The New Testament was written at a time entrenched in the Roman Empire. Influences of the ancient world may only vaguely reflect our modern world. When all is said and done, the Bible is an ancientbook. Even within the Biblical writings we can discern different cultural perspectives. It is difficult to grasp the writer's original message without having it influenced by our own sense of cultural values.
Translations are, in many respects, interpretations.
There are many turns of speech and idioms that cannot be translated from one language to another. Israel was a small country by Australian standards villages were only kilometres apart in a very hilly and barren terrain. Bible heroes lived amongst wolves, bears, lions, and jackals. Since these gaps exist, rules for interpretation must be set up to bridge them. First and foremost, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us .