Why is the Bible so confusing / hard to read?

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The King James Version of the New Testament was based upon a Greek text (the Textus Receptus) that was marred by mistakes, containing the accumulated errors of fourteen centuries of manuscript copying. It was essentially the Greek text of the New Testament as edited by Beza, 1589, who closely followed that published by Erasmus, 1516-1535, which was based upon a few medieval manuscripts. The earliest and best of the eight manuscripts which Erasmus consulted was from the tenth century, and yet he made the least use of it because it differed most from the commonly received text; Beza had access to two manuscripts of great value, dating from the fifth and sixth centuries, but he made very little use of them because they differed from the text published by Erasmus. We now possess many more ancient manuscripts (about 10,000 compared to just 10) of the New Testament, and thanks to another 400 years of biblical scholarship, are far better equipped to seek to recover the original wording of the Greek text. Much as we might love the KJV and the majesty of it’s Jacobean English, modern translations are more accurate.

Thank you so much for posting this! It is very informative and should silence the KJO crowd. One of the great tragedies is that Judaism is based on the written word, whereas Christianity is based on the living Son of God. It is sad that people who should know better still try to find all meaning in a book rather than the living Christ.
 
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Marumorose

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This is confusing. You're separating lukewarm Christians (capitalized) from the "true children of God" (whoever they may be). How do you define these groups?

I don't know anyone who reads the Bible "like a dictionary or a history book". Everyone reads the Bible (translations) that they can understand.

Regarding Matthew 13:10-11, the secrets of the kingdom of heaven are available to anyone who wants to understand their meaning, not just the disciples of 20 centuries ago.
Firstly the secrets of the kingdom of heaven are for those that are obedient to GOD.
Lukewarm christians are those that call themselves children of God but they are not entirely. They go to church every sunday. some of them are priests but none of them obey the LORD fully.
Revelation 3:14-16 says "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
A lot of people do not understand the Bible. The Bible is written in codes and hidden messages.

For example
Genesis 5 - Geneology from Adam to Noah. Below are the names and their meanings
Adam -Man
Seth -Appointed
Enosh – Mortal
Kenan – Sorrow
Mahalalel – The blessed God
Jared – Shall come down
Enoch – Teaching
Methuselah – His death shall bring
Lamech – Despairing
Noah – Comfort and rest
Put those meanings into a complete sentence and you get: Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow, (but) the blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring (the) despairing comfort and rest.
Those names are telling us that the death of Jesus Christ will save us
God Bless You
 
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A lot of people do not understand the Bible. The Bible is written in codes and hidden messages.

No it is most definitely not. God doesn't play games. Once there was, in ancient Israel, a royal priesthood that interpreted God's message to the people. When Jesus died,the priesthood ended: anyone could become a child of God by believing, and He doesn't obfuscate.
 
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JIMINZ

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No it is most definitely not. God doesn't play games.

God does not play games, but He has hidden the truth from those who shouldn't have it.

Cor. 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
 
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God does not play games, but He has hidden the truth from those who shouldn't have it.

Cor. 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

You wrote earlier: "Lukewarm christians are those that call themselves children of God but they are not entirely." Lukewarm Christians (whatever that judgment means) are not "natural man"; they are, like you and me, children of God. How can anyone be "not entirely" a child of God? Either you are or you're not; there are no partial children of God. The concept is meaningless!

Are you judging other Christians because they don't act like you? Really??
 
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JIMINZ

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You wrote earlier: "Lukewarm christians are those that call themselves children of God but they are not entirely." Lukewarm Christians (whatever that judgment means) are not "natural man"; they are, like you and me, children of God. How can anyone be "not entirely" a child of God? Either you are or you're not; there are no partial children of God. The concept is meaningless!

Are you judging other Christians because they don't act like you? Really??

Sorry, I never said such a thing, you are attributing something somebody else said to me.

Nice dodge.
 
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Would a Bible commentary help? I just purchased The Believer's Bible Commentary (haven't opened it yet, though) because I was becoming frustrated reading the Bible on my own. Has anyone had success using a commentary?

Yes. A Bible commentary is an excellent way to get more meaning from the Bible and a better understanding of what it really says. Remember, the "books" of the Bible are thousands of years old and were written to the people of other cultures that were very different than ours. They had a completely different way of living, so they understood the nuances of meaning and cultural concepts, whereas we don't.

Bible translators did and are doing the best that they can to overcome those differences, but a good commentary such as The Believer's Bible Commentary is an invaluable aid to understanding what the Bible really means.

Go ahead and open the package!
 
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faroukfarouk

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Would a Bible commentary help? I just purchased The Believer's Bible Commentary (haven't opened it yet, though) because I was becoming frustrated reading the Bible on my own. Has anyone had success using a commentary?
Hi; do you remember who published it?

I find it useful sometimes to use a commentary, although I wouldn't follow commentaries without question.
 
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Emsmom1

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Hi; do you remember who published it?

I find it useful sometimes to use a commentary, although I wouldn't follow commentaries without question.
Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald Publisher: Thomas Nelson
 
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faroukfarouk

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Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Oh that's a good one; I've used it myself.

The editor helpfully distinguishes where passages relate to the church, Israel, etc. He is very thorough; I don't agree with absolutely everything he says, but he is very thorough.
 
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I 100% know that there is a God-given reason for the above that we don't understand, but I was wondering if anyone had any insights into the above. Why does the Bible favor dense, complex and poetic language in favor of easier language that would be able to reach more people (including the uneducated)? Furthermore, hermeneutically why are some passage so hard to interpret / seem to have like 5 different interpretations? Is anyone else ever really worried they're not interpreting something correctly (even if I read like 15 different interpretations of certain passages those are ultimately human interpretations and hence I can never be sure)? Thanks!


A person who does not believe in God, who is not seeking God cannot make sense of the scriptures.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.


We are to come in faith like small children, not with our own knowledge.

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

There are some hard passages, but most are not hard to understand. We are to decern them with the spirit.
Hebrews 7:19
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Matthew 13:11
He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.



Scripture also interprets scripture
2 Corinthians 13:1
This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."
While one scripture is good, more are better. Check and see if other scripture says the same or perhaps sheds more light on the topic of study.

Some scripture was for certain people, cultures and times.
This doesn't mean we can't learn from them, but not every piece is directed at us.
Deuteronomy 22:11
Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
This was told to the Israelites. It prevented uneven shrinkage so it had a practical purpose. Today you don't find those fabrics together anyway but it's not about the fabric, what we can take from it is a spiritual truth. When you look to the New Testament you will see what it says not to mix.
2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Purity and immorality would be another example.

The Bible also has milk and meat.
1 Corinthians 3:2
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
The milk is what shows on the surface, the meat is the underlying spiritual truth. Some passages have layers. A new Christian may need to read more of the milk before progressing to the meat.
Romans 10:9

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Those two passages cover getting saved and one of the main tenets of being a Christian. Both easy enough for a child to understand. If you have an understanding of that you can rest in that and let the rest come in time.
 
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I 100% know that there is a God-given reason for the above that we don't understand, but I was wondering if anyone had any insights into the above. Why does the Bible favor dense, complex and poetic language in favor of easier language that would be able to reach more people (including the uneducated)? Furthermore, hermeneutically why are some passage so hard to interpret / seem to have like 5 different interpretations? Is anyone else ever really worried they're not interpreting something correctly (even if I read like 15 different interpretations of certain passages those are ultimately human interpretations and hence I can never be sure)? Thanks!


Why does the Bible favor dense, complex and poetic language in favor of easier language that would be able to reach more people (including the uneducated)?

It doesn't! There are many good translations of the Bible in English that are easy to understand for all reading levels. The King James Bible is easily the worst, having been translated over 400 years ago from texts that aren't reliable compared to what's available today. It is, of course, very difficult to translate the source language documents from almost 2000 years ago and much older into 21st Century English, but there has been excellent scholarship devoted to do that task and, IMHO, they have done it very well.

Is anyone else ever really worried they're not interpreting something correctly?

It depends what you mean by "correctly". There is, and never will be, a one-to-one correspondence between ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek and 21st Century English. Not only are those ancient languages not at all like our English, but there are nuances of meaning and cultural contexts that cannot be translated directly into our language, time, and place. That will never change, but the more translators understand the ancient languages and cultures, the better the translations will be. (That is the main reason the King James will NEVER be as good as modern translations. We do not live in 17th Century England!)
 
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faroukfarouk

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A person who does not believe in God, who is not seeking God cannot make sense of the scriptures.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

We are to come in faith like small children, not with our own knowledge.

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

There are some hard passages, but most are not hard to understand. We are to decern them with the spirit.
Hebrews 7:19
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Matthew 13:11
He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.



Scripture also interprets scripture
2 Corinthians 13:1
This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."
While one scripture is good, more are better. Check and see if other scripture says the same or perhaps sheds more light on the topic of study.

Some scripture was for certain people, cultures and times.
This doesn't mean we can't learn from them, but not every piece is directed at us.
Deuteronomy 22:11
Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
This was told to the Israelites. It prevented uneven shrinkage so it had a practical purpose. Today you don't find those fabrics together anyway but it's not about the fabric, what we can take from it is a spiritual truth. When you look to the New Testament you will see what it says not to mix.
2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Purity and immorality would be another example.

The Bible also has milk and meat.
1 Corinthians 3:2
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
The milk is what shows on the surface, the meat is the underlying spiritual truth. Some passages have layers. A new Christian may need to read more of the milk before progressing to the meat.
Romans 10:9

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Those two passages cover getting saved and one of the main tenets of being a Christian. Both easy enough for a child to understand. If you have an understanding of that you can rest in that and let the rest come in time.
@coffee4u
More excellent verses there, indeed.
 
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Thank you so much for posting this! It is very informative and should silence the KJO crowd. One of the great tragedies is that Judaism is based on the written word, whereas Christianity is based on the living Son of God. It is sad that people who should know better still try to find all meaning in a book rather than the living Christ.
As we meditate on the scriptures our mind is focused on good things. Jesus said whoever loves Him will keep His words. Man shall not live by bread alone but every word of God. All scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking and correcting.

Psalms 19:The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple
 
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As we meditate on the scriptures our mind is focused on good things. Jesus said whoever loves Him will keep His words. Man shall not live by bread alone but every word of God. All scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking and correcting.

Psalms 19:The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple

The Bible, in whatever form, is a book. Jesus was/is a living human being. Can a book love you? You said, "Jesus said whoever loves Him will keep His words." Love Him, not his words.
 
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