I realise there's always a level of interpretation neccesary when reading anything, but the level of interpretation needed to understand the Bible is very high when compared to everyday reading - some people spend their entire lives trying to understand what it means.
Example
If a friend says to me:
I'm going to the shop, I will be back before 1PM.
I don't have a reason to interpret this statement as meaning 1PM tomorrow, or 1PM next week.
We could compare this to Luke 21:32:
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place
This to me means that all the prophecies described in the bible would happen while the generation that Jesus spoke to was still alive.
However it's often interpreted to mean something entirely different. Here is one Christian interpretation:
(This refers) to a future generation that sees the events He spoke of prophetically.
Note: I'm not asking specifically about this interpretation it's just an example - I'm asking in general why it is subject to a high level of interpretation.
- Is it because the Bible was written in another language, and we can't assume it has been translated properly?
- Is it because the Bible states that it's not always to be taken literally?
- Something else?
أنا أحبك.
How about this:Я люблю тебя.
? Or this:Miluji tě.
? They mean nothing to you (I'm guessing) because you don't know how to interpret these languages. If I sayI love you
, you have a much better idea how to interpret it. But even so, it's rather out of context--what do I really mean? 100% of communication is 100% subject to interpretation.