Brentwood Church of Christ

There are a number of reasons why men are not always in agreement over what the Bible says. Some misinterpretations are the result of honest mistakes, while others are the result of dishonesty:

• Some follow the beliefs and traditions of their parents, friends, or preachers instead of pursuing an unbiased investigation of the scriptures for themselves (Mark 7:6-9). This practice has resulted in the widespread errors of Catholicism and denominationalism.
• Some do not understand the scriptures properly because they want to follow certain personal desires that have preeminence in their lives (II Peter 3:3-4). There may be a sin that they do not want to give up and therefore they have a strong desire to see the scriptures in such a way as to justify themselves. Or, they may even want to justify the sin of a family member or dear friend and therefore not honestly seek the truth.
• Some are so untaught and unlearned in the scriptures that it is difficult for them to consider the context of a given passage and to fit it in with everything else God has said on the subject (II Peter 3:16). They therefore twist the scriptures to their own destruction.
• Some simply do not listen to God’s word very carefully. They consider the Lord’s teaching very superficially and do not strive to understand (Matthew 13:13-15).
• Some, either honestly or dishonestly, do not consider every passage that may have a bearing on the understanding of a particular subject. Jesus corrected Satan on this principle when He said, “Again it is written” (Matthew 4:6-7).

In order for us to avoid these errors we must love the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10-11) so that we are not deceived. The wise man in Proverbs 23:23 states, “Buy the truth and sell it not.” The Lord has revealed His message in such a way that it can be understood (Ephesians 3:3-4). But we must be honest (Ephesians 5:17).