*ability* to understand Scripture would be more accurate.
I don't see anywhere in Scripture where God tells us that only certain people were given authority to interpret it.
IIRC, the Pharisees and Sadducees tried that already and got soundly rebuked by Jesus.
Just like every OWS protester believes they have the *ability* to interpret the Constitution.
And I don’t see anywhere in Scripture where it says that the Holy Spirit will give individual persons the ability to understand it.
But Scripture does say this...
Acts 8:26-40
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
26And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south unto the road that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza, which is desert.”
27And he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28was returning; and sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, “Go near and join thyself to this chariot.”
30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Understandest thou what thou readest?”
31And he said, “How can I, unless some man should guide me?” And he besought Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32The place of the Scripture from which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so opened He not His mouth.
33In His humiliation, His judgment was taken away. And who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
34And the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man?”
35Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What doth hinder me from being baptized?”
37And Philip said, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. And the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
And this....
2 Peter 1:20 (KJV). “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” -
And this....
1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
And Jesus promised the Holy Spirit will guide to all truth.
Forget for a moment that Jesus was speaking to His Apostles when He said this, Paul is emphatic that within the church there are different gifts and therefore, different roles for each of us. 1 Cor 12 is all about how the different parts make up the body and that each part is necessary and should work together to be one. And, yet it is the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit working within the church.
Scriptures nowhere says that all who believe will understand Scripture much less do it so perfectly as to be able to say that their understanding is right and others are wrong.