CHAPTER IX
HOW SHALL WE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE?
The Bible seems easy to understand but actually it is the most misunderstood book in the world. It is interpreted by different individuals and sects in a thousand different ways, and this is the chief cause of the existence of so many different denominations of Christians.
One reason that it ts so misunderstood is that individuals come to it with certain definite theories which they wish to confirm from it. Let us say that it is true that they derive those theories from their cursory reading of the Bible, but they emphasize some one point or other, or various points which they unite into a system of belief, and then insist that what they have derived and emphasized is the true and only belief from the Bible and hence the true religion, and everything which is contrary to their view is heresy. They then teach their view, or interpretation, to others about them, and confirm what they reach from the passages which they think prove the completeness of their new phase of religion. Since most people do no clear thinking for themselves, they are open to an emphasis taught them by others of an ardent spirit. They see, or thin they see, from the Bible itself the correctness of the view which has been presented. Every passage which appears to be contrary to their interpretation is made to harmonize as far as possible with the system of belief adopted, or at last is twisted into an appearance of harmony, or else cast aside as unimportant. St. Anselm evidently approached the Bible with a theory of his own from his reading, but his effort resulted in a total failure to understand its message—in the eventual destruction of the Christian Church.
The method suggested of approaching the Bible with a theory of our own, and attempting to prove it by passages of the Word, is a most unfair way of getting at the truth of the Bible and it always results in an unfair presentation of its truths. There is probably
