If people cannot understand the Bible and it was authored by God, then either God could not write a book we could understand or else He intentionally did not write such a book.  I do not believe either is the case!

Christ recognized that men could understand.  In John 8: 31-32

Jesus told the Jews,

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and  ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

If men continue to learn of Christ’s teachings, they will know the truth of God.  God’s truth is His Word according to John 17:17.

Paul’s instructions to Timothy in II Timothy 3:14-17 indicate that all Scripture is inspired of God (exactly as God wants it) and therefore Scripture is our source of instruction, correction, and doing.  In Ephesians 3:3-5 Paul further stated that God

“by revelation made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”

Paul affirmed that what he had written could be understood.

If we cannot understand Scripture, then what are we to make of the following statements?

“They received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17: 11).

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (II Corinthians 13: 5).

“Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21).

Surely we too can understand the Bible.

Such understanding comes not miraculously in a flash of illumination but by diligent effort on our part.  Notice how Paul explained this to a young preacher in II Timothy 2: 15:

“Study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The word for “study” here indicates hasty and diligent effort.  In other words, “put your mind to it.”  We must struggle, sometimes in agony, to discover whether we are doing what God wants us to do.  We can understand what God expects of us and God expects us to do the work!

In II Peter 3: 15-17 Peter refers to the writings of Paul as Scripture and goes on to admit that some of his writings are“hard to be understood.”  Notice, he did not say that they cannot be understood! For this reason Peter continues by describing those who cannot understand Paul’s writings.  “they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (twist his meaning), as they do also other Scripture, unto their own destruction.”  If we fail to understand Scripture properly we will be lost eternally. We must beware of false teachers who get it wrong.

Larry Albritton