Open to Interpretation

Okay so we have this book. It’s the most popular book in the entire world. It tells us about God, man, and how man relates to God. The information in this book is of the greatest importance. It is the key to whether we will spend eternity in a state of life or death!

Yet somehow it seems like the Bible is some kind of mysterious treasure map. (BTW, I just saw National Treasure and the 12 year old “Ennis boy” in me loved it!) With all of eternity in the balance it seems like the Bible would be clear and concise about what God has revealed about Himself. Instead we have numerous “versions” and “translations” of the Word of God — each one using different words that sometimes communicate completely different ideas.

Even with all these different translations, we go to church and hear educated teachers say things like, “well when you look at the Greek, what this passage really means is…” If that’s what the scriptures are really saying then why didn’t they just say it?! We are told that some sections are commandments for all generations while others are only relative to the culture of the day. We are told that some sections are to be interpreted literally while others are to be interpreted figuratively. Who says which is which and on what authority — as Godly people interpret the very same scriptures differently?

I imagine people wondering about God and Jesus opening up a Bible — the logical place to start. They read and begin to form their own interpretation of what God is like and how we relate to Him. Then when they talk to a more “schooled” Christian they realize that they didn’t get their special Hebrew/Greek/Relative/Absolute/Literal/Poetic decoder ring. What’s a non-believer supposed to think? Especially when they talk to another “schooled” Christian and they interpret God’s Word differently than the other Christian? Or they notice the little sub-text that says, “Not included in earlier manuscripts.” Uhhhh, okay, where’d that come from then?

In a society that says there is no absolute truth, why is it so hard to find it in the one place it is supposed to be?