The Scriptures Are Understandable

Mike Johnson

Have you heard someone say, “I just can’t understand the Bible?” Unfortunately, many people look at the Scriptures in this way.  They think it is a deep, dark, mysterious book that few can understand.  However, people should not look at God’s Word in this way.

Ephesians 3:3-4 tells us that the “mystery” has been made known.  It was a mystery in the sense of not having been revealed.  In verse 4, the writer says, “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).”  Thus, God’s Word is understandable.  Jesus points out to certain ones in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Therefore, according to this verse, the truth can be known.

Also, Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing God’s Word.  How can we acquire faith if we cannot understand God’s Word?  Has God given us a book and said you must do what it says for salvation but made the writing so complicated that very few can understand it?  That would be cruel — God has not done that!

There are indeed some parts of the Bible more difficult than others.  For example, in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter said that parts of Paul’s epistles are hard to understand.  The Bible also speaks of the “milk” (the more elementary parts) and the meat (the more difficult sections) of the Word.  However, an open-minded, honest study of His Word will eventually result in a clear understanding of its meaning.