I love to read Scripture, but it can often confuse me and apparently it confuses others as well since we have so many translations and opinions regarding such issues as salvation to name but one.There are so many things at play with reading Scripture.
What did the original text say in the original language?
Who was the writer addressing the Scripture to?
What was the context of the times?
My own personal frame of mind as I read and study also has something to do with the message I receive. As well as the condition of my heart…..have I asked God prior to my reading to help me understand…to speak to me through the reading?
When discussing this with a friend the other day she remarked it would be so much more simpler if we could all instantly know what the Scriptures meant in every case…..
However, I feel that that the reason we often have confusion over Scripture isn’t just because we don’t get it…..perhaps we aren’t ready for the particular passage to speak to us. Perhaps we aren’t there developmentally as a Christian…perhaps it doesn’t apply to us at that particular moment in time.
As an educator is would seem the Bible is the perfect source for an individualized education. Everyone takes away from their study of Scripture something different ….something that only applies to them. God speaks to us through our Scripture reading and sends each of us an individualized message.
In some situations though God’s word is very clear to everyone. Even though many theologians and lay people have tried their best to describe God we really should go to the source.
Exodus 34: 5-8 provides a perfect explanation of God given by God himself.
The Scripture states: The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name Yahweh. The the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh – Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the father’s wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation. Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshipped.
God describing himself…..you can’t get it any clearer, can you?
The bible can be confusing but I believe its because the New Testament should be studied seperate from the Old Testament as both were written in different times and for different groups of people. Also, there are missing books from the story. When you fill in the missing books of the New Testament, a new message and a greater understanding will result.
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