If I am not mistaking, every christian believes that the bible is the word of God or the great depository of the word of God. But inasmuch as "all the scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for correction and for training in righteousness"(2Tim.3:16), God never intended the bible to be Christians rule of faith, independent of the living authority of the Church.
As a matter of fact, the Jewish people had the greatest honour for the bible unlike any other nation. They took pride and glory in it, they sung it in their times of peace, they meditated on it in their times of tribulation and trouble. In spite of this, they never dreamed of settling their religious controversies by a private appeal to the scripture.
However, when any religious dispute arose among the people it was decided by the Priests and the Sanhedrin. The sentence of the High Priests and of his associate judges was to be obeyed at all cost even under death penalty(Duet.17:8-11).
From this, it is clear that God does not refer the Jews for the settlement of their controversies to the scripture, but to the living authority of the ecclesiastical tribunal which he has established for that purpose.
However the Priests were required to be very well acquainted with the scriptures, because in them are the depositories of God's law and they were the expounders to the people. "The lips of the Priests shall keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the lord of host(Mal.2:7). As a matter of fact, only the priests was the Holy book left in their hands. The scripture was rare and precious.
What provision did God make for the Goodnews to be heard by all people? Did he order the multiplication of the scripture volumes? Not at all!
He ordered the Priests and Levites to be distributed through the different tribes(Ezra16:18, 2Chro.24:5).
More so, Christ our saviour did never reverse this state of things when he came to earth. Christ did not tell the Jews to be their own guides in the study of the scriptures, but he commanded them to obey their constituted teachers no matter what,(Matt.23:2-3).
You may say that in John 5:39 our lord said "search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting, and the same are they that give testimony to me", but permit me to ask: was the new testament written then?
Funny enough this passage triumphantly proves wrong private interpretation of the bible. Christ was referring to the Pharisees who were the teachers of the law and not the listening multitude, who would not handle the scriptures.
Understand?
The Holy book was handled by the Priests when Christ made that statement, thus it has not changed.
This misconception of private interpretation has led the body of Christ (The Church) into heresies, lies and false doctrines. Like I said earlier, the bible is most printed book but unfortunately the most misunderstood.
However, the Catholics have allowed the Holy book to be in the hands of Priests for proper interpretation. The Catholics have allowed the divinely-selected well-trained-for-the-purpose Priests to do the work to which they have been appointed.
Therefore oh ye self-acclaimed Pastors, who has given you the right to interprete the holy scripture even to your own taste?
Think twice.
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