What is the reason for all the different Christian interpretations?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Scripture is clear and understandable in its essential teachings, sufficient to guide every believer in salvation and godly living (2 Timothy 3:16-17). However, Scripture also acknowledges human limitations, biases, and differing spiritual maturity levels, contributing to interpretive challenges. Peter explicitly recognizes interpretive difficulties in Paul’s letters such that some interpretive differences are caused by those who allow the difficulty to introduce error (2 Peter 3:15-16).

The Bible also teaches the importance of accurately handling Scripture, being diligent when handling it (2 Timothy 2:15). This implies that misinterpretation or inaccurate handling is possible—even likely—without careful, humble, and prayerful study. Moreover, believers are urged to test teachings and discern truth carefully. The New Testament acknowledges that differences among believers can occur without necessarily causing division on essential doctrines (Romans 14:1-5). While key doctrines must be affirmed, secondary issues call us to have humility and grace to differing convictions.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God consistently commands careful attention to His revealed truth, emphasizing clarity and obedience: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6).
• Interpretations differ because humans are finite creatures who make mistakes and sin. Because humans err, Nehemiah 8 illustrates the careful, communal study of Scripture. The priests and Levites read the Law “clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). This shows the necessity of proper interpretation—acknowledging Scripture’s clarity yet recognizing the need for thoughtful explanation to bridge cultural, linguistic, and historical gaps.
• Old Testament prophets often faced misinterpretation and distortion of their messages. Jeremiah, for example, confronted false prophets who twisted God’s words, creating confusion among God’s people (Jeremiah 23:16–17). Interpretive differences can arise due to sinful motives or false teaching, leading people astray.
• Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes humility in interpretation (Proverbs 3:5). Human pride or reliance on one’s own wisdom contribute significantly to interpretive errors. Genuine understanding requires humility, submission to God, and careful discernment.
• Job’s friends held a limited understanding of God’s ways, wrongly interpreting Job’s suffering as a direct punishment for sin. God rebuked their incorrect understanding (Job 42:7), illustrating that human assumptions, traditions, and oversimplifications often obscure correct biblical interpretation.
• Isaiah 55:8–9 further exposes the inherent limitations of human understanding, as God declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Humans naturally struggle to grasp God’s full meaning without diligent, prayerful study guided by God’s Spirit and faithful teaching.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The New Testament emphasizes the clarity and sufficiency of Scripture, but it also acknowledges interpretive complexity. Peter specifically mentions that some Scriptures are difficult to understand, admitting potential confusion or outright misuse (2 Peter 3:16). This does not reflect a problem with Scripture but rather human limitations or sinful desires.
• Acts 15 describes intense debates over circumcision and the Mosaic Law and how they should be applied to Gentile believers. Leaders had to carefully examine Scripture and prayerfully discern God’s will. These debates, though resolved through Scripture and communal discernment, illustrate legitimate interpretive tensions even within the early church.
• Jesus frequently confronted religious leaders who misinterpreted Scripture due to tradition, bias, or pride (John 5:39-40). As the spiritual leaders, the Pharisees should have been the first ones to recognize Jesus, but they were misinterpreting Scripture by prioritizing human tradition and self-righteousness.
• Paul emphasizes the critical role of proper interpretation and handling of Scripture, urging believers to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Implicit here is the possibility of wrongly handling the Word.
• Additionally, Paul calls believers to be patient with one another regarding interpretive differences in non-essential matters (Romans 14:1-5). This passage recognizes legitimate differences and conclusions when applying Scripture to one’s context and instructs believers to show grace and humility toward each other, clearly distinguishing between core doctrines and secondary interpretations.
• The author of Hebrews wanted to teach readers more about Jesus but, “it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). Their spiritual immaturity, apathy, or lack of diligent study directly contributed to their misinterpretation. Accurate interpretation requires mature spiritual discernment cultivated through diligent, faithful study of Scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Understanding why various interpretations exist among Christians has significant practical implications for us personally. It calls us to humility. Recognizing that our interpretations are influenced by culture, experiences, denominational background, and personal biases should make us cautious and open to correction. We should seek not merely confirmation of our existing beliefs but actively pursue deeper, more accurate understanding through thoughtful Bible study and interaction with faithful, trusted teachers.

It also calls us toward discernment. Not every interpretation is equally valid, and we have a responsibility to carefully test teachings against Scripture. The Bible is our ultimate authority—not tradition, experience, or personal preference. Consistent, humble study of Scripture enables us to distinguish between essential truths (like the deity of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and biblical authority) and secondary matters (like eschatological timelines, worship styles, or church governance), allowing us to maintain unity in essentials and charity in non-essentials.

Moreover, recognizing interpretive differences should encourage grace and patience in our relationships. Rather than dismissing or condemning others who hold different views on secondary issues, we should engage them thoughtfully, respectfully, and biblically. We ought to be eager to learn from their insights, even as we faithfully share our understanding of Scripture. Our goal should always be to foster unity and love, not division or prideful debate.

Finally, this reality should motivate us to be more careful and engage more diligently with God’s Word. Interpretive differences highlight the need for robust biblical literacy, diligent study methods, reliance on the Holy Spirit, and accountability within our church communities. Let us commit ourselves afresh to careful, prayerful, humble study, so our interpretations increasingly reflect biblical accuracy and faithfulness, bringing greater clarity, unity, and depth to our walk with God and our relationships with others.

UNDERSTAND

• Human limitations and spiritual immaturity contribute to misinterpretation.
• Scripture is clear in its essential teachings but requires diligent, Spirit-guided interpretation.
• Interpretive differences call for humility, discernment, and grace, encouraging believers to pursue unity in core doctrines while allowing for diversity in non-essentials.

REFLECT

• How do your background, experiences, or traditions shape how you interpret Scripture?
• How do you respond when someone’s understanding of a passage challenges your own?
• What steps are you taking to study the Bible with greater humility, diligence, and dependence on the Holy Spirit?

ENGAGE

• How can believers promote both unity in core doctrines and healthy dialogue about secondary differences?
• What role should grace and patience play when believers disagree on how to interpret Scripture?
• How can we discern the difference between a misinterpretation that harms truth and a sincere difference over a non-essential issue?