When heretics are confuted by Scripture, they will often turn round and accuse these same Scriptures, as if they were not correct, nor of authority, and assert that they are ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of tradition. I am not the first to say this, nor indeed did I just use my own words. As far back as 189 A.D., Irenaeus faced the same problem.
In the modern day, this takes many forms. It may take the form of an atheist attempting to say that since there are too many denominations, they can't all be true, therefore none of them are. It may be a theological Liberal attempting to say it's intolerant to dismiss their interpretation and insist on one. It may be a Catholic arguing that the Bible does not make the man of God complete, nor thoroughly equip him for every good work, and so we need an authoritative Magisterium to give us the true interpretation thereof. In all cases, the phrase "that's just your interpretation", and others like it, are commonplace.
Of course, by nature, all written documents must be interpreted. You're interpreting this one right now. But just as this article has an intended interpretation, so also does the Bible. The simple way to reach that interpretation? The same way you interpret anything: Read it. Let's give an example:
In 1 Timothy 2:5, we read "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,". Reading this very simple verse, we can ask a few questions:
1. How many gods are there?
A. 1.
2. How many mediators are there between God and man?
A. 1.
3. Who is that one mediator?
A. The Man, Christ Jesus.
This is a very simple interpretation that no sane and literate person can deny. Yet, according to the Catholic Church, "Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."" (CCC 969).
Now, if there is one mediator between man and God, that being the Man Jesus Christ, how can there also be a second mediator, Mary? With only 1 Timothy 2:5 in mind, it's obvious that the Catholic Church's teaching on Mary as Mediatrix is complete and utter rubbish. And the more one compares Catholic Mariology to the explicit teachings of Scripture, the clearer it becomes that the Catholic Church flat out worships Mary, bowing to statues of her, and in some cases even depicting her on the cross along with Jesus. It even claims that there is no salvation apart from her intercession.
Now let's do a similar thing with Galatians 1:8: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed."
Who can preach a gospel other than the gospel preached by the Apostles? Not even the Apostles themselves, nor an angel from Heaven. Did the Apostles ever preach a gospel centered around Mary? Absolutely not. So, what are we to think of the Catholic Church, which preaches a different gospel centered around Mary, rather than Christ? Simply that they are accursed. The Catholic Church, by transferring so many of Christ's attributes to Mary, is clearly and indisputably condemned by Scripture. This is not a mere difference between several equally valid interpretations of an ambiguous book. It is two views, one based on a plain reading of a clear book, and one that is clearly opposed to it.
Although I have used Catholic Mariology as an example in this article, there are thousands of other examples. Even Muslims will attempt to claim the Bible is too ambiguous to be successfully used against their teachings. But just as Scripture is clearly opposed to Catholic Mariology, so also is Scripture clearly opposed to every heretic who claims it is ambiguous. It is high time we all started taking Scripture more seriously, not wresting it to our own desires, but seeking its true sense through diligent study.