Personal Bible Understanding

Christians are to be careful Bible students and gain personal Bible understanding.

Like Timothy we are to study to show ourselves approved before God (2 Timothy 2:15). We should be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures daily to make certain that what we are taught is what the Bible teaches (Acts 17:11). Our failure to know and do what God’s word demands will lead to disastrous consequences (Hosea 4:6).

I am reminded of the story of a Mexican bank robber in the days of the Old West. He terrorized small towns all along the Texas-Mexico border. Finally, a town appealed to the Texas Rangers for help. Sure enough one crafty Ranger tracked the robber down and cornered him in a saloon where he was retelling the clientele of his latest escapades.

Cornered and helpless the once-proud robber cowered at the gun-toting lawman. “I’ll give you one chance,” said the Texan. “Where did you hide the gold?” Since the Mexican spoke no English a local translated the statement to him. Beaten, the robber spilled his guts to his translator. The gold was hidden at the base of the old dry well just outside of town. With this the translator turned to the Ranger and said, “He’s a proud man, Ranger. He’ll never talk! You might as well shoot him!”

There are those who argue that we are incapable of Bible understanding without expert assistance. According to them the average man on the street is no more able to understand the Scriptures than that Ranger was of understanding the robber’s confession. They are wrong. We have the word of God in our own language. Its message is not shrouded in secrecy, but clearly and concisely set forth. The vast majority of the Sacred Text is not the least bit difficult to understand. There are some difficult passages in the Bible, but not many and those which are most difficult are least important to our salvation.

There are two reasons why many find the Bible a strange book. First, they spend no time with it. Convinced that they Bible understanding is beyond them, they don’t try. Second, they go to the text only to discover that what they have been taught is contradicted by what the Bible says. They assume the problem is an inability to understand, when the real problem lies in an inability to reconcile false beliefs with the truth.

I urge you to study the Bible.

Spend time with God’s Word. You can read it yourself and gain Bible understand that will bring you to salvation!

Salvation:  Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully