"With all of the different branches of Christianity and all of the different interpretations of the Bible, where do all of these branches get their different viewpoints? What are they basing their differences in beliefs on? In other words, if we are all reading the same Bible, where or how are we coming up with these differences in beliefs?"
Excellent question. It gets to the very heart of what is and what is not Truth when it comes to the things of God. Last I heard, there were over 4,000 different denominations that consider themselves to be Christian. They are obviously not all basing all their beliefs on the same source for Truth. If we were all accepting the Bible (as originally written) as God’s Word, the only source for Truth, and taking the same approach to it, there would be far fewer disagreements among us. The various “interpretations of the Bible” are not primarily due to a lack of scholarship in being able to understand what is written. They are primarily due to fundamental differences in how we view what is written.
Many, even most, Christians are woefully ignorant of the Scriptures and do not even believe that they are the Word of God. Many believe that the Bible (and by “Bible” I am throughout referring to the Scriptures as originally written) CONTAINS God’s Word, but not that it IS God’s Word. Their real standard for truth is whatever conclusions they have come to from their personal life experiences. They only accept the parts of the Bible that are consistent with the conclusions they have already come to.
A prevalent view is that the Scriptures are not absolute truth and, actually, that there is no such thing as absolute truth. You may interpret a particular Biblical passage to mean one thing to you and that is good for you. Someone else interprets the same passage to mean something else to him and that is good for him. There is no right or wrong interpretation. This view is both absurd and cowardly. No one needs to take a stand on anything. Everyone gets to believe anything he wants and no one is any more right or wrong than anyone else. If such were true, there would be no communication from God to man. If the passage means whatever I want, not what God wants, the whole book is completely pointless.
The Scriptures are not of our own private interpretation.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy [anything spoken forth, not just foretelling of future events] of the scripture is of any private [idios- one’s own] interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time [at any time] by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Roman Catholic church is up front about stating that the written Scriptures are not even their primary standard for truth, let alone their only standard. Edicts of the Pope and church tradition are both stated to be of higher authority.
The myriads of different interpretations are caused primarily by these and other unsound approaches to God’s Word. The wide variances are not because the Bible cannot be understood. Among those of us who endeavor to simply read the records and believe what they say, there are still differences, just not nearly as many.
God’s Word tells us to “study” to show ourselves approved unto God, “rightly dividing” the Word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study [spoudazo – give diligence] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [orthotemeo – a straight, right cutting, implying that other cuttings are not “straight” or right] the word of truth.
When we give due diligence to rightly dividing God’s Word, with honesty and reason, identifying and forsaking unfounded tradition, there need not be such differences among us. The Bible is understandable, but learning the Truth takes effort and a willingness to reject all previously held beliefs upon seeing scriptures contrary to those beliefs. Unfortunately, there are relatively few people who are willing to do this.
Bless.
Ken