1. “Making It Hard”

2. “Hard” scriptures 2 Peter 3:16 Hebrews 5:11
“some things hard to understand”
Hebrews 5:11
“it is hard to explain”

3. Examining “hard” scriptures
2 Peter 3:14-18
Dusnoetos - “pertaining to being understandable, but only with great effort - 'difficult to understand, not easily understood.’” Louw-Nida
“The bible is too hard to understand.”
True! There “are some things hard to understand, ” but not TOO hard to understand!

4. Examining “hard” scriptures
2 Peter 3:14-18
Dusnoetos - “pertaining to being understandable, but only with great effort - 'difficult to understand, not easily understood.’” Louw-Nida
Remember! Though difficult and not easily understood, with great effort, understanding is possible!
If we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

5. Examining “hard” scriptures
2 Peter 3:14-18
But for some, the hard is made harder because:
They are untaught
They are unstable
They are influenced by unprincipled men
As a result they:
Distort scripture
Fall from steadfastness
Bring about their own destruction
Untaught
“from a (1), without, and manthano (263), to learn. Unlearned, uninstructed.” Zodhiates
Unstable
pertaining to the tendency to change and waver in one's views and attitudes - 'unstable.’ Louw-Nida
Those influenced by unprincipled men
“Lawless, unprincipled, not in conformity to acceptable custom.” Zodhates
“lawless (A. V. wicked); of one who breaks through the restraints of law and gratifies his lusts” Thayer
Distort
“to twist, turn awry; to torture, put to the rack. . .metaphorically, to pervert, of one who wrests or tortures language to a false sense” Thayer

6. Examining “hard” scriptures
2 Peter 3:14-18
There are hard scriptures but one is “making it hard(er)” when they remain unlearned because they refuse to grow in knowledge!
When one refuses to grow they are “making it hard” to remain steadfast and stable!
When they refuse to grow they are “making it hard” to resist “the error of unprincipled men!”
Untaught
“from a (1), without, and manthano (263), to learn. Unlearned, uninstructed.” Zodhiates
Unstable
pertaining to the tendency to change and waver in one's views and attitudes - 'unstable.’ Louw-Nida
Those influenced by unprincipled men
“Lawless, unprincipled, not in conformity to acceptable custom.” Zodhates
“lawless (A. V. wicked); of one who breaks through the restraints of law and gratifies his lusts” Thayer

7. Growth is the Key!

8. Examining “hard” scriptures
Hebrews 5:11-14
Dusermeneutos - “Difficult to explain, or hard to understand” Zodhiates
There was “much to say” regarding Melchizedek (5:10). But it was going to be “hard to explain.”
Because the principles involved were hard to understand - like those mentioned in 2 Peter 3:16?
NO! Because they were now “dull of hearing.”
Not a “hard to understand” principle but a dull person!

9. Examining “hard” scriptures
Hebrews 5:11-14
What is dull of hearing?
“(an idiom, literally 'lazy as to one's ears') to be slow to understand, with an implication of laziness - 'slow to understand.’” Lowu-Nida
Notice the time element
this was something they had “become”
“by this time you ought to be teachers”
They had not used their time to “practice”
Growth was expected but not realized!
“practice”
Louw-Nida - a repeated activity - 'practice, doing again and again, doing repeatedly.’
Thayer - a habit, whether of body or of mind (Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle, others); a power acquired by custom, practice, use

10. Examining “hard” scriptures
Hebrews 5:11-14
The result of dull hearing?
Instead of teaching others, others are required to teach them! The elementary principles!
Instead of adding resources (teachers) they are draining resources (teachers). What a waste of resources!
You are “making it hard” on others and on the Lord’s church both locally and universally by your lack of growth!
Elementary – “elementary and preliminary aspects defining the nature of something - 'elementary aspect, simple truth.’”
Louw-Nida
Imagine an elementary classroom half full of young adults. They’re old enough to have graduated college with an education degree and should be teaching yet here they are in the classroom needing to be taught alongside all the other children. Talk about your teacher shortage!

11. Examining “hard” scriptures
Hebrews 5:11-14
The result of dull hearing?
“We have much to say” that won’t be said. You miss out on spiritual teaching!
You are “making it hard” on yourself to discern good from evil because your senses haven’t been trained , because you haven’t practiced, because you’re too lazy and thus you’ve experienced no growth!

12. Growth is the Key!

13. Examining “hard” scriptures
2 Peter 3:14-18
There are some things truly “hard to understand”
These can be understood when we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”
Hebrews 5:11-14
There are some things “hard to explain”
These can be explained only when we grow from an “infant” to one who is “mature”

14. Complimentary Scriptures
To keep from being untaught and unstable one must grow in knowledge (2 Pet. 3), moving on from the milk (Heb. 5).
To grow, one must not be lazy (Heb. 5), but should put forth great effort (2 Pet. 3) to establish habits conducive to growth. (Heb. 5)
This brings an ability to discern between good and evil (Heb. 5) and prevents one from being carried away by error (2 Pet. 3).
It gives one the ability to partake of solid food (Heb. 5), enabling them to grasp the hard to understand scriptures without distorting them (2 Pet. 3)

15. Growth is the Key!

16. Application Having difficulty understanding a scripture?
Is it truly a “hard to understand” scripture or just a “hard to explain” scripture?
Is the scriptural principle truly a hard one to understand or has it been made hard by your laziness?
Are you putting in “great effort” to understand it or have you become “dull” in your efforts?

17. Application
Are you attempting to “grow in grace and knowledge” (2 Peter 3:18); to move on from infancy to maturity (Hebrews 5:13-14) by establishing good growth habits?
What are your daily growth habits?
Bible reading, completing bible class material, studying a particular bible book, subject, doctrine or person of interest, reading devotional material?

18. Application
Are you attempting to “grow in grace and knowledge” (2 Peter 3:18); to move on from infancy to maturity (Hebrews 5:13-14) by accepting growth opportunities?
What are these growth opportunities?
Sunday and Wednesday bible classes.
Teaching bible classes.
Small group studies.
Gospel meetings here and elsewhere.

19. Application Remember the danger of failing to grow!
Incapable of teaching others (Heb. 5, cf. 2 Tim. 2:2)
Inability to discern between good and evil (Heb. 5, cf. 2:1)
Lack stability & steadfastness (2 Pet. 3, cf. Eph.4:14-15)
Ultimately carried away into error (2 Pet. 3)
Distort scripture resulting in their destruction (2 Pet. 3)
Remember when you fail to grow:
You are making it hard upon others!
You are making it hard upon yourself!

20. Therefore: Hebrews 6:1 2 Peter 3:18
“leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God”
2 Peter 3:18
“grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”