But it's my right!

Today I was reading The Daily Texan, which is the university newspaper for the University of Texas. One article I was reading was headlined Local church accepts members of all sexual orientations, by Roxanna Asgarian. I am not going to look at the main topic of this article, but instead focus on a specific quote in the article. This quote is by Mona West, a Biblical scholar.

“Biblical scholars and translators have traditionally been white, European, heterosexual males, but where are our voices? Each of us has our own authority and right to interpret scripture.”

I disagree with West on her statement. I do not believe that we are granted the right to interpret scripture on our own authority.

In John 16:12-13, Jesus speaks to his disciples saying, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
We see that it is the Spirit, the very spirit of God that he gives to his people, that gives us our interpretation.

In 1st Corinthians 2: 9-16, Paul writes "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ."
Once again we see that our understanding of God and indeed life comes by the Spirit of God. We understand and interpret not on our own authority, but on the authority of the Spirit. If I interpret because of my own authority, I interpret as a foolish person because I do not have the understanding of the original author's (God) mind and intent. When we read literature, we interpret based on our understanding. Often times this differs from the author's intent. While sometimes this is not bad, God does not desire that we understand things differently than from his intent. Therefore, he has given us the Spirit which teaches and instructs us. Indeed I can now interpret scripture because I am looking at it not from my perspective but from God's because I am looking at it through the mindset given to me by the Spirit.

Are there various interpretations? Certainly. But only one is worth pursuing when it comes to something as important as God and that is his interpretation.
Are there various applications? Certainly. When Jesus told the apostles to go to throughout all the world making disciples, they went to different places and spread the Gospel of Jesus in various ways. They were all correct. They also had the same interpretation of the words of Jesus. The Spirit, which they received shortly after at Pentecost, provided the interpretation.

The Bible is a collection of revelations, teachings, commands, prophecies, instructions, and stories that have been collected and passed down to us by those who followed God before us. We can be certain that the Bible is accurate to when it was written by because of the reseach by people much more qualified than me. We should look at the Bible by asking the original author, God, what it means.