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What Should Be Our View of Bible Difficulties?

The Nature of Bible Difficulties and Their Purpose


In every generation, thoughtful readers of the Bible have encountered difficulties in the text, often wondering how to reconcile certain passages or doctrines with others. Even the apostle Peter acknowledged the challenge of understanding some of Paul's writings when he said, "as also in all his [Paul’s] letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16, UASV). If this was true for Peter—an inspired apostle—how much more so for us, separated by two thousand years, a different language, and a vastly different culture? Bible students often find that some things appear contradictory or difficult to reconcile with divine inspiration and inerrancy.


Despite these challenges, it is important to honestly face Bible difficulties rather than ignore them. It would be intellectually dishonest to dismiss these concerns without thoughtful consideration. Some individuals, in their early Christian experience, might have even questioned the Bible’s divine origin due to these challenges. However, as we delve deeper into the text and grow in our understanding of biblical exegesis, many difficulties find resolution.



Why Are Difficulties in the Bible to Be Expected?


The first thing to consider is that difficulties in the Bible are inevitable due to the nature of the subject matter. The Bible is a revelation of the mind, will, and character of an infinite, holy, and perfectly wise God. As it is God Himself who authored this revelation, the Bible is inherently a divine text. However, this divine message is communicated to humans—finite beings with limited intellectual, moral, and spiritual development.


It is critical to recognize that no human, regardless of their wisdom, can fully comprehend the infinite nature of God or His ways. The wisest among us, when measured against the scale of eternity, are mere infants in knowledge. Even the most righteous human being, compared with Jehovah, is but a child in moral development.


As a result, difficulties are not only to be expected but are also necessary. When finite creatures attempt to understand the infinite, they are bound to encounter things that seem beyond their comprehension. When the ignorant seek to comprehend the utterances of One perfect in knowledge, they are bound to find things hard to understand, and sometimes, due to their own immaturity, they may even perceive certain teachings as contradictory or absurd.

Consider the case of God’s moral judgments. When fallen human beings, with their imperfect understanding of sin’s consequences, are confronted with the divine demands of an absolutely holy Being, they may find these demands too severe. God’s dealings with humanity, particularly His judgments, may appear overly harsh or stern from a human perspective. However, this reaction arises from human limitations, not from any inconsistency in God’s actions or nature.


Therefore, the presence of difficulties in the Bible serves to remind us of our limited understanding and the vastness of God's wisdom. If someone were to hand us a book and claim it to be the Word of God, and yet it contained no complexities, no profound mysteries, no deep spiritual truths that challenge our understanding, we would be right to question its authenticity. Such a book would be too simple to reflect the infinite wisdom of God.


The apostle Paul echoed this reality when he exclaimed, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). We, as students of Scripture, are mere beginners, and the Bible’s revelation will always contain depths that challenge our understanding.



The Presence of Difficulties Does Not Prove a Doctrine Untrue


One of the most important lessons to remember is that the existence of a difficulty or an objection to a doctrine does not, in any way, prove that doctrine false. It is a common mistake for people to assume that if they encounter an obstacle in believing a certain teaching, this must mean the teaching is false. However, such logic is deeply flawed.


Consider the realm of science. Many scientific theories, now universally accepted, were once met with grave difficulties. When Copernicus first proposed the heliocentric theory—that the earth revolves around the sun—one of the major objections was that Venus did not exhibit phases like the moon. With the technology available at that time, no phases could be observed, leading critics to reject Copernicus’ theory. However, as more powerful telescopes were developed, it became evident that Venus does, in fact, have phases, and the initial objection was resolved.


Similarly, the nebular hypothesis, which posits that the solar system formed from a cloud of gas and dust, was also met with serious challenges. The planet Uranus appeared to move in a way that contradicted the expectations of the theory. Nevertheless, the overall evidence supporting the hypothesis was so strong that scientists continued to accept it. Eventually, the movement of Uranus was explained by the discovery of the planet Neptune, resolving the difficulty.


If scientific theories can withstand such challenges and continue to be believed based on strong evidence, how much more should we hold to the doctrines of Scripture, even when faced with difficulties? The Bible has stood the test of time, and its inerrancy and divine origin are supported by overwhelming evidence. It would be shallow thinking to abandon a well-supported belief simply because of a few unresolved questions. In the same way, it would be superficial scholarship to reject the Bible’s divine authorship because of certain apparent contradictions.



Greater Difficulties Arise When We Reject the Bible's Divine Origin


While many people focus on the difficulties of accepting the Bible as divinely inspired and inerrant, they fail to recognize that far greater difficulties arise if we reject the Bible’s divine origin. Those who argue that the Bible is merely a human document, subject to error and fallibility, must answer far more challenging questions than those who accept its divine authority.


For instance, how do we explain the remarkable fulfillment of biblical prophecies if the Bible is not divinely inspired? Prophecies concerning the rise and fall of empires, the coming of the Messiah, and specific details about His life and death (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22) were all fulfilled with astonishing accuracy. How could human authors, living centuries apart, foresee such events unless they were guided by divine revelation?


Another difficulty for those who reject the Bible’s divine origin is the unity of Scripture. The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books, written by over forty authors across a span of 1,500 years. These authors came from diverse backgrounds—kings, prophets, fishermen, tax collectors—and yet their writings exhibit a remarkable unity in theme, purpose, and message. This level of consistency is unparalleled in any other collection of literature and points to a single divine Author behind the human writers.


Additionally, the Bible possesses a unique power to transform lives. Throughout history, no other book has had the same impact on individuals and societies. The Bible has brought people from lives of sin and despair to salvation, peace, and hope in God. How can this transformative power be explained if the Bible is merely the product of human effort?


Therefore, while some may present objections to the Bible’s inerrancy, those objections pale in comparison to the difficulties one faces when denying the Bible’s divine origin.



The Fact That We Cannot Solve a Difficulty Does Not Prove It Cannot Be Solved


Another critical point is that just because we cannot solve a particular difficulty does not mean it cannot be solved. Often, people encounter a Bible difficulty and, because they cannot find an immediate solution, they assume that no solution exists. This is an intellectually arrogant position to take, as it fails to acknowledge the limitations of human knowledge.


If we consider how little we know in comparison to the infinite wisdom of God, we should have the humility to admit that just because we cannot see a solution does not mean there is none. A person may wrestle with a difficult passage or doctrine and come to the conclusion that it is unsolvable, but such a conclusion is premature. The history of biblical interpretation has shown that many difficulties that puzzled scholars in the past have been resolved with further study, advances in archaeology, and a deeper understanding of ancient languages and cultures.


For example, many critics once argued that certain cities or people groups mentioned in the Bible, such as the Hittites, were purely fictional because no evidence of their existence had been found. However, as archaeological discoveries were made, the existence of the Hittites was confirmed, validating the biblical account.


The Bible, being the Word of God, contains layers of meaning and insight that may take years of study to fully grasp. Therefore, we must approach Scripture with patience and humility, recognizing that time and further study will often reveal solutions to apparent difficulties.



The Seeming Defects of the Bible Are Insignificant Compared to Its Marvelous Excellence


It is remarkable how some individuals fixate on the perceived defects in the Bible while ignoring its overwhelming excellence. They focus on minor points that seem problematic and overlook the Bible’s majestic beauty, its profound wisdom, and its life-changing power. This is a common approach taken by critics and skeptics who seem to ignore the grand design of Scripture and instead dwell on the minute details that they perceive as contradictions.


For example, some scholars spend a great deal of time analyzing the smallest textual variations between manuscripts, arguing that these variations call the Bible’s inerrancy into question. However, these scholars often overlook the fact that no major doctrine of the Christian faith is affected by these textual variants. The core message of the Bible remains intact, regardless of these minor differences.


Moreover, critics often neglect to appreciate the incredible consistency and harmony of the Bible’s message, even across different genres and literary styles. Whether it is the historical narrative of the Old Testament, the poetry of the Psalms, or the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, the Bible presents a unified message of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.

Instead of fixating on supposed contradictions or difficulties, we should focus on the Bible’s undeniable authority, its deep wisdom, and its unparalleled power to guide us in righteousness. As the psalmist wrote, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). The light of Scripture far outweighs any shadows of doubt that may arise from our limited understanding.



Superficial Readers Versus Profound Students of Scripture


It is often said that the Bible’s difficulties weigh more heavily on superficial readers than on those who study the Scriptures deeply. Superficial readers, who approach the Bible with preconceived notions or who seek only to find faults, will often stumble over the text’s complexities. For instance, critics like Robert Ingersoll and others who had a shallow understanding of the Bible frequently highlighted its difficulties as insurmountable obstacles. However, such critics are often ignorant of the deeper meanings and contexts of Scripture.


In contrast, those who meditate on the Bible and spend years studying its teachings find that many of the difficulties disappear over time. A profound student of Scripture learns to appreciate its depth and to see the harmony between passages that may initially seem contradictory. The deeper one goes into Bible study, the more apparent it becomes that the difficulties are not insurmountable but are invitations to dig deeper into God’s Word.


George Müller, a man of deep faith and a diligent student of the Bible, once remarked that the more he studied Scripture, the less the difficulties bothered him. As he read through the Bible more than a hundred times, Müller found that what once puzzled him eventually became clear. His experience is not unique. Many believers have testified that through careful and prayerful study, the Bible’s difficulties gradually fade, and its truths shine all the brighter.



The Rapid Disappearance of Bible Difficulties Through Study and Prayer


As we devote ourselves to the study of Scripture, we find that Bible difficulties rapidly disappear. How many things once puzzled us when we first started reading the Bible, but over time, through prayer, meditation, and study, these difficulties have been resolved? Every year of Bible study brings greater clarity and understanding.


When we approach the Bible with humility and a willingness to learn, we find that the difficulties we once thought were insurmountable are no longer an issue. This process of growing in understanding is a testimony to the Bible’s divine origin. As we seek the guidance of the Spirit-inspired Word of God, our eyes are opened to the depths of Scripture, and the apparent contradictions dissolve in the light of truth.


It is not unreasonable to expect that the difficulties we still encounter today will likewise be resolved in the future. As we continue to study the Bible, we can trust that Jehovah, who is the ultimate Author of Scripture, will reveal more and more of its truth to us.



About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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