Most people’s answers to the question “Can we understand the Bible?” would have been negative for a large portion of church history. The Bible was only available in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which is the straightforward explanation. In Christian Europe, the majority of common Christians did not speak such languages. Books were exceedingly expensive and needed to be hand-copied even if they were. Books were only affordable for the very wealthy, and many more were illiterate in any case. The general public needed to be taught the contents of the Bible by clergy, who were qualified to read and interpret it.
The clergy necessary to understand the Bible
Translations of the Bible into common European languages began during the 16th-century Reformation, a period of profound spiritual transformation. German, English, and so on. The printing press was also developed, which significantly reduced the cost of Bibles. Many people were suddenly able to read the Bible for themselves. That did not sit well with the Roman Catholic church, though. They thought it harmful to let individuals read the Bible on their own without having a church member or other educated person explain it to them.
The Bible is clear in itself
The leaders of the reformation did not agree, and they formulated a doctrine about the ‘Clarity of Scripture’. They argued that all the things we need to know for our salvation are explained clearly enough in the Bible, so that any ordinary person can understand it. This became widely accepted, and today all over the world, Christians have their own Bibles, and read and study them alone and with others. Missionaries still translate the Bible in more languages, so that even people in the remotest parts of the world can read the Bible for themselves. Other missionaries put Bibles in hotel rooms and hospitals and many other public places. Some Christians have to wait and pray for years to get their own Bible and they will take many risks to get it.
The Bible is not always easy to understand
But the Catholic church had a point. The Bible is a very special collection of writings, spanning centuries. There are stories, poems, laws, letters, songs, and so on. Not everything in the Bible can be applied to any person or any situation in any age. Jacob had four wives, which does not mean God thinks we should encourage polygamy in the church. Peter was invited to walk on water, but I don’t suggest you try. So, reading the Bible needs to be done carefully, comparing different parts and considering the context in which it was written. We may not need to depend on a priest, but we do need to use our God-given common sense, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us understand.
Some things we can’t understand
We shouldn’t expect to grasp everything, even if the Bible makes everything we need to know, love, and serve God crystal obvious. Even scholars struggle with many of the Bible’s complex topics. We can only speculate as to the meaning of certain things that are lost to the mists of time.
The Bible provides sufficient nourishment
Even so, you and I can read God’s word to encourage one another, fortify our faith, get insight for day-to-day living, love God more, find solace in our difficulties, and have confidence in His love and salvation. We can pray, seek clarification from other believers or our leaders, and actively study to gain a deeper grasp of what we cannot understand. But, God’s message can nurture and bless you even if you don’t fully comprehend it.
The Bible offers spiritual nourishment
Take up your Bible, read, study, and pray. There will be times when you are tested and perplexed. Just go back to Jesus’ straightforward statements found in the gospels if you find that some topics are too complex for you. You can find what your soul needs right there. In order to ensure that everyone who believes in Jesus would not perish but instead have eternal life, God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16).
