The Bible Said What?Sample

Figuring Things Out

So, what's this Plan all about? We've all had questions about the Bible—you're not the only one!  And it makes sense, doesn’t it? We are finite, limited humans attempting to understand an infinite, unlimited God. 

Even though we may not fully grasp every word in the Bible, we can still increase our understanding. We’ll come across many passages in the Bible that will make us wonder and possibly even doubt. As this happens, we can take our doubts to God. So, let’s seek to understand more about our amazing God. As we do this, here are a couple of things to consider:

Context
The whole story of the Bible is what we have to consider. What this means is that we have to understand verses in the Bible as a whole. Picking and choosing a verse to line up with something we believe or want to prove isn’t the best route. There are also contextual things to consider. For example, it’s wise to consider historical and cultural contexts, for they’ll give us additional, important insight. So, as we study God’s Word, let’s keep the great love of our God, the ongoing theme of mankind’s redemption, and the incredible need for a Savior at the forefront of our thoughts. 

Commentaries
A Biblical commentary contains an analysis and explanation of different  books in the Bible. There are scholars and theologians who are wired to dissect the Bible at a different level than the average believer in Christ. So, consider looking into what these writers have to say. But, don’t just choose one—consider a variety of commentaries so that you can have a balanced takeaway from the particular book or passage you’re studying. 

Even when we know the context of the Scriptures and have sought insight from commentaries, we’ll never truly, fully grasp everything in God’s Word. We weren’t meant to, for if we did, we wouldn’t need to “trust in the Lord with all our hearts”, for we’d be “leaning on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV). But, we can always grow and learn and allow the God-breathed Bible to do what it’s supposed to do in our lives—teach, rebuke, correct, and train us toward righteousness. 

Become a student, desire understanding, seek wisdom from godly people, and trust that even when you don’t grasp everything, the most vital takeaway in the entire Bible is that you know God. In the rest of this Plan, we’ll walk through a few confusing Scriptures together.