“I DON’T GET IT!”

14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 2:14

Real Talk: I’m not going to pretend that each time I read the Bible, I get it right away. Even if I have spent years studying it, I still sometimes find myself scratching my head trying to make sense of what it means. But that shouldn't keep me from digging deeper. Neither should you.

In our previous blog, we learned that God is our Father who wants to reveal Himself to us. In that regard, we should all the more be excited about reading His Word every day.

Here’s another reason why we find it hard to read the Bible: “I don’t get it.”

Given the fact that the Bible was written before concrete roads were even made, it’s unsurprising if we can’t understand it from the get-go. Also, it was written in languages that are foreign to us. But more than the difference in time, culture, and language, we can’t understand it because it is spiritual.

Consider today’s verse.

What Paul refers to here is the person who belongs to the world, i.e., an unbeliever. The Gospel and the Word of God in general are nonsensical to an unregenerate person. To him, studying Scripture is a complete waste of time.

Therefore, Paul argues that unbelievers cannot think or act like believers, which explains the difference in their conduct. The problem is not intellectual or moral but spiritual.

The term “discerned” is the same verb that means “make judgments.” The Greek term “anakrinō” literally means “to investigate.” It presents the idea of making an educated, intelligent spiritual decision that is preceded by careful examination.

Understanding the Bible and all that it contains demands hard work and patience. One has to bridge the cultural, linguistic, and grammatical gaps to make sense of what the Bible means. Sorry, but there are no shortcuts to learning it.

But more than the required human skills and effort, the Word of God can only be understood through the illuminating ministry of the Spirit of God, who guides us into all the truth as He helps us see the spiritual riches it holds. 

Pursue the Savior today!