Is the Bible hard to understand?

Published on 04/28/24 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.

No, the Bible is not a hard book to understand, contrary to what many believe. Much of the Bible was written in a straightforward manner, so people can apply its teachings to their daily lives. Would God write something so hard and puzzling and then ask people to follow His ways? God wrote the Bible for our benefit; if it cannot be understood correctly, how could we fulfill the purpose for which it was written? While some portions were written poetically and in parables, they can be understood with a searching heart.

Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11, WEB) Here, Jesus urged us to continually search for divine truths diligently and ask for divine wisdom. We are to ask, seek, and knock, meaning that we should be persistent in what we pray for to God, such as for divine illumination to the Bible. If it's according to His will, God will grant it.

One vital principle to help us understand the Bible is for us to interpret passages in their correct context.

If I make a statement as simple as, "I love him," it can be understood correctly and incorrectly and be misinterpreted in different ways. Some may believe I meant I love him as a friend; others may think I love him romantically; still others may even feel I love him strictly in a lustful way. Some may also think I love him because he is wealthy, or because he is handsome. Just looking at this single statement alone will not help people determine what I truly mean. To truly know what I mean, one has to know the answers to questions like these: about whom am I speaking? What did I say before I said this? After? When did I say this? Why did I say this? To whom did I say this? How did I say this? (tone of voice, etc.) In other words, to understand my statement's meaning fully, one has to view the statement in its context.

It's the same thing with understanding the Bible. To understand what a verse means, one has to view it in its correct context and see it in the light of what the Bible reveals as a whole. We can't take a verse out of its context and try to understand it that way. We'd have to familiarize ourselves with the messages of the Bible as a whole, it's historical context, to whom this passage was written, who wrote it, why it was written, the culture and language and word usage of the period when it was written, and so forth. This is what Bible expository study involves and requires. And this is how we can best prevent misinterpreting the Bible, which can lead us to believing in falsehoods. While some may honestly and fervently and unknowingly believe in untruths, their energy and passion is often wasted because in the end, untruths benefit no one.

The Bible is a precious chest filled with priceless treasures. We all know that to learn or understand any knowledge, we must use our time, effort, and heart in learning and studying. When the Bible holds every truth we need, wouldn't we require even more effort and energy to study and understand it? Most children go to school for at least twelve years to get ready for life. Shouldn't we take even longer preparation and study time in order to be ready for our eternal life with God?