The Bible

[BanjoPicker]

The Bible, or God's Words of Scripture, is very simple to understand. No man has any excuse for misunderstanding it. Jesus constantly invited and provoked study of the Scriptures and even rebuked men for their lack of knowledge of revealed truth. He attributed all error to a lack of knowledge of the Bible. He answered His critics by saying, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God" (Mt. 22:29). He commanded men to "Search the scriptures; for in them ye THINK ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (Jn. 5:39).

After more than three years of the most, simple teaching by the greatest of all teachers, the disciples had to be rebuked for their unbelief and hardness of heart. This was not because they could not understand but because they did not believe what Christ said. He said to them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Lk. 24:25-27). Even after Christ had appeared and manifested Himself to them in various ways, they still refused to believe until He unbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart (Mk. 16:13, 14). The words Christ spoke were always simple enough to understand, but to believe them was another thing. You too may have a struggle at first, to really realize the benefits promise you, according to the Bible. You should begin now to believe the promises of the more abundant life and expect these benefits. You should begin to believe the good news that these blessings are for you and begin to appropriate them now.

 

[BanjoPicker]

Paul also taught that hearing the word of God was sufficient to cause one to believe. He said, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? . . . But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord who HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT? So then faith cometh BY HEARING and hearing BY THE WORD OF GOD" (Rom. 10:11-18).

Nearly ninety times in the New Testament alone, and appeal is made to readers to believe what "is written," as if everything was simple enough to understand if men wanted to understand and believe. In fact, not once in either Testament did any speaker or writer leave the impression that anything God said was hard to understand, if men would simply believe what God had said. The only hint of any misunderstanding on the part of anyone is in connection with those who did not want to believe and obey the gospel.

Jesus taught that it was only because of the wilfulness of men not to believe that it was hard to understand without exception (Mt. 13:9-17).
Peter speaks of the "unlearned and unstable)," wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16-18). However, no person belongs to this class if he will make up his mind to believe and obey what is written instead of rebelling against it.

Pride, wilfulness, and rebellion against what "is written" are the cause of the Bible being hard to understand. The hard part then is not understanding with the mind but in being willing to obey what one does not want to obey. If one could not understand the truth, he could not reject it.

 

[RegularJoe]

... Jesus constantly invited and provoked study of the Scriptures ..../QUOTE]

Easie pesie 5min.s a weekday reading schedule download available at the 1/2 page website www.TheBible.bz
Enables one to thoughtfully complete the New Testament in exactly 1 year,
in a completely time manageable fashion.

 

[Ruger#3]

Our church provides a calendar of readings as part of your education and growth as a Christian. These relate to essential lessons and religious dates through out the year. Sermons often relate to some part of your studies. This is just one page of the calendar reference.

 

[BanjoPicker]

Jesus constantly invited and provoked study of the Scriptures and even rebuked men for their lack of knowledge of revealed truth. He attributed all error to a lack of knowledge of the Bible.

Here is the rest of the sentence.

 

[BanjoPicker]

There is no excuse for anyone to misunerderstand God's Word if he will like a child, accept the Bible for what it says and be honest enough to consecrate himself to obey it. He must accept the Bible as God's Word. He must believe that God could not be honest if He sought to hide from man the very things, He will be judge him by in the end. He must accept the Bible the final court of appeal on its own subjects and forget man's interpretations and distortion of the Word. He must believe that God knows what He is taking about, That He knows how to express Himself in human language that He did say what He meant, and meant what He said, and that what He says on a subject is more important than what any man may say about it.

Look up the references and see exactly what the Bible says and believe it in preference to any man. Be sure you adhere to what is written and that you do not let preconceived ideas cause you to be biased on any point. Do not try to make The Bible conform to your ideas. Always reconcile your ideas to the Bible. Let the plain language of the references given be read and understood in the same literal way that we would understand similar statements in any other book.

 

[Madman]

Here is the rest of the sentence.

Didn’t he rebuke the teachers as being ignorant?

 

[Madman]

I don’t believe the Bible claims to be simple to understand. The Ethiopian Eunuch claimed to need a teacher of the Scriptures, Peter said Paul’s writings were difficult to understand and easily twisted.

 

[formula1]

I don’t believe the Bible claims to be simple to understand. The Ethiopian Eunuch claimed to need a teacher of the Scriptures, Peter said Paul’s writings were not difficult to understand and easily twisted.

I would agree! 1 Corinthians 2 speaks to the need for understanding of spiritual wisdom among the mature. So the Holy Spirit in us is paramount to understanding, particularly the deep things of God!

 

[BanjoPicker]

Just consider that the Bible is simple and that God's Word for man is clear, and nothing will be hard to understand. Do not defeat yourself before you get start by thinking that the Bible is the hardest book in the world to understand. Forget that idea here and now! So-called mysteries that have seemingly baffled the wise of this world are still revealed to "babes."

Jesus at one time said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, BECAUSE thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for it seemed good in thy sight" Mt. 11:25-27. He said of the so-called wise and prudent, "This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes THEY HAVE CLOSED; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Mt. 13>10-17).

This is all important therefore that you be simple and humble in your attitude. And take the place of a disciple (learner) and accept at its face value everything that God says on any subject whether or not it harmonizes with your theories or those of your former teachers. If you want truth as it is in the Bible.
Let's study with an open Bible, and open heart, and open mind to all that God says, and be honest to lay aside old theories for plain, literal, and simple Word of God on all points.

 

[BanjoPicker]

I don’t believe the Bible claims to be simple to understand. The Ethiopian Eunuch claimed to need a teacher of the Scriptures, Peter said Paul’s writings were difficult to understand and easily twisted.

Jesus said, " I think thee O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, be, BECAUSE thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so Father: it seemed good in thy sight" (Mt. 11:25-27).

He said of the so-called wise and prudent, "This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes THEY HAVE CLOSED; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted and I should heal them (Mt. 13:10-17).

 

[brutally honest]

Do not try to make The Bible conform to your ideas.

Every thread you start is you trying to make the Bible conform to your ideas.

 

[ClemsonRangers]

^that is brutally honest^

 

[The Original Rooster]

I don’t believe the Bible claims to be simple to understand. The Ethiopian Eunuch claimed to need a teacher of the Scriptures, Peter said Paul’s writings were difficult to understand and easily twisted.

I would agree! 1 Corinthians 2 speaks to the need for understanding of spiritual wisdom among the mature. So the Holy Spirit in us is paramount to understanding, particularly the deep things of God!

I agree, some parts are easy and some parts are not.

 

[Madman]

all parts are impossible for man.

Except One.

Then there is no need for the Bible if it can not be understood, or perhaps I don't understand what you are trying to say

 

[Madman]

Jesus said, " I think thee O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, be, BECAUSE thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so Father: it seemed good in thy sight" (Mt. 11:25-27).

That is a direct quote, what was Christ trying to say? Do you really believe that wise men, like Solemn, did not understand, and that babies, who can't speak or understand anything, other than food, warmth, and sleep, could understand?

 

[ClemsonRangers]

Billy Graham said that he had questions and didnt understand it all.

Jerry Vines said that it is because we are bird brains lol

 

[Spotlite]

That is a direct quote, what was Christ trying to say? Do you really believe that wise men, like Solemn, did not understand, and that babies, who can't speak or understand anything, other than food, warmth, and sleep, could understand?

That’s not at all what that’s saying. The wise - those over-thinkers that try to dissect every word in multiple languages and walk away with a “new revelation” correcting everyone.

Babes - those that trust God’s Word for what it says.

 

[The Original Rooster]

all parts are impossible for man.

Except One.

What does that even mean in relation to the conversation about whether the Bible is easy to understand or not other than to make one view himself as being clever? Do you not see the damage you do by making statements like this? Understanding the Bible is not impossible or God wouldn't have left it for us to study. Some parts do require much more contemplation and prayer than others though. The Bible is full of examples of this.

 

[Madman]

That’s not at all what that’s saying. The wise - those over-thinkers that try to dissect every word in multiple languages and walk away with a “new revelation” correcting everyone.

Babes - those that trust God’s Word for what it says.

Agree. Now when does one decide to be literal or figurative?
Today, with Sola Scriptura, every man gets to decide on his own. See the problem?