Is the bible hard for you to understand?

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   Chosenwomanposted 13 years ago

   When you read the bible what do you find to be hard for you to understand? I believe what most of us struggle with when reading God's word is how to apply it to our lives. I know for me when I first accepted Jesus into my life I had such a hard time understanding the bible and how it relates to me. I had to get a study bible to help me and still I struggled, but then one day I just made up my mind that I am going to have to get an understanding of His word. And so I began reading in Proverbs and asking the Lord to help me. It was a long process but it was worth it.
   
   Would you share with me and others who happen to read this what was hard for you or what is probably still hard for you to understand about the bible?

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      emrldphxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think of it as a journey. I don't think we are meant to understand the bible. I think our understanding is meant to grow the more we study, ponder, and apply it in our lives. As for the ultimate truth it represents, I don't think any of us will get there in our lives.

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         Chosenwomanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         it is a journey and as we grow we are able to get understanding of God's word..

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      kessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is true that those who boast about the bible are the ones who misunderstand it the most.....For it is the primary tool by which sin rules over them with an iron fist....

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         Chosenwomanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I wish I knew the answer to that one my friend but as you mentioned allot of people do boast about knowing the word and I really doubt that many of us really know the word completely from front to back...In our journey with the Lord we grow daily at least we are too I know some don't but we learn as we go on this journey

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         Jeramiposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Didn't Jesus even say something like that?

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      paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is not difficult to understand Bible; after reading it I have realized it is hardly authored by the Creator God. If you doubt my words; then we start from Genesis; who wrote Genesis?
      
      The biggest misunderstanding among Bible scholars today, is that Moses wrote the book of Genesis. If we look at the entire Bible, you will notice that all of it has been written by eyewitness accounts. Many assume that the book of Genesis was made up of oral traditions. Just a bunch of stories passed on from one generation to the next, or that Moses borrowed from the pagans, the stories of Noah, and creation, and then wrote his own version in the Hebrew Bible. Is the Hebrew Bible a borrowed version of the pagan versions of the flood and creation, or is it the other way around? Is the book of Genesis the ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, and as time when on, and the populations grew, and as man moved away from the center knowledge, the creation accounts got all corrupted, hence we have the pagan accounts of creation from the Babylonians, etc.. and the original document was the book of Genesis?
      
      http://www.british-israel.ca/Genesis.htm

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      Barbara Kayposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I know I am going to get eaten alive for this, but I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.  You can't understand everything at first, but you will keep learning as you read it.

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         Chosenwomanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         that is right barbarea you can't understand all of it at once and it is the inspired word of Our Lord and Savior

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   Wilfionposted 13 years ago

   I find the nature of God as described in the Bible hard to understand.  Sometimes he is portrayed as a loving father, caring for his creation, but also as an angry god, ready to destroy mankind, often in the most violent ways.

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   Disappearingheadposted 13 years ago

   I tend to read it for the intellectual interest rather than thinking about how to apply it to my everyday life. Im pretty much the same person I was 27 years ago when I first started reading it, but my understanding of God, and the purpose of life has very much changed.
   
   The hardest part for me is the need to deprogramme myself from Church tradition when trying to understand it.

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      Chosenwomanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      When we read God's word we are to apply His words to our life...if we don't then how can one truly live this life?

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         Disappearingheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         What would you say to those who did not have a bible? Christ's teachings and Paul's letters make up the bulk of 'life's instructions', yet the 1st century Church did not have them to start with.
         
         To answer your question I just get on with my life according to good conscience, and I do truely live. I can do this without having to formally read the bible and make a concious effort to apply it, because the Father has promised us that His spirit would dwell within us.

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   wildernessposted 13 years ago

   While some of the bible is written in parables and examples, most of it is straight forward.  The problem usually comes when one decides that what the bible says isn't what it means.
   
   As an example, if you try to reconcile the cruel, childish, and completely amoral creature that the old testament proclaims as God with what we wish and expect Him to be today you are doomed to failure.  He was what He was and trying to change the words of the old testament to something they aren't can only lead to failure and disbelief.

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   Jeramiposted 13 years ago

   When I read all of that stuff,,,  about God "Taking them out" ..
   Killing all them people that wasn't acting right So-to-speak;
   
         I compare this to a school teacher.
   
         Picture God as the school teacher?
         The teacher sends everyone out into the playground, running, jumping and just A swinging and  see-sawing  away
         When the teacher sees a bully, picking on one of the other children,
   The teacher just snatches the bully up, and brings him back into the class room.  Puts him in the corner till he says he is sorry and won't do it any more.
        THEN he gets to come out from the corner and does whatever he does next. ???
   He might have to go back home to wherever "Heaven" Is?  Don't get to play in the yard for quite some time.
   
       And actually!  Those of us that played in the playground 55 years ago;
   Remember what was going on, on the play ground way back then. And there was almost always somebody A watching.  It is a different playground in a different reality  Here in 2011!
      
       At some time in the late 60s or 70s ,,,  They passed a law against the teacher ; such that ,  after 10 minutes the teacher HAS to! ...  let the bully go back and play in the playground with the rest of the children..

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      Wilfionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hopefully though, the school teacher will not stone the bully to death for being naughty.  This would be taking it a little too far.

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         Hollie Thomasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         And would no doubt would lead to a PTA rebellion.

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         Jeramiposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         But No one can leave the playground taking with them, all of that which they had.

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   seamistposted 13 years ago

   I find it most difficult to understand the imagery in the prophecies in Daniel and Revelations. I want to believe the bible is the inspired word of God, but it is, why is some of so hard to understand without having a thorough knowledge of the whole bible. For instance, if God wants us to understand the bible, I believe a common person who knows how to read should be able to read any part of the bible with understanding.

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      Jeramiposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with you completely ...  and the bible is that simple that everyone CAN understand it; especially the prophesy.
      
         It is when people start changing the meanings of prophesy to conform to their own ideology that it becomes confusing.
      
        The book of Daniel explains itself.  Gabriel interprets many of these visions to Daniel.  It means what Gabriel said that it means. Nothing more or less!  These messages were not intended to be a mystery as most preachers would like for us to believe.
        We are not supposed to interpret the interpretation! 
        When we do;  … total confusion follows.
      
        2nd Peter 1:20;    “Knowing this first, that no prophesy of the scripture is of ANY private interpretation”.
      
        All of these visions in Daniel are about the coming into power of the "FIRST FOUR kingdoms" to be given dominion over Gods Chosen people ; beginning with Babylon, then Persia, then Greece , and finally the Roman Empire,
         The fourth beast is described as having ten horns (horns representing ten kings)  In the vision, after the ten, there will be a king rising to power after the ten which replaces three kings.
      This is saying that there will be 14 kings of the fourth kingdom that is given dominion over that Hebrew Nation.
         The 14th emperor of Rome was in power when that Hebrew Nation ceased to exist.
         It is at the time of his death that Michael stands up for the Children of Daniels people (Daniel 11:45 thru 12:1.
      It really is that simple.  read what it says and don’t believe what we are told that it says.
      Again, …  it really is that simple.
      
      
      
      I agree with you completely ...  and the bible is that simple that everyonc CAN understand it. Especialy the prophesy.
      
         Ir is when people start changing the meanings of prophesy to conform to their own ideology.
      
        The book of Daniel explains itself.  Gabriel interprets many of these visions to Daniel.  It means what Gabriel said that it means.
        We are not suposed to interpret the interpretation! 
        When we do; total confusion follows.
      
        2nd Peter 1:20; Knowing this first, that no prophesy of the scripture is of ANY private interpretation.
      
        All of these visions in Daniel are about the coming into power of the "FIRST FOUR kingdoms" beginning with Babylon, then Persia, then Grecia, and finally the Toman Empire, to be given dominion over Gods Chosen people ;That Hebrew Nation that existed back then.
      
         When we over intelectualize a simple message, simple understanding is lost.
      
      
        When we apply Gabriels interpretation of these symbols used in Daniel, to these same symbols used in Revelation, the meanings of the message become clear.

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      paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That should be a quality of a good book; I agree with you; particularly if it is for guidance of all human beings.
      
      Jesus never intended that Word revealed on him from the Creator God was for the whole mankind.

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