It really helped us realize the real - world implications for how we read each other's texts, and how vulnerable we feel when others are
interpreting our scriptures in certain ways.
The scientific beliefs of the time stated that the earth was the center of the universe, so the church began to
interpret the scripture with this in mind.
The Christian right has long
interpreted scripture literally where the verses suit their own need to protect themselves from those who don't look and act as they do.
I am so embarrassed at times to tell folks I am a Christian because of the utter lack of good literary criticism being used
when interpreting scripture.
Then my emerging friends will come along and ask how it is that a person can
interpret Scripture without reason or encounter tradition apart from experience.
That difference will not be settled by one community insisting that it has
interpreted Scripture more accurately than the other, nor by exercising political power over the other.
Once again we can see that those who
interpret scripture from a «theological» position rather than by context of the passage can reach just about any conclusion they so choose.
The shades of Marcionism move lively again across the pulpit when the Church, for reasons probably sincere and rooted in a theology of the Word, is unwilling to take up the task of
interpreting Scripture for specific contemporary settings.
If we fallible humans can misinterpret Scripture even when when follow the rule of
interpreting Scriptures by the Scriptures, then the rule is not perfect.
He didn't say make sure someone believes as you do, votes the way you do, or
interprets scripture correctly (God knows how many teachers of the law thought Jesus» interpretation of Scripture was WAY off base).
Watch debates between Andrew Wilson, Brian McLaren and Steve Chalke on how we should
interpret scripture today, and read articles (at the bottom of the page) by all three for Premier Christianity.
Further, in presenting his interpretation of Matthew 16 and John 20, he merely illustrates the Protestant dilemma of a lack of common faith and practice resulting from each
Christian interpreting Scripture as he will in the absence of a divinely sanctioned interpreter, the Catholic Church.
Remember that the most important principle involved in understanding the Scriptures, is that Scripture
best interprets Scripture.
When
someone interprets the scriptures differently than we do we call them a heretic, and say that our not having unity with them is justified because of their sinful theology.
The basic motivation for denying evolution is fundamentalism — the tendency to
interpret the scriptures completely literally, refusing to allow any symbolism or figures of speech.
In James» view, the Reformation led to a chaos of doctrines, as independent authorities
began interpreting scripture for themselves, thus proving the value of Catholicism's centralised body of teaching centred on the authority of the Pope.