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When believers interpret a passage differently (either within a church or across denominations), how should they relate to each other in a way that promotes unity in the Body of Christ and yet continues to minister God’s Word with conviction?
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We must interpret every Bible verse using exegetical method and it’s interpretation should related to the Gospel.
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I believe that each part of the body interprets what its job is based on what body part it is and it does not argue with interpretation of the other body parts. “12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people.”
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WE must converse with respect and gentleness and patience, but we also must stand on what we believe the author meant and how the readers of his day interpreted it. This I understand to be the historical grammatical method.
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I believe that interpretation should be left to the Holy Spirit. And when believers somehow interpret a passage differently each should pray for the Holy Spirit to bring about the meaning of what exactly the Lord meant. The Holy Spirit does a great job of interpretation if we will allow Him and He can cross reference those scriptures like no one else can. We promote Unity when we put aside our personal interpretation and come into agreement with what the Holy Spirit has, without error, revealed. One can read a certain passage this week, and return to that same passage 6 months later and “feel” a different way about the scripture. So, which interpretation is correct. The one 6 months prior? Or the one 6 months later? Interpretation should be left to the Holy Spirit, who knows ALL.
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they should respect each other first of all, since they’re believers. An agreement of a more in-depth study of the passage should be conducted and a willingness to pray so that the Holy Spirit can clarify the meaning of the passage. There are passages that can be debated and others that I believe cannot since they deal with doctrines that cannot be changed, like Salvation.