How can you understand the Bible without a human to teach you?

Two G: How can you understand the Bible without a human to teach you?
In talking to many people over the years, people keep telling me that all you need is the Bible and to ask the holy spirit to help you understand the Bible. Nothing else.

Couple of problematic questions with this line of reasoning:

If you were to rely on your own understanding, would you not have many different sects teaching tons of different understandings of the Bible?

If everybody had the holy spirit guiding them, would they not all have come to the same conclusions regarding what the Bible actually teaches?

Everybody who is searching for truth of the Bible are all sincere in their search. Why do they not all believe the same thing if they all asked the holy spirit to guide them?

So, can you understand the Bible without a human to teach you?

If you go to a university or college to learn the Bible, is that not the same concept as learning the Bible from one of Jehovah’s witnesses?

Answers and Views:

Answer by JStrat
There are many problems with the Bible as some sort of divine instrument. You’ve definitely hit on a couple of them.

Answer by somathus
If the bible was truly the word of a god, then it would not require another mortal to explain it.

Answer by Andrew H
If the bible contains all the answers, why has Christianity split into thousands of different sects who disagree with each other on really fundamental issues?

Answer by Citolduso
Ones that “claim to be led by the spirit” are not all led. Some think that it’s the “spirit” teaching them when in reality it is their own spirit making the word say what their own spirit wants it to. The bible says to test the spirits to see if they are from God. Then again, in my own experience I have read a scripture at a time and it means and is revealed to be one thing , and later under different circumstances( ie: trials and tests), it is revealed to have another meaning, however, both are right. I actually tried to make that last part make sense, but fear I have failed.

Answer by https://www.bible-reviews.com
1) If you were to rely on your own understanding, would you not have many different sects teaching tons of different understandings of the Bible?

And so we do – but understand that the premise given to you assumes that the Holy Spirit will guide you when you are reading the Bible. The premise assumes that you are NOT relying on your own understanding.

2) If everybody had the holy spirit guiding them, would they not all have come to the same conclusions regarding what the Bible actually teaches?

Well….not necessarily, but probably what you meant is true. If everyone had the Holy Spirit guiding them in understanding the Bible at all times that they were trying to understand the Bible, they probably would all have come to the same or at least very similar conclusions regarding the meaning of the Bible.

3) Why do they not all believe the same thing if they all asked the holy spirit to guide them?

Because

a) the Holy Spirit does not necessarily guide them at all times (it being dependent on the asker’s faith)

b) even when the Holy Spirit is guiding someone, that someone can reject that guidance in favor of their own personal pre-conceived beliefs or in favor of a reliance upon their own understanding

4) So, can you understand the Bible without a human to teach you?

Of course you can.

5) If you go to a university or college to learn the Bible, is that not the same concept as learning the Bible from one of Jehovah’s witnesses?

Clearly it is not the same.

Jim, https://www.bible-reviews.com/

Answer by The Doctor
The problem is the Bible was written for another time and culture, you have to take these things into consideration.

As for going to a university to learn about the Bible, they don’t preach to you (at least mine didn’t). A class on the New Testament, for example, discusses the origin of the individual books, how the canon came about, and the culture of the area at that time. They don’t tell you what a verse means and how that leads to such-and-such a theology.

Being on here, I see a lot of misunderstanding by people about what I just said. People often have no clue as to where the Bible came from. I see one group of people that thinks a blank book was passed from Matthew to Mark to Luke etc., and another that sees every single work claiming Biblical authority to be “suppressed by the Church”.

While an individual could sit down with the Bible and understand it, it’s helpful to know more about it. Even reading a book about the Bible can be very helpful in understanding it.

Answer by ChildofGod
(If you go to a university or college to learn the Bible, is that not the same concept as learning the Bible from one of Jehovah’s witnesses?)

No, the bible college I attended was not by a Jehovah Witness.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Upon receiving information thru man, comes with us doing our part in praying and asking the Lord to give clarity and understanding on what was given.

Answer by surfari
standard watchtower argumentation.

state what the bible says.
ridicule the plain meaning.
replace plain meaning with self serving “true” meaning.

yet ignore the fact that over 2 billion people proclaim jesus to be god, exactly as proclaimed by thomas who was blessed by jesus himself for his insight.

and ignore the fact that the jws are an apostate splinter of true christianity, with further splits from the adventists and from the bible students which still exist.

and yet all god wants is a personal relationship with you.

Answer by overdubbed
I am sure that my answer will not be selected by most readers but here goes.

There are levels of answers to this question.

First of all, you have a brain, you can read the words (get several good translations that have footnotes). You are intelligent and can figure things out for yourself.

Second, if there is something you cannot understand, the internet provides a forum for all kinds of interpretations and thoughts from traditional to insane. You can read them and think about what you think is right.

Thirdly, the truth is that you do need a human to help you. The Bible says that “No Word of Scripture is for private interpretation”. This means you need prophets of God to help you. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 12 living apostles and a prophet who help identify and clarify the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the world today.