But there is the issue of simple unbelief. The sad reality is that many who claim to be Christians have never repented of sin and come to Christ for the salvation He alone offers. The pews are filled with unbelievers who have come into the church for their own reasons and who have never experienced a true change of heart. Many who teach the Bible do not believe it themselves. They claim to speak for God but do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and, without His illumination, .....they come to wrong conclusions and false interpretations of Scripture.
The Lord tells us...”The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” ....(1 Corinthians 2:14). Also Peter reminds us that the letters of the apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament epistles, "have some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures"... 2 Peter 3:16.
So When the "ignorant and unstable" attempt to interpret Scripture without using accepted methods of exegesis, error often results. Paul told Timothy to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2:15.
Additionally...Taking verses and passages out of their context has resulted in more incorrect interpretations than any other single factor.....and a lack of understanding of the entire Word of God....which many people don't read let alone study.....Failure to adequately compare Scripture with Scripture and preach "the whole counsel of God" as Acts 20:27 instructs has led many groups to promote falsehood and error.
And yet further those who teach God's Word, whether from the pulpit, in Bible classes, or on blogs or websites, must be 'mature in the faith' and well-studied in the Scriptures. Sadly, this is often not the case, which results in a plethora of opinions and false interpretations of Scripture.
Finally, incorrect interpretations of Scripture occur because of an emphasis on tradition. Some churches claim to believe the Bible, but their interpretation is always filtered through the established traditions of the church or interpreted in light of the church's other publications or edicts. When equal weight is give to tradition and the teachings of the Bible, tradition is often given precedence. This directly contradicts the doctrines of the sufficiency and supremacy of the Word of God and leads to falsehood.
....No church tradition, papal edict, or writings of man can be placed on a par with the inspired Word of God which is declare to be all we need to be "complete, equipped for every good work".... 2 Timothy 3:17.
I love your well written explanation here. Very helpful and practical to me. Thank you.