Quote:
Originally Posted by NeitherFirstnorLast
Mike, on this I will agree that we all read the Word with some interpretation - HOWEVER: The point I was making was that the Orthodox church frowns upon the personal ownership of Bibles, because (I understand) their belief is that only a member of their Clergy has the authority to interpret the Word.
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I don't know who told you so. I just hope it was not your personal experience. But I will share mine: as an Orthodox Christian, I easily bought a Bible in an Orthodox church when I was a schoolboy. BTW, it had no footnotes. I don't know much about Orthodox churches in other countries, but usually the Holy Bible in my native language never has any footnotes. (And the Orthodox Church is the largest church in my home country). It's the same about Orthodox websites where one can read the Holy Bible. There are no footnotes there or any other hints at a special interpretation. NB I am telling from my own personal experience, at first hand, not because I read it somewhere or because someone told me about that.
If one wants to read footnotes, he or she can read a book or a special webpage where he or she can find a few different interpretations. But yes, they don't really contradict, but complement each other.
It's not that the Church doesn't want you to interpret the Bible on your own. The Church doesn't want you to be deceived and follow false teachers like Nee and Lee, repeating their errors.