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). □
___________________
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