Can All Understand The Bible Alike?





          Why do you suppose that so many different denominations exist in 
the world? Misinterpretation, or rather personal interpretation of the Bible 
is the most likely cause. Christ declared that He would ".build my church; 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18) therefore 
establishing the fact that only one correct church would exist. The problem 
of understanding what the Bible says thus lies with man and not with God. We 
must acknowledge then that to understand the Bible alike there are some 
things that we must all agree upon.

          First there must be agreement that in Christianity, the standard 
or authority is the Bible. II Timothy 3:16-17 reads thus: "All scripture is 
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be 
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." The entirety of the Bible 
is given by God. No part of it is by man's own will: "For the prophecy came 
not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were 
moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Peter 1:21). When we agree that the Bible 
contains the will of God for man we then establish a point from which all 
can move forward from in unity.

          Secondly, we must agree that man does not have a right to change 
what God has written. Warnings against altering God's word come though out 
the pages of the Bible. God tells His people not to "turn aside to the right 
hand or to the left" (Deut. 5:32) and to "observe to do according to all 
that is written therein" (Joshua 1:8). God "hast commanded us to keep thy 
precepts diligently" (Psalm 119:4) and not to add to nor take away from that 
which was written (Rev. 22:18-19). When we agree on these things then 
understanding the Bible alike will come in short order.

Agreeing that the Bible is God's word and cannot be changed by man will lead 
us to heed the word by Peter when he wrote "If any man speak, let him speak 
as the oracles of God" (1Pe 4:11). It will cause all people to know that God 
was and is smart enough to say and have written what He wants us to know. "O 
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how 
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out" (Rom 11:33). 
Man does not have the capacity to fully understand the mind of God. We must 
accept the fact that we can only know what God wants or allows us to know. 
Therefore all can understand the Bible alike because the word of God "shall 
not pass away" (Luke 21:33).







 In Christ, Steve Preston







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