Journal: Chafer Theological Seminary Journal
Volume: CTSJ 12:1 (Spring 2006)
Article: Who Can Understand the Bible?
Author: Timothy R. Nichols

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CTSJ 12:1 (Spring 2006) p. 2

Who Can Understand the Bible?

Timothy R. Nichols

Timothy R. Nichols received his most significant biblical education from his father, Rev. Edd Nichols. He went on to spend time at Florida Bible College, and graduated from Chafer Theological Seminary with a Th.M. in 2004. Tim presently ministers in Hemet, CA, and is an instructor at Chafer Theological Seminary in Orange, CA. His email address is [email protected].

Introduction

A while ago a friend called me long-distance. “Tim, I’m looking for some devotional reading, and the stuff they have down at the Christian bookstore is too basic and fluffy. I need something more substantial. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Sure,” I told her. “I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that you read the Bible.” After a comment like that, it is usually advisable to do some fast talking, so I did. “I’m sure you’ve already tried that or you wouldn’t be talking to me, so I’m guessing that your response will be something like ‘I tried reading the Bible, but I don’t understand it.’ Am I right?”

I was. We talked some more, and I made some suggestions. She started working with those, but within a few weeks the Lord brought along a much better training opportunity for her than I was able to offer from a distance. In a relatively short time, she had progressed from being unable to understand the Bible herself to being able to study the Bible effectively and help others understand it as well.

My friend’s situation was better than that of most American Christians. She was intelligent, very well educated, and had decades of solid Bible teaching. And yet, despite these clear advantages, she thought that she could not understand the Bible.

Unfortunately, she is far from unique. Many people, believers and unbelievers alike, have fallen prey to myths that keep them from the Word. In the next few pages, we will look at some of these myths in more detail and see, from the Scriptures, why they are not true.

Five Myths about Understanding the Bible

Myth #1: Only Scholars Can Understand the Bible

At its most basic, this myth appeals to the fact that normal people do not know Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic; they do not know the culture and customs of Bible times; they do not have a firm grasp on the historical context. Without these things, it is said, they simply cannot understand the Bible. In a more liberal form, the myth will add that the stories in the Bible, particularly the miracle stories, did not really happen that way—they are there only to make a spiritual point. But, of course, the common people are not ready to hear this sort of thing; they are not prepared to understand that the purpose of ...

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