Why do sincere Bible believing Christians have different interpretations regarding specific Bible verses?
– Mathew, India
DR. GEORGY’S RESPONSE:
This is an interesting question. This can be understood in light of an example. The Holy Spirit is like a radio station transmitting a perfect signal. Even though the radio station is transmitting perfectly, radio receivers are of different quality. The reception quality of the receivers differs – some are good, and some are not equally good. Some have excellent antennae, and others have average antennae. Some have high quality circuits, whereas others may be of inferior quality. Different radio receivers have varying degrees of signal receptivity.
Christians are also similar. Scripture says that, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). Therefore, the illumination of the Bible by the Holy Spirit (His “signal”) is always perfect. But because of varying circumstances in a person’s life – perhaps sin, not walking in the Spirit, not studying the Biblical text using the rules of Biblical interpretation, superimposing human/external meaning onto the Biblical text, being too concerned about the affairs of the world, being blinded by Satan – Christians have varying degrees of how the Spirit’s illumination is received, leading to different interpretations.
