A Confusing Book?

 By Arthur J Licursi

Many Christians say the Bible is a confusing book and so they put it aside. Yes, the Bible in fact is a very large. Yes, it contains layers of information in its verses. It addresses the past history of the cosmos, the world, mankind and Israel, and then also the present age in which we live and the future "ages to come." Thus, it's scope extends from eternity past to eternity future. It offers us great detail concerning the present age and the ages to come. We must always be certain that when we read we know exactly to whom the words are written and then of whom they are written, discerning also the time in which things are to occur, lest we misapply its words.

Then, being the very Words of God Himself, the Bible expresses the mind and intentions of the limitless One. It is His Book because it was written by the inspiration of "the Spirit of God" through men (2Tim 3:16). Since it covers such a scope of time and then also it includes matters of the physical, psychological (soulical) and the Spiritual, it almost must necessarily contain much that, as Peter wrote,  seem “hard to understand.” So even that the best of us will never understand it all until we see Him face to face.

All this makes it the greater challenge to the believing heart to seek divine aid and revelation of His Spirit in exploring its depths of the Bible's truth. There is great joy when precious stones of the riches of eternal unchangeable truths are brought up from this inexhaustible mine. God does not reward lazy and indifferent Christians with light from His Word."...those that seek me early shall find me." (Proverbs 8:17b). Its inexhaustibility keeps us seeking Him.

There largely is spiritual poverty, confusion, and insecurity among those who deem the Bible a confusing Book, laying it aside. Yet the Apostle Paul, by divine inspiration, says the Bible is the Book that is a goldmine, offering us “all (the) riches of the full assurance ofunderstanding” (Col. 2:2).

Any apparent confusion in the Word will invariably vanish as we prayerfully obey Paul's instruction to "study" by using Paul's prescribed method of Bible interpretation.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

In studying the Bible by "rightly dividing the word of truth" we notice distinctions between, peoples, ages, and how God relates individually to "the Jews," as differing from " the Gentiles," and (as differing from) "the church of God." We must note that there are such basic distinctions as these.

·         "The twelve" Apostles were sent only to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt 10:5-6) and"the Apostle to the Gentiles" is Paul, as the Apostle for this age of grace in which we live.

·         Then also we must note the difference between “the gospel of the kingdom” and the gospel for our day, which is Paul's “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), etc.

These two distinction alone make for confusion and seeming contradictions of the Bible vanish, giving us an entirely new viewpoint from which we will see God's eternal plan and purpose.

Then also there are many passages of Scripture so plain and simple that a child can understand them and no theologian can explain them away, such as these.

“The Father Loveth The Son, And Hath Given All Things Into His Hand.

“He That Believeth On The Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”( John 3:35-36)