This is a statement I often hear in conversations with people who are not Christians. And I sometimes hear this from those who are trying to live the Jesus lifestyle. I am a preacher and I have this feeling sometimes. So if you have been afraid to start reading God’s Word because you have trouble understanding it, or you are afraid you will not understand it, let me share some ideas that have been helpful to me.

First of all, it is true that some parts of the Holy Bible are difficult. Peter and Paul were two of the most active preachers in the early history of the church. Both of them wrote letters that are in the Bible. Peter said that some of Paul’s writings are hard to understand. He also warned us that there are people who will distort these and other Scriptures in a way that leads to their destruction. So I know there are some things in Scripture I may not understand. It is okay to not understand everything.

Remember that the Bible was written for one main purpose: to help you know Jesus. The gospel of John explains that it was written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and by believing that we can have life in his name. Jesus did many things that are not recorded in the Bible. In fact, if everything Jesus did was written down, the whole world would not have room for the books it would take. But what is written is so we can know Jesus. So we can believe in Jesus. So we can live like Jesus. So we can live forever with Jesus. When I have trouble understanding the Bible, I try to remember that the focus is Jesus. He is the important thing to learn from the Bible.

Finally, you need to know that there is help for understanding the Bible. There is a story in the book of Acts about a man who was reading his Bible but did not understand it. God had a Jesus disciple connect with him to explain the Scripture. When they began to talk about the Scripture being read, the Christian told him the good news of Jesus. The Ethiopian believed it, acted on it, and found life in Jesus.

So if you have been confused when reading the Bible, or have had trouble understanding it, I can help. It is about Jesus and I would be delighted to talk about him with you. Write me at steve@hopeforlife.org or join the blog discussion at www.hopeforlife.org.

God gave us the Bible so we could know his Son.

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