Articles
Is the Bible a Simple Book? - 2
The difficulty in understanding Scripture is two-fold: 1) Intellectual challenges, and 2) Acceptance of what is understood. The first, in my view, is the easiest to correct. The second can be totally irrational.
Intellectual Challenges. A student of the Bible will encounter similar difficulties that might arise in considering any other piece of literature. First, there are different genres, and not all literary genres are created equal. Some just don’t appeal to the reader’s interests; others are more obscure in presenting their message (think apocalyptic literature, like Revelation).
Historical information is often straightforward, but the sheer scope of the time frame, event sequences, names (all those “J” kings; duplicate names, etc.), the various nations and their respective histories, dates, etc. can be overwhelming. But imbedded in the history are lessons that are crucial pieces of the puzzle in our understanding of ourselves and God.
Poetic and wisdom literature is often framed by the customs and life experiences of the authors. For example, David likens his relationship with God as a sheep with its shepherd (Psalm 23); the worthy woman of Proverbs who “stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle” (31:19). The Scriptures effectively speak to the human nature, but the student must pull back the cultural veil to see what lies behind it.
The greater part of the Old Testament must be understood against the backdrop of the Mosaic Law which colored every facet of Israelite life. Though this law is not presently in force, we must become familiar with it in order to put events in their proper context. This is easier said than done (Leviticus can be very tedious). But the feasts, sacrifices, moral and ceremonial codes and elements of worship are challenging when we are so far removed from those practices – both in time and principle.
Another hurdle is that Scripture was originally written in languages not native to us (OT/Hebrew, NT/Greek). While this article does not tackle this in detail, suffice it to say that many resources are available for those who are not Biblical language scholars. Some are intimidated by this and dismiss it altogether: “God made the Bible simple to understand; we don’t need to study Greek to learn it.” Well, I’ll tell you who is studying Greek: every crackpot theologian who uses it to deceive others into accepting false doctrine. It would behoove us to consider some of the language nuances that might not be reflected in standard translations. Having said that, reading parallel translations is a minimal but effective way of expanding one’s understanding of how English reflects the original.
After years of observation I believe that many Christians think they are going to learn Scripture by a whole different set of rules than they used to learn science, music, math or some other discipline. Basically, they don’t want to work at it. They don’t want to buy reference materials, memorize, be quizzed or spend much time on the scholastic process. They get comfortable with what they “know,” when in truth they probably don’t know very much. They are convinced they are in the right church, rely on preachers and elders to prop them up and lack the confidence to converse with a stranger about the Bible.
Let’s come to terms with the idea that the Christian life is a journey of constant learning and never-ending study, complementing our grasp of the basics with deeper dives into complex issues and Biblical structures and patterns. If we don’t accept this principle, we will forever resist those who would open our thinking to concepts we hadn’t thought about before.
Acceptance of What Is Understood. This is a matter of the heart, not the head. In other words, there must be an openness to accept whatever God says and a resistance to rationalizing, excusing or outright rejecting Scriptural truth. Jesus said of the prophet John: “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Mt 11:14). Jesus said something similar in Jn 7:17: “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” And this to Pilate: “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (Jn 18:37). Recognizing truth and the opposite – discerning what is false – are less a matter of intellectual brainpower and more a question of being attuned, “on the same page” as we say, with God’s perspective.
The problem is that human will can be a very stubborn thing. What if God says it but I don’t like it? Or it doesn’t fit through the filter of personal opinion that I impose upon it? Did Pharaoh have a problem in understanding Moses’ demands or in accepting the reality of what God wanted him to do? And so it is with each of us. We must be open-minded and open-hearted in order for our faith to excel.
