Is the Bible left to each individual’s interpretation?
Question:
A few questions I have:
- Is the Bible left to each individual's own interpretation?
- How can we trust translations? Isn't that just someone else's interpretation(s)?
- How can I prove the Bible is correct if someone doesn't even believe it in the first place?
Thank you.
Answer:
"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (II Peter 1:20-21).
God wrote the Bible to communicate to men what He wanted us to do. It was not written for men to decide what God meant to say. See:
Suppose you want to read Alexander Dumas' The Three Muskateers. It was written in French, but you can't read French so do you reject all English translations of the text, saying "That's just his interpretation!"? You would be implying that the interpreter did not do a good job and that he gave his opinion instead of what the author actually wrote, just in a different language. A good translation is dependable because it is based on an original work that can be checked to verify that the translation was accurate.
In the same way, the Bible has been translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages. Good translations are not the interpreter's opinions. The interpreter is striving to convey the meaning found in the original language into a different language. Especially in English, we have hundreds of translations. Even without knowing the original languages, you can compare the various translations and get a good feel for the message that is found in the original language. See:
Yes, you can prove that the Bible text is accurate and that what the Bible says is correct. However, even the best proof won't sway a person determined not to believe. Rather than waste your time, if you can't consider the Bible and its message, there are many people who would, so move on.
