Bible Only Christians - Are you or your Pastor infallible?

To Bible-Only Christians who believe in the following principles of "Sola Scriptura" or bible alone....

To those who believe:
-- Each person has the right and duty to interpret scripture on their own, and should not follow the interpretation of MAN.
-- If you are a Christian and pray to the Holy Spirit to help you interpret the bible, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the CORRECT interpretation/meaning of scripture
-- All Christian teaching, beliefs, and examples are in the bible, alone.
_________________________

To those who believe that a question regarding interpretation?

How do you KNOW you are interpreting the bible correctly and not letting some or maybe a lot of your PERSONAL biases and sinful nature lead you to incorrect Interpretations of scripture? Anotherwards, how can you be SURE you are correct, in light of differing interpretations of Scripture. Example: verses Catholic teachings based on scripture?

If 2 Christians differ on interpretation/meaning, and BOTH prayed and supposedly received revelation/help from the Holy Spirit, how do they stay as "one universal church" or anotherwards NOT break apart over the division?

How can you be sure your Pastor is right, verses the pastor across town (or in another state, etc.) who has a different take on things?

IF you are insistent that your interpretation, your pastors, or your church is right and the Catholic church is wrong, how can you be sure? By who's authority do you have to say that? How can you be sure that the Catholic church isn't right and your interpretation is wrong.

Just curious.

To me, Sola Scriptura and individual interpretation SOUNDS good on the surface, but it leads to everyone being an authority, great division within Christianity and everyone thinking THEIR way is the RIGHT way.. kinda like they are infallible. So instead of having 1 infallible office or position, we have 38,000 infallible churches registered thru the IRS in the US, alone. Everyone bashing each other, thinking they are right and everyone else is wrong.

Seems arrogant.

Sorry if that offends, Just curious.

2009-03-12T12:48:28Z

Lebron#39 - your posting is what I am talking about when I say "arrogance" you seem to be making lots of "I" statements" like:

I have the Sprit of God. That is my authority.....I have the authority given to me by God through his Son and through his Holy Spirit.
...But I practice christianity. .....I pray that I let it guide me into all truth so that I will not fall away.

Keep tellin' yourself that. Must be lonely at the top, only person who is RIGHT all the time.

WOW!

2009-03-12T12:50:20Z

h'ayim tovim Y'all -- your answer, doesn't address the issue, but is none the less a nice sediment, but not really on topic, exactly.
Thanks for participating, though
hehehehehe

2009-03-12T12:51:15Z

Catholic Defender and Chelz - Thank you, but I wish more people actually dug into the issue and answered my question.

2009-03-12T12:53:42Z

Fireball -- Nicely side stepping the question. YES, the TRUTH is what matters, but I bet YOUR truth and MY Truth differ.
I can assure you I've prayed to God ALOT to help me interpret the bible, and the "Truth" I received from it is DRASTICALLY different from yours.
So how do you propose we resolve that? How can you say I'm wrong?, as many Christians who believe in the doctrine of Sola Scriptura DUE. ?? huh?

Catholic Defender2009-03-12T12:39:11Z

Favorite Answer

great question

53

MikeM2009-03-12T12:59:09Z

Here are my thoughts.

I'm fallible. My pastor is fallible. All men are fallible.

I also think that prayer could be misleading as well. If we go that route, we need to test the spirit that gave us the answer and it also needs to match scripture and reality.

If my pastor or others teach me something, it needs to match scripture and reality as well.

The main concepts of the Bible are so plain and simple a preschooler can understand.

The Bible is also so deep that it would take many lifetimes to uncover all of the truths.

I'm finding that the Bible does a great job interpreting itself! I'm also finding that people over the years have done a good job cross referencing the Bible with itself. My lifetime is limited. Together, all searching the scriptures, we can learn more about it than individually.

Beyond that though, the Bible is a love letter from God to us. It is living and active. We can slice and dice all of the facts of the Bible and miss what God is trying to say to me personally. The Holy Spirit points out how I should live and what God wants to do in my life. That's what I really want anyway. I want to know Him. I want to please Him.

04

Alan H2009-03-12T12:36:41Z

Well, the real important thing before anyone goes about trying to interpret the bible is understand the center concept as a whole. That is that Christ died for us as a perfect sacrifice so that we wouldnt need anyone like a priest or pastor to ask forgiveness of our sins for us but we ourselves can pray to God for forgiveness. Christ said that he is the way, the truth and the light and no one can enter heaven but through him, meaning that if you have faith in his sacrifice for mankind and his ressurrection then you will have eternal life.

03

Anonymous2009-03-12T12:33:52Z

The word of God is not up for interpretation. St.Peter said that.
Scripture means one thing, and one thing only. That is a grievous evil to have an " opinion" about what a scripture means. Christians need to agree on scripture, otherwise the church of God is divided and broken. Those who are truly from God, will save themselves from such evil.

A people divided will only lead themselves to desolation.
What I say is true, the Christian religion is dying, people are turning away from God because of the church's division. There are church's representing God, in which hold a false teaching, If you teach a person false things, they will grow bitter towards God in general; It is " you" who teach deceit that destroy the church of God. The danger of wrong interpretations run deep like the water in the ocean. If you go deep enough with lies, they will crush those who follow those lies.

There should be no division among Christians, everyone who loves God should work to be at peace with all, as much as possible especially their brothers,sisters in Christ. Those who share the word of God should speak without fear, because if what you say is true, it will accomplish all that God has sent it for; that is God's promise to those who share the " Good News"

God desires all people to come to him, because his love and mercy reaches far beyond this earth human beings live on. His desire is that everyone accept his son Jesus as their savior. He does not desire for his children to be divided, for such is the evil of Cain slaying his brother. It is the same, a church that is divided, will murder with the lies it sows.

God Bless you all.

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Anonymous2009-03-12T12:37:16Z

The Word and Will of God may NOT be imposed upon any one... The Word and Will of God for man-kind is only binding upon those in willing submission to God.... so... if a True Christian "interprets" a certain way... that is between God and them... They MAY NOT impose their interpretation upon any one... if they do so ... they are in violation of God's Word and are, in fact, NOT of The True Christian Faith.

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