I Don't Get It - Part 2

Many Christians make comments about not being able to understand the Bible on their own. We saw four reasons last time for why that should not be true - but sometimes it seems to be true. Why do people struggle to profit personally from the Bible?

There are a number of possible reasons, and not all of them apply in every situation. Looking at the reasons for difficulty in understanding should help to provide answers for how to change that.

First, some Christians struggle to understand the Bible because they are immature or worldly. I Cor. 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it, for you are still fleshly.” Paul says these Christians struggled to understand the deeper concepts of the Bible due to their fleshly nature. They were still focused on themselves and their own pleasures rather than on God; this improper focus was evidenced by jealousy and strife. While there is nothing we can do about how long we have been saved, there is something we can do about the focus of our lives. As we turn away from our past worldly and selfish lifestyle and turn more to God, we will be better able to understand His Word.

Second, some Christians struggle with comprehending the Bible because they are convinced they can’t. This mindset may come from early frustration in reading the Word. It may be reinforced by others who make it sound like understanding the Bible is impossible. It is sometimes fostered by spoken or implied impressions that only pastors can understand the Bible and that’s why we go to church. When we are convinced that reading the Bible is pointless, we probably don’t even try, or if we do, our efforts are minimal. The previous post, however, clearly showed that we can understand the Bible.

Third, limited effort can lead to limited understanding. Low expectations or sometimes a lack of guidance can lead to a very casual approach to the Bible. A previous post examined the need to read the Bible with purpose. We ought to be looking to learn. If we have nothing to look for as we read, we will read very casually and will not profit much from our reading. We’re all familiar with students whose eyes pass over all the words in their history assignment, but they have no idea what they've read because they were not concentrating or seeking to learn.

Fourth, on the opposite side, sometimes our frustration in understanding the Bible is because we expect too much. Sometimes we expect complete understanding. Some passages in the Bible are harder to understand than others. Even in the “easier” passages, it is completely normal to gain additional understanding in subsequent readings. The fact that we don’t understand everything should not discourage us from learning what we can. The reality is that there are some things in the Bible that we will never understand (at least in this lifetime). Rather than giving up because we lack complete understanding, we should be grateful for each little step of progress. While we may not be scholars, we can learn enough to make our reading profitable.

Fifth, sometimes the wording of the Bible is challenging to understand. Among other things, there is unfamiliar vocabulary. We may lack insight into the customs or historical context. There are sentences that stretch for several verses at a time. Depending on the translation being used, these challenges may be noticed to greater or lesser extents. It is not my intent in this post to open a controversy about translations; I merely observe the reality that some translations are more difficult to read. Without literal comprehension of what the passage actually says at face value, it is impossible to have deeper levels of comprehension. The answer to this issue may be found in an easier translation, a dictionary, repeated readings of a passage, or stating the passage in one’s own words. The reader must work to achieve comprehension.

Sixth, Christians struggle to understand the Bible because they lack helpful skills. There are tools that can be used to help understanding. These may be things like a Bible dictionary or concordance, but I’m more focused on ways of thinking. There are too many things to be shared in this post, but future posts will address more of this topic. Many of these tips can be learned by listening to a good preacher. There are considerations like studying a paragraph rather than a single verse, recognizing that “for” often means “because,” learning to look back when seeing the words “therefore” or “wherefore,” reading within context, properly linking verses together, and recognizing lists. These are all things that should improve with practice. In many ways, it is similar to mastering a video game, computer program, or type of word puzzle. You start to recognize patterns and strategies so that progress comes more smoothly.

Seventh, and I believe most critical, Christians fail to understand the Word of God because they don’t spend enough time in it. The Bible is powerful, and the Holy Spirit is there to help. God will reward those who seek His truth. Time in the Word will bring learning. So the largest deterrent to understanding is a lack of time in the Word. Ten minutes a week is not enough to develop mastery of anything, Bible comprehension included. For illustration purposes, let’s assign one tidbit of learning for ten minutes in the Bible. At ten minutes per week, a Christian gains 52 tidbits per year. At an hour per day, however, the number of tidbits would be 2190. The difference is huge, and that difference is compounded over a period of five or ten years.

If we limit our understanding of the Bible to what others share with us, we limit our learning to time in church and available money to spend on books. There is nothing wrong with profiting from what others have learned. There is something precious, however, in digging out on one’s own the unlimited truth contained in the Bible. There is joy in that profitable time with God in which He is personally doing the teaching. It is exciting to see the Scriptures come alive and to realize that God has a message to share. It may take work, but the profit comes through the effort. God can give understanding if we will ask.

Open my eyes, that I may behold

Wonderful things from Your law. Psalm 119:18 (NASB)