Could God have designed the Bible to only have one interpretation?

That’s just your interpretation.

We are all familiar with this statement.

It is often used in these forums to discredit what someone says about the Bible, to say that the Bible has many interpretations and any one interpretation is as good as another.

But that begs the question can there be only one correct interpretation? If so how can we find it and will it still just be your interpretation?

To me the Bible is God’s message for mankind.

If so why would God send mankind a message that is open to any interpretation and can mean anything that anyone wants it to mean? Then why bother sending it at all? Why not just let men just make it up as they go along, which is what they seem to do anyway?

I don’t believe that he would, so I believe there is only one true interpretation or meaning for the Bible.

Some feel that all interpretations of the Bible are influenced by our perceptions and thus there can be no true interpretation of the Bible.

But I feel God could solve that problem so that we can know the true message of the Bible without our individual perceptions interfering.

Let me give two examples of how man can make things that have only one meaning or interpretation and our perceptions do not interfere. Thus showing that if man can do it on a small scale, then it would seem that God could do it for a whole book?

Jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles both have only one solution, one answer, one interpretation, one meaning. No matter what our perceptions are there is only one correct interpretation. Man is able to do that and so shouldn’t God be able to do so on a grander scale.

Not saying this is what God did but as an illustration, what if the Bible is like a “cross-thought”, “cross-idea” or a “cross-concept” puzzle?

In a crossword puzzle as you begin to fill in words, it becomes easier to fill in other words because of the words already filled in but once in a while you realize when you can’t fill any more words that one of the words you thought fit the puzzle is not the right word and when you change it once again the words become easy to fill in.

I believe the Bible is like that in that as you understand the “right” concepts from the Bible, other concepts reveal themselves and continue reveal yet again other concepts. But just like with a crossword puzzle if you get it wrong, parts of the Bible become confusing and not understandable, until you correct your wrong understanding and then the Bible begins to reveal itself again.

So some interpretations that seem plausible on the surface, when closely viewed make most of the Bible incomprehensible and thus cannot be correct interpretations.

PS for sake of argument in this thread, please assume that there is a God and that he wrote the Bible.

 

LOL But that's what its various authors did, no?! For the sake of argument? lol Then it must be that arguments over bibles, holy or not, are a waste of valuable interpretation time!

One meaning would be handy! But for who? -- FTSOA, the bible is then Gods diary that he never intended anyone but himself to read, and anyone who dared to was of course allowed to make the earth their meaning, so long as they made sure they returned to it in good time. But, FTSOA, when could that be? When ones bible is not 'meet' with ones future? FTSOA, don't make me LOL!

 

That’s just your interpretation.

 

I think we can conclude that God could have designed it like that but it seems to me it's not the case wether God has done this or not, but more so that it's apparent that the bible is interpretable in different ways and has always been interpreted in different ways. So even if God had it designed like that it's obviously not as straightforward for human understanding as a crossword puzzle.

 

No. This is a discussion of whether the Bible has one interpretation or not. it is not a discussion of whether God exists or whether the Bible is the word of God or not.

A God who does not forget, would hardly need a "diary" written on paper and why write it on paper if he wanted no one to read it.

In any case this thread is intended to be a discussion of whether it is possible for God to write a message that is not open for interpretation.

 

Yep

 

Yes, for years people have interpreted it any way they felt like but that does not mean that all of those interpretations are correct or that the Bible has more than one correct interpretation.

There are many reasons for people to purposefully misinterpret the Bible, mostly attempts to justify their wanting to do what the Bible says they should not do or to draw worshipers to themselves rather than to lead them to God.

 

I have always thought the Bible to be rather straightforward.
The vast majority of "interpretation" issues surrounding it are most often voiced by people who have very little actual knowledge of what it actually says and have spent little or no time actually studying it from a neutral perspective.
If we are talking about language interpretations from the original language, well look closer folks.
When studying the original languages and meanings it makes the "message" and consistency of the Bible even more apparent.

Then you bring in the cultural symbolism of a lot of things, especially in the old testament, and that even further confirms consistency of message.

Lets also not forget that time and again archeological finds support Biblical accounts.

Problem is most people who claim misinterpretation are actually trying to reconcile the Biblical teachings with their own personal beliefs rather than an honest interest and assessment of what the Bible teaches.

And when I read and see some of the outlandish, paranoid, and just plain "out there" crap a lot of Biblical detractors do believe, I'm flabbergasted.
Why is it any more likely or believable that there are aliens who have secret deals with the government and are conspiring with the NWO groups to control humanity than things the Bible claims?

Sections of the Bible are subject to differing interpretations, but not the Bible in it's entirety when considered as a whole work.

 

I have always thought that we need to adjust our thinking to the Bible, rather than trying to make the Bible conform to our beliefs and that for the most part the Bible is as you say rather straightforward.

 

There are a number of absolutes in the Bible. For instance, when Jesus is asked what you must do to go to heaven, He replies "You must be born again." That is not open for interpretation. In other parts of the Bible Jesus and the apostles expound on what it means to be born again. What it actually means to be born again is not really specifically explained in the Bible, so different people have different interpretations of what it means. What one must actually do to be born again and get into heaven does not matter however, so long as one is born again. So you can argue all day long what it means to be born again and it really is of no value, since we are all either born again on our way to heaven or not born again on our way to hell. The actual meaning of being born again matters not a whit.

I think it is a shame when people interpret the Bible in ways that they believe gives them power over other people. For instance, the subject of smoking. Smoking is not mentioned in the Bible, therefore it is up to the individual to determine whether they believe smoking is right for them or not. On the other hand, some churches and people have decided since the Bible says our bodies are God's temple, that means smoking is "against the rules". Hypocrisy like that keeps more people away from the church than Satan does.

In one place in the Bible it says "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God." So essentially the Bible contains the essence of God, which is what makes it alive to believers. The human mind cannot comprehend infinity, in the same way we cannot comprehend God. As we study the Bible more we understand it better, which should be the goal of all believers, but we will never comprehend it in full. That is because the Bible has an infinite number of concepts in it, and humans are finite.

The Bible is a very complex book, and for a person to think he knows it well and can tell other people what it means is really just a revelation of his ignorance.

Does that answer your question?

 

He has made everything beautiful in its time.. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end..



of a cookie..

 

Purely a nit-picky type post, but "begging the question" does not eman that a question now follows, but that one in which the suppositions need proof, but the supposition itself is used as proof for another.

e.g.
Bill: "God must exist."
Jill: "How do you know."
Bill: "Because the Bible says so."
Jill: "Why should I believe the Bible?"
Bill: "Because the Bible was written by God."

"If such actions were not illegal, then they would not be prohibited by the law."

"The belief in God is universal. After all, everyone believes in God."

Interviewer: "Your resume looks impressive but I need another reference."
Bill: "Jill can give me a good reference."
Interviewer: "Good. But how do I know that Jill is trustworthy?"
Bill: "Certainly. I can vouch for her."

 

Are you not simply creating a false distinction. "Being born again" shows up in other places, yes, so therefore should Jesus' clear statement also be clumped together under the "can be interpreted"?

You're argument that "you must be born again" cannot be interpreted is false because the other statements in the Bible are different (yet correct) interpretations of the command.

 

What I am saying is it does not matter how you interpret it. If you are born again, you are going to heaven. If not, then not.

I guess what I am saying is the question is a moot point. There is no sense in arguing over the interpretation of the Bible. If you know what it means and believe it, you are going to heaven. If not, then not.

So why argue about it?

I can see friendly discussions about points in the Bible, but that's not really what we are talking about, is it?

 

Granted this was posted in the Christianity and not the Sanctuary, but these types of things do matter for those who believe. It is literally a matter for eternity.

For Catholics, the Blessed Sacrament is the source and summit of our life as Christians. For Protestants, it is simply a nice thing we do with grape juice (those vile Catholics who use alcohol ;P) when we think about Jesus once or twice a year 9from what I understand, JWs simply look at the bread and juice).

Jesus says we must eat his body (very literal statement just like born again), but what is the interpretation. Paul says we are the Body--do we eat each other? Seriously. Interpretation matters.

 

For me, communion is not ritual. I don't know what class that puts me in.

 

OWB:

lol. You have missed, and consequently trod upon my point like an elephant!

lol

FTSOA as you say, with Gods existence in check, check, a 'message' can only be open to interpretation.


thedope:

Party person, as opposed to 'member'. See you up the back of the class! : D

 

John comes eating locusts and honey and they say he is crazy, I come eating and drinking and they say I am a glutton and a drunkard, but wisdom is justified by her deeds.

 

Whether we have bean on a date with her and stood up, or nurtured from her very breast, let it always be seen that we are in love with her laughter!

: D

 

I am sorry but have always thought that the phrase "begging the question" meant that with what has just been said, a question now becomes obvious that needs to be answered.

In any case, the thought behind this thread is to determine if it is possible for God to have written a book that has only one correct interpretation and if so can that interpretation easily be found and somehow be seen that it is the correct one.