Man Can Understand God’s Word Today
Some Bible teachers tell us that the Bible is a good book but that it cannot be understood. If the Bible cannot be understood by modern man, consequently man’s hope of salvation is in jeopardy, please observe the following thoughts by the editor:
The apostle Paul said of some of Paul’s writings that they were “hard to be understood …”
2 Peter 3:15-16, “15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; 16 as also in all (his) epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as (they do) also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (ASV)
CONSIDER THIS: There is nothing in this passage that indicates Paul’s writings cannot be understood. The passage does teach that the unlearned (i.e. insufficiently taught) and unstable may misunderstand some of Paul’s writings, that they may require further teaching.
Through a continuing study of the Holy Scriptures man may understand the truth, even that truth that Paul received from God and taught the people of his day.
Ephesians 3:2-5, “2 if so be that ye have heard of the dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward; 3 how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, 4 whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; 5 which in other generation was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;” (ASV),
CONSIDER THIS: The thought contained here in Ephesians 3 is, man can know God’s will as the apostle and prophets knew it by reading their words received from God during the infancy of the church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Written Word as we have it today).
Indeed, man can know what it is that God expects from him by reading, understanding, and obeying the instruction of the written word of God on all matters necessary for his salvation from sin.
CONCLUSION: The very idea that God would give mankind a book that he could not understand, then make his hope of salvation from sin depend upon his understanding that book is ridiculous. God is not willing that anyone should perish:
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (ASV)