Can We Understand the Bible?

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4 God wants us to understand

Can We Understand the Bible? God has revealed an understandable book “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), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets…” Ephesians 3:3-5

Can We Understand the Bible? Is man capable of understanding the Bible? “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17

Can We Understand the Bible? Is man capable of understanding the Bible? “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. "It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” John 6:44-45

Can We Understand the Bible? God Wants Us To Understand God Has Revealed An Understandable Book Man Is Capable of Understanding the Bible Yet many think that the Bible is so difficult that it is impossible to understand it.

Can We Understand the Bible? “when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ…” Ephesians 3:3-5 “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17 God would not command us to understand, if it were impossible for us to do so.

Can We Understand the Bible? “even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16 Some things are hard to understand

Can We Understand the Bible? “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 Some things are hard to understand This is not an excuse to remain ignorant but a challenge to study.

Can We Understand the Bible Without Help? “So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.” Acts 8:30-31

Can We Understand the Bible Without Help? “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 We do not need an interpreter

Can We Understand the Bible Without Help? “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), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets…” Ephesians 3:3-5

Can We Understand the Bible Without Help? “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

Can We Understand the Bible? Diligent study will be rewarded. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Can We Understand the Bible? Diligent study will be rewarded. “ I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients,Because I keep Your precepts.” (Psalm 119:99-100)

Can We Understand the Bible Today? Are things different today? God's Word is unchanged “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:22-25

Can We Understand the Bible Today? Are things different today? God's teaching is unchanged “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35

Can We Understand the Bible Alike? We may misunderstand it, but if we understand it at all, we will understand it alike.

Why Do Many Fail To Understand the Bible?  Preconceived Ideas The Jews in Their Rejection of Christ Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him? The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man! Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” John 7:45-49

Why Do Many Fail To Understand the Bible?  Preconceived Ideas  Blindness of heart “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart..” Eph 4:17-18

Why Do Many Fail To Understand the Bible?  Preconceived Ideas  Blindness of heart “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor 4:3-4

Why Do Many Fail To Understand the Bible?  Preconceived Ideas  Blindness of their heart  Deceitfulness of False Teaching “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Cor 11:3

Why Do Many Fail To Understand the Bible?  Deceitfulness of False Teaching “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Cor 11:13-15

Why Do Many Fail To Understand the Bible?  Preconceived Ideas  Blindness of their heart  Deceitfulness of False Teaching  Pride and stubbornness

“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” Matthew 13:13-15

How Can I Understand the Bible?  Humility of heart “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

How Can I Understand the Bible?  Humility of heart “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23

How Can I Understand the Bible?  Humility of heart “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Luke 8:15

How Can I Understand the Bible?  Humility of heart  A Love for the Truth “that they should believe a lie; That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thess. 2:10-12

How Can I Understand the Bible?  Humility of heart  A Love for the Truth “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

How Can I Understand the Bible?  Humility of heart  A Love for Truth  Desire to know and learn “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:17