Why is the Bible so hard to understand?  Why do people have different understandings of it?
346972
I have found the Application Study Bible NLT to be a great bible for study. The language is modern and the study notes are awesome. Remember, things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned, so always pray for wisdom and understanding before you read.
520891
I think most people have read both Testaments and understand them both.\nI don't think the asking of controversial questions on either of the bibles is a "challenge" it is merely a way of trying to dampen down the pontificaters and religious fanatics that often spout a load of garbage.\nIt won't work of course, but I enjoy trying!
1158310
The Bible-for can't just read once and be done with it.  Theres always new understanding,new discoveries and if one didn't get it or understand read again and hey theres the light of understanding. It is THE guide to life.
1124483
There are loads of contradictions in the Bible. Maybe if the church let us see all the books of the Bible. Including the stuff they rejected for the final canonical version of the bible we would understand fully the religion.
1080983
The Bible was written thousands of years ago; since then it's been translated, re-translated, and possibly even mistranslated.  It's impossible to truly tell what its meaning is anymore.  As for what will happen in the end, no one can say for certain, because that part of the Bible is so wrapped up in symbolism that it boggles the mind just by reading it.\n\nAlso, despite what some may claim, the Bible is not written in code, either.
711627
There is some evidence that there are hidden messages within the bible.  Primarily, however, we should always take the attitude that what the bible says plainly, is truth.\nThose who study it daily, find they agree more with others who study it daily, also.  It is the casual reader who finds a novel interpretation and doesn't evaluate it in light of other scripture, considered proper hermeneutics, that there is a problem.\n\nhttp://www.bible-researcher.com/biblical-interpretation.html
654253
I know your question is more rhetorical in nature, but my personal comments about this:\n\n1. The huge majority of people who claim to BELIEVE the Bible have never read it cover to cover. (Usually Christians skip the majority of the Old Testament, which can be confusing or seem irrelevant, since we do not understand the cultural context, and much of it involves lists or long prophetic passages.) Some don’t even read it at all, or they comprehend only a few particular passages in the New Testament. There are very few people committed to reading the entire Christian Bible and understanding its passage.\n\n(Which is okay, to some degree. We are all gifted with different abilities, and only a few of us are strong teachers/readers that way. Many people learn better if someone else can guide them through the material and direct their study – i.e., just like our school system, where teachers are responsible for the education of the students. It’s not unreasonable to depend on others to SOME degree on your understanding, if you have trustworthy teachers.)\n\n2. We all go into faith issues with a specific mindset. We are either open to new ideas (questing), or we are closed-minded and more interested in defending what we already believe and using it to refute others. This isn’t just with people who are opposed to Christianity (where I’ve seen it happen a lot and is what you point out), it also applies to Christians who want to defend the faith or proselytize others. Usually they’re just looking for supposed flaws in the other point of view, without really entering a discourse with the other person and REALLY understanding their POV.\n\nPersonally, I find that I am showing a lack of intellectual integrity if I cannot articulate the other person’s point of view as if I were defending it. I should understand not only its weaknesses but its strength.\n\n(This not only seems sensible to me, and encourages discussion and unity, but it is also a matter of respecting other human beings, their choices, and their intelligence. At one level, it’s very much an insult to discourse with someone in a manner suggesting that the only reason they believe what they do is because they’re too stupid or uneducated to know otherwise. Yes, maybe on occasion someone is acting that way, but often the other side has good reason to believe what they believe, and we need to approach them as such.)\n\nThe DiVinci Code craze is just one more manifestation of this – people who read a fictional novel and believe it to be gospel versus people who actually study the Gospels – and the Gospel of Judas, and Thomas, and all the other “Who Was Jesus Really?” books we see popping up every year. Some of the books get popular culture acclaim, but the real scholars who have spent a lifetime studying the details just laugh at them because they’re so un-credible.\n\nPeople believe things like this because it’s easy. They believe this because what they want to believe is more intriguing than what the actual text seems to say. They believe this because they want to.
353579
People are afraid of things they dont understand. People who dont understand god, spend all their time trying to rationalize with logic why he doesnt exist, which will be a never resolving issue because god is too mysterious to rationalize.
1144282
Look, I've never read the bible before.\nAll I know is it's all on how you want to interpret it.
611779
I agree with you on your points. The problem is that people cannot look at the Bible objectively. The part that gets me the most like you said that they cannot see the fundamental difference between the OT and NT and how they completely clash with each other.\n\nI also find it funny to think that if you Believe in the Bible then automatically that works like the Koran and the Veddas also cannot by divinely inspired. Who is to say that G-d did not give different religions to different people.
680332
The Book of Revelations is the most difficult Bible book to understand.  I have ALL 12 volumns of this series on a very special place on my library shelf... and since I have read this fictional work... I am able to read the Book of Revelations and understand it much easier... I think it should be on everyone's list of reading material, especially in this time of world events... \n\nI like it all... and I even have other books these two authors have written in their studies...added to my library.  I keep my eye on the world events.. don't you???
829371
There is MUCH private interpretation, because people don't wait on God to give them revelation of what the scripture means. God told us not to lean to our understanding. A lot of people think they know what the Bible means because they've got education, but God doesn't care how much schooling. Remember the aposltles and prophets didn't go to "seminary" school.....they were taught by Jesus. Christians shouldn't even be cursing people out, because that's not Christ-like....yes they are hypocrites.
20414
Some people really don't read the bible very well God and Jesus are not the same person God created Jesus and God has more power than anyone ever.
1166845
HAHA I can see what your getting at. This isnt a battle that you can win. Neither can I. I'm christian but a relaxed one. People have their opinions and who am i to tell them different. I dont beleive everything I hear. I beleive things that i know however. And I dont know for sure that a god even exist. I guess thats the whole concept to a religious faith alone. People tend to take the bible TOO literal. Then things begin getting mixed up. I am a scientist as well, some things in the bible just dont make sense. But if you read a book that offered a way for you to live in a sunny nice beach, and youve lived in the projects all of your life...and all you had to do has follow the books teaching...would you take it? I'm sure you see what i'm getting at as well.
2300
The Bible is a record of a specific group of people and their beliefs.  It does not mention the Chinese, but we do know that they existed at the same time as the ancient Hebrews.  If we look at the creation story in the eyes of the people that recorded it, we will find that in different sources, there are different, shall we say, interpretations of the story.  We know, because Christ said such, that he taught only in parables.  As the Son of God, we must accept that, as deity, he would not change.  He clearly states that he was the God of the Old Testament. Since he is unchangable, he must have taught by parable.  Until one accepts that much of the Old Testament contains many accounts that are symbolic in their meaning, such as the Book of Job, we must either see them as irrational explanations of the world (myths)or fairy tales.  Since many of us reject these explanations, we must decide that there is a rational reason for the way the things are told.  When we see the symbolic, hidden meanings within the story, then understanding and personal revelation, through prayer and deep contemplation can reach us.\nWhen we look at the story of Genesis, we are not looking at a detailed description of the entire act of creation, merely a summary as explained to Moses.  However, the chronology of the events do, in fact, reflect the modern scientific explanation in a simple and to an ancient inhabitant, understandable manner of the creation of the earth.\nThere are millions of animals, plants, and other things that are not mentioned in Genesis, but that does not mean that they did not exist.  But it does show that the planet had to be created before life could be.  Plant life proceeds animal life , which proceeds human existence.  In this, there is no disagreement with science.\nAnother thing we must accept, when we carefully study the Bible is that much of it has been altered, lost or mistranslated.  this can lead to serious misunderstandings.
810916
It's, indeed, hard to grasp something as ambiguous.\nSo many religions have this "End of all things" theme, so it's confusing.\nThat's why I just stopped caring, and started living realistically, and reading books that make sense, i.e. Darwinism.
1169574
The bible is not to be taken literally.