There can be many reasons for misunderstanding the written or spoken word, but I believe that all of the blame/responsibility for misinterpretation is with the individual and not with scripture. Jesus spoke plainly and clearly to his disciples and explained the parables to them even though those parables were not clear to the scribes and pharisees. The friends of Jesus, his apostles, knew the “true word as taught.”
But it seems there are times when the blame is on the speaker. For example, we read this:
Likewise, the apostles continued to teach the “true word as taught.” Moreover, they commissioned others to do the same. Scripture says a great deal about teachers in the NT.
Acts 13:1
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and
teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Mana-en a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
1 Cor 12:28
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues.
Eph 4:11-14
And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; so **that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.
**
1 Tim 2:7-8
For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
1 Tim 3: 2-3
Now a
bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable,
an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money.
2 Tim 1:11
For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and
teacher,
2 Tim 2:24-25
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one,
an apt teacher, forbearing,
correcting his opponents with gentleness.
2 Tim 4:1-4
I CHARGE you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season,
convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.
Titus 1:7-9
For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled;** he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it. **
2 Peter 2:1
BUT FALSE prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be
false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
It is clear that we need teachers. It is clear that we need teachers that will teach and hold to the “true word as taught.” It is also clear that there will be false teachers.
Clearly there are some things in scripture that are hard to understand, but the friends of Jesus and those that were handed on the “true word as taught” would understand and would teach it correctly. Peter even says that some of Paul’s letters contain things in them that are hard to understand and that some twist them as they do the other scriptures[2 Peter 3:16].
Surely the apostles would know the “true word as
taught” and so would their successors in positions of leadership within the early Church. It would seem that there would also be those that deviated from the “true word as taught”. These would be the heretics that emerged beginning with the Gnostics.
Perhaps getting some idea how the heretics such as the Gnostics deviated from the “true word as taught” would help us out in our discussion. Likewise, how would someone at the time know if the Gnostics were deviating from the truth? Moreover, how would someone know if later heretics were heretics or if they were teaching "the true word as taught?"Any ideas?
God bless.
