Can there be more than one interpretation of the Bible? No. The word "truth" is used several times in the New Testament. However, the plural version of the word "truth" never appears in Scripture. Therefore, there can only be one Truth. Today, there are more than 30,000 different non-Catholic Churches all claiming to have the "Truth". When it comes to interpreting Scripture, individual non-Catholic Christians claim the same infallibility as the Papacy. If one were to put two persons of the "same" non-Catholic Christian denomination (i.e., two Presybterians, two Lutherans, two Baptists, etc.) in separate rooms with a Bible and a notepad and ask them to write down their "interpretation" of the Bible, passage for passage, shouldn't they then produce the exact same interpretation? If guided by the Holy Spirit as Scripture states, the answer should be "Yes." But would that really happen? History has shown that the answer is "No." Now, in the case of Catholics, the Church which Christ founded and is with forever (Matthew 28:20) interprets the Bible, as guided by the Holy Spirit, (Mark 13:11) for the "sheep" (the faithful). The Church (not individuals) interpret Scripture. In Catholicism, Scripture is there for meditation, prayer and inspiration, not for individual interpretation to formulate doctrine or dogma.
“Now, in the case of Catholics, the Church which Christ founded and is with forever (Matthew 28:20) interprets the Bible, as guided by the Holy Spirit, (Mark 13:11) for the “sheep” (the faithful).”
Constantine founded the Roman Catholic Church. The Church Christ referred to is the body of believers, not a specific organization. Organizations are of men.
“The Church (not individuals) interpret Scripture. In Catholicism, Scripture is there for meditation, prayer and inspiration, not for individual interpretation to formulate doctrine or dogma.”
Ah, but who in the Catholic Church interprets Scripture? Individuals.
There can obviously be more than one interpretation of scripture. Many times, that is OK. Many scriptures have multiple meanings, and are intended to be of use in different ways. However, obviously some questions only have one answer. That doesn’t mean we need to know that answer.
As an example, what is the EXACT interrelation involved in the Trinity? Although there are a number of verses that apply, God didn’t give us that answer. Therefor, it is a bad question to ask - although many in the church have done so, with many bitter disagreements.
This is an example of the sinfulness of man, not the imperfection of the Word.
The Eucharist - literally flesh and blood, or spiritually flesh and blood? I think the interpretation is very obvious - he is speaking spiritually, just as he was when talking about how he who eats and drinks will not hunger or thirst. I also think a literal interpretation is contrary to ‘do this in remembrance of me’, and it encourages the belief that we sacrifice Jesus many times. But the point of scripture is that we need to observe it, not try to understand every part of it in a philosophical manner.
One of the great errors of the young church was to fall prey to philosophy - trying to make God understandable, when no human can do so.
Some things are pretty clear cut. Are we supposed to focus on Mary, and call her Queen of Heaven and pray to her? Nope! Jesus made that very clear in Luke 11. He made it clear every time he addressed her...”Woman”. The Apostles made it very clear by making no mention of her at all - none. Zero. Not a single line in any epistle mentions her in any way. Meanwhile, many verses make it clear that we are to approach JESUS with confidence. We don’t need a mediator to Him. Jesus doesn’t meed Mary to explain human needs to Him. God is the King, and Mary isn’t His Mother or Spouse. She isn’t “Mrs God”. In a physical sense she was His mother, but not in a spiritual sense - Jesus existed before the world began.
Catholics say they do not worship Mary, but having read the declaration of her feast day, I’d like to know - if that isn’t worship, what is? If a woman crying, “Blessed are the breasts that nursed you” was misguided, and focusing on the wrong thing, then what is “Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in hospitals, in prisons. May Mary’s name be held in highest reverence, a name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels; may none utter blasphemous words, the sign of a defiled soul, against that name graced with such dignity and revered for its motherly goodness; let no one be so bold as to speak a syllable which lacks the respect due to her name. 49. All, according to their state, should strive to bring alive the wondrous virtues of our heavenly Queen and most loving Mother through constant effort of mind and manner. Thus will it come about that all Christians, in honoring and imitating their sublime Queen and Mother, will realize they are truly brothers...”?
Purgatory is another doctrine that isn’t optional. It isn’t that it just isn’t mentioned in scripture, it contradicts the very basis of our salvation. If God’s forgiveness is only partial, then the sacrifice of Jesus wasn’t whole. We might as well go back to killing goats.
The concept of indulgences is another. Forgiveness for sale? One might as well bottle the wine used in the Eucharist, and offer it for sale...buy the BIG bottle, if your sins are many!
Now, about the 30,000 denominations - they don’t exist. The guy who developed that number used a definition of denomination not shared by anyone else. He says there are 8,196 Protestant denominations, and 2,942 Roman Catholic denominations. In his counting, a lot depends on how ‘jurisdiction’ is defined. Since each church in the Southern Baptist Convention is autonomous, every church in my denomination is considered a denomination of its own...and when you use a standard like that, 30-40,000 may be possible.
Yet if you took the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith to a Baptist Church, perhaps 80-90% would agree to it. The only major split I know of among Baptists is free will vs predestination, and the large majority of Baptists I’ve known had no real opinion on either.
However, you might notice that the numbers for Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox don’t add up anywhere close to 30,000 - that figure includes many faith traditions that have nothing to do with Christianity.