Objection To learning proper Bible Interpretation:


"All we need is the Holy Spirit who will guide us and will reveal to us the real meaning of the passage in the Bible"

This statement sounds so spiritual that many would not dare to disagree.  This attitude can also claim to have some biblical backing:

1 Corinthians 2:11-14 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NIV)
This was taken to mean that Christian with the Holy Spirit can understand the Word of God, and the unbelievers that doesn't have the Spirit cannot understand the Bible.

1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. (NIV)
This was taken to mean that as Christian we don't need a teacher or rules of interpretation, because our anointing will be the one that will reveal and teach us all the truth.

I will not elaborate here in giving my own understanding of these verses, since we are doing examples of Bible interpretation in Chapter 3.  But I will just point you to some weaknesses with the interpretation mentioned above.
In Corinthians, What is Paul really saying?  Is he suggesting that all Christians with the Holy Spirit should not have a problem understanding the Bible and that unbelievers without the Holy Spirit will not be able to  understand the Bible at all? I don't think so.  Exodus 20:15-Thou shall not steal. (NIV), is such a simple verse that we know both unbelievers without the Holy Spirit and Christians with the Holy Spirit can understand.  While the book of Revelation is so difficult to understand for many Christians that are filled with the Holy Spirit, and those that claimed to understand have different interpretations of what it really means.

In 1 John, does John really means that Christian don't need teachers because their "anointing" teaches them all things?  If that is the case, how come John needed to teach them about this truth that they don't need a teacher?  Why has God given the church teachers if we don't really need them (Eph.4:11)?
Also, if two persons filled with the Spirit had a differing interpretation of a certain passage in the Bible, how can we tell who is right or wrong?  Can we measure who has more of the Holy Spirit than the other?
Therefore, rules and guidelines of proper interpretation is necessary so we can have a standard to distinguish from the right, possible, and erroneous interpretation.

 

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