Interesting Questions-05

"What it takes to understand"

Letter to the Editor:
GOD'S MESSAGE, June 2003, p.2

I HEARD THAT members of the Church of Christ are prohibited from reading the Bible. This is saddening because everyone should benefit from the enormous wisdom the Holy Scriptures offers. The Bible is an open book and it doesn't take a genius to read it and understand God's will. In fact the Bible has been translated into different languages so that people from various races and nationalities can benefit from it. Why do you forbid your members to read the Bible? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid they will know the truth?

Tatia Marshall
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.

Editor's reply:

There is no such prohibition for members of the Church of Christ to read the Bible. Indeed, everyone must benefit from the enormous wisdom the Bible offers, and everyone must understand the "truth" or the words of God (Jn.17:17), especially in the matters concerning man's salvation.

However, we do not agree with your belief that the Bible is an "open book" or that it can be understood by simply reading it. To illustrate this point, let's turn to the Bible and examine the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch:

". . . . The Eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over and walk along besides the carriage'. Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the book of Isaiah; so he asked, ' Do you understand what you are reading?' The man replied, 'How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?' And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him." (Acts 8:27-31, New Living Translation)

In the preceding biblical passages we see that the Eunuch was already reading the book of Isaiah. But, when asked if he understood what he was reading, his reply was, "How can I, when there's no one to instruct me?"

Therefore, no matter how educated we are, we need someone to instruct us. This is because the words of God written in the Bible have been hidden in mystery (Rom. 16:25).

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25, NKJV)

 It is not the case that one who reads and studies the Bible will definitely come to the knowledge of the truth (II Tim. 3:7).

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (II Timothy 3:7, NKJV)

It really doesn't take a genius to read and understand the Bible. Rather, it takes a messenger of God to understand it and teach us. God's messengers understand the words of God written in the Bible because they have been entrusted with God's words (II Cor. 5:18-19).

¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (II Cor. 5:18-19, NKJV)

No wonder the Eunuch by himself could not understand the Scriptures without the messenger explaining it to him. So, Philip taught him the words of God. In one of his epistles, Apostle Paul says:

"And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:15, New King James Version). □

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Note: Verses in smaller font are added for clarity. Some words and phrases are in italics  for emphasis.

Suggested Bible Study Lesson:
The Gospel of Christ and the Preachers of God - from UniqueBibleStudy.com