Most people will say, "Well you can't just read one verse. You have to read the whole thing." They then tell you that you "just have to know."
Reading the surrounding verses or the chapter for context usually helps. I disagree with needing to read the whole Bible (assuming "whole thing" means "whole Bible") to understand most of the Bible, and nobody "just knows" anything God or the Bible (the verse you quote below refutes their logic).
In other words if you don't agree with them you didn't interpret it correctly.
Having an interpretation of some Bible verses that differs from someone else or from an orthodox position doesn't necessarily mean the interpretation is wrong. It's important that the interpretation is supported with scripture and doesn't contradict scripture. For example, someone could quote Leviticus 24:20 (the "eye for an eye" law) to justify an act of personal vengeance (similar to saying "I'm allowed to murder because a judge can issue a death sentence"), but Christ argues against that reasoning in Matthew 5:38-39. This may not be the best example out there, but taking verses out of context like this is commonly used to argue that the Bible says something that it doesn't.
Even if I read it, what do I do with that information?
The Bible claims to be the recorded words of God that he gave to (literally "breathed into") His prophets and apostles (2 Timothy 3:16). This is my summary of the most important points in the Bible:
Adam's sin (Genesis 2:17, 3:6) has corrupted mankind (Romans 5:12) and sentenced his descendants to physical death (Romans 6:23) and hell afterwards (Matthew 13:47-50). To atone for their own sins, God's people had to make certain animal sacrifices (e.g. Numbers 15:22-24) to Him. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25), as a final sacrifice for the sins of whoever would follow Him (Matthew 10:32, John 3:14-21, Romans 10:9, Ephesians 5:2, Hebrews 7:27, 1 John 1:9) to escape judgment. The Jews rejected Him as the Messiah who would save them, and had Him crucified (Matthew 26:59-27:56, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18-19). Jesus was buried, but rose again three days later (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21). (I have the verses listed out in my journal if you want to read them in one spot.)
Most of the Bible ties into the above points in some way, either describing the history that lead up to Jesus (the Old Testament books), the events of His time (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), or the first century church Christian writings (the rest of the New Testament). Depending on what you read, you could determine (with God's help through prayer or with the help of Christians who don't say "you just have to know") how it ties into God's plan to send His Son or the results of following Him. The verse you quote below is a good example...
What does: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV) mean?... Do I need to know other parts to interpret it?
In verses 1-8 before this, Paul explains that when he met the Corinthians (that he's now writing to), he wasn't aiming to impress them with worldly wisdom, but to share God's wisdom.
Verse 10 says:
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Verse 9 and 10 say that nobody knows with worldly wisdom (e.g. seeing, hearing, or just knowing) the reward of being a Christian / follower of Christ ("them that love him.") since only His Spirit shares that.
Verses 12 through 14 continue, distinguishing God's wisdom that His Spirit gives with wisdom that the world teaches:
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words whic
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Most people will say, "Well you can't just read one verse. You have to read the whole thing." They then tell you that you "just have to know."
... Do I need to know other parts to interpret it?
Reading the surrounding verses or the chapter for context usually helps. I disagree with needing to read the whole Bible (assuming "whole thing" means "whole Bible") to understand most of the Bible, and nobody "just knows" anything God or the Bible (the verse you quote below refutes their logic).
In other words if you don't agree with them you didn't interpret it correctly.
Having an interpretation of some Bible verses that differs from someone else or from an orthodox position doesn't necessarily mean the interpretation is wrong. It's important that the interpretation is supported with scripture and doesn't contradict scripture. For example, someone could quote Leviticus 24:20 (the "eye for an eye" law) to justify an act of personal vengeance (similar to saying "I'm allowed to murder because a judge can issue a death sentence"), but Christ argues against that reasoning in Matthew 5:38-39. This may not be the best example out there, but taking verses out of context like this is commonly used to argue that the Bible says something that it doesn't.
Even if I read it, what do I do with that information?
The Bible claims to be the recorded words of God that he gave to (literally "breathed into") His prophets and apostles (2 Timothy 3:16). This is my summary of the most important points in the Bible: Adam's sin (Genesis 2:17, 3:6) has corrupted mankind (Romans 5:12) and sentenced his descendants to physical death (Romans 6:23) and hell afterwards (Matthew 13:47-50). To atone for their own sins, God's people had to make certain animal sacrifices (e.g. Numbers 15:22-24) to Him. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25), as a final sacrifice for the sins of whoever would follow Him (Matthew 10:32, John 3:14-21, Romans 10:9, Ephesians 5:2, Hebrews 7:27, 1 John 1:9) to escape judgment. The Jews rejected Him as the Messiah who would save them, and had Him crucified (Matthew 26:59-27:56, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18-19). Jesus was buried, but rose again three days later (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21). (I have the verses listed out in my journal if you want to read them in one spot.)
Most of the Bible ties into the above points in some way, either describing the history that lead up to Jesus (the Old Testament books), the events of His time (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), or the first century church Christian writings (the rest of the New Testament). Depending on what you read, you could determine (with God's help through prayer or with the help of Christians who don't say "you just have to know") how it ties into God's plan to send His Son or the results of following Him. The verse you quote below is a good example...
What does: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV) mean?
In verses 1-8 before this, Paul explains that when he met the Corinthians (that he's now writing to), he wasn't aiming to impress them with worldly wisdom, but to share God's wisdom.
Verse 10 says:
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Verse 9 and 10 say that nobody knows with worldly wisdom (e.g. seeing, hearing, or just knowing) the reward of being a Christian / follower of Christ ("them that love him.") since only His Spirit shares that.
Verses 12 through 14 continue, distinguishing God's wisdom that His Spirit gives with wisdom that the world teaches:
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words whic