Our Attitude Toward Difficult Passages of the Bible

There are passages in the Bible that are often called “difficult passages,” that is, passages whose meaning is hard to understand. However, although the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament were written at different times and by different human authors, they are all the Word of one God. Therefore, the words of Scripture agree with one another and are connected together (Isaiah 34:16), enabling us to sufficiently discern the will of God. So even if we do not understand a few difficult passages, we lack nothing in understanding the perfect will of God.

Even so, some people try to interpret difficult passages, but in most cases such efforts do more harm than good. This is because speaking about things that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible can easily cause disputes among us. For example:

Genesis 4:12-15 “12When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”

This passage is classified by some people as a difficult passage because, at that time, the only sons born to the first man Adam and Eve were Cain and Abel. So after Cain killed Abel, people wonder who Cain meant when he said, “every one that findeth me.” Some say that because the Bible is the genealogy of God, only those who belong to God’s line were recorded. Others interpret Cain’s words as something spoken with the future in mind, when more people would later exist. In this way, when we talk about things that are not clearly recorded in the Bible, each person may have a different opinion. This is inevitable, because when something is not clearly recorded in Scripture, people can easily think differently about it. And the fact that people have different opinions means there is always room for dispute, or division. Yet the clear will of God recorded in Scripture is that we should “not have divisions among us.” Therefore, if we dispute, or become divided, over matters that are not clearly recorded in the Bible, that is surely wrong.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 “3If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

2 Timothy 2:23 “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.”

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 “10Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”

As these passages teach, we must be perfectly joined together as “one” in Jesus Christ, without divisions among us. But if we dispute, then we cannot be spiritual people, but are still carnal.

1 Corinthians 3:1-7 “1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

Through this passage, we can understand the perfect will of God. It is that Paul is not important, and Apollos is not important. Only God is important. In other words, because what matters to us is “only Jesus,” we must not dispute over other things. Just as Jesus said to those who searched the Scriptures in His day, “the Scriptures testify of Me,” the purpose for which we seek to know the Bible must be “only Jesus.”

John 5:39-40 “39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. 40And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.”

Therefore, even if we do not forcibly interpret difficult passages, we can sufficiently know and believe in Jesus Christ through the many passages clearly recorded in Scripture. That is enough for us, because there is nothing more important to us than Jesus. The Bible is the book that teaches us this very thing. Nevertheless, if we forget this purpose and try to force an explanation of things that are hard to understand, then the following words cannot help but be fulfilled.

2 Peter 3:15-18 “15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

Revelation 22:18-19 “18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away His part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

In this way, the Bible teaches us that there is a “boundary” we must not cross. Therefore, our thoughts and actions must always remain within the boundary appointed by God. This is our humility (James 4:10). Therefore, we must cast away pride and humbly obey the Word of God, not crossing the boundary He has appointed. In this way, may we become people who “glory only in Jesus” (Galatians 6:13-14) in the name of Jesus.

Exodus 19:12 “And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death.”

1 Corinthians 4:6 “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.”

Romans 12:2-3 “2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 “26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29That no flesh should glory in His presence. 30But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Truly, our only boast is Jesus Christ alone!

Amen.