bible are common sense things in nature. Ask yourself: Who is being spoken to? What do the key words in this passage mean? How would I understand this according to the normal rules of grammar? Many misinterpretations arise by redefining words, applying something to someone that the passage is not written to, or by simply failing to observe the normal rules of grammar. Although the Bible is spiritual, it does follow normal grammatical rules. It is not written in any kind of special code that only the initiated can follow. Read it as you would read and understand any other book.
It is my hope and prayer dear reader, that the Bible would not just collect dust in your home. Read it, and ask God for help in following it's teaching. Believe it, and apply it to your life. It is the very Word of God. A love letter from Him to you!
