Why is it hard to understand the Bible?

Answers by Rev. R. J. Griffin

Some parts of the Bible are hard to understand because the Bible deals with great mysteries of God, and of man’s redemption. It is also hard for us to get a fully correct understanding of everything in the Bible because we live so long after the happenings spoken about in the Bible, and they were written in languages very different from ours. The customs of the people and the conditions of their lives in Biblical times were in many ways different from our own. I will give you an example of this to show what I mean. You remember when Our Lord says: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven”(Matt. 19 vs 24). At first that seems very foolish. How could a camel get through the small eye of a needle, such as a tailor uses? But the words “eye of a needle” was the name that the Jews gave to a narrow gate in the walls of the town, through which the camels passed when the main gate was closed. It was just large enough to let an unloaded camel enter. You can see that an ordinary person without study would not get the full meaning of such a text.

How then can the Bible be understood?

Much of the Bible is quite clear and easy, and the general sense can be understood by following the explanations of learned men who form the beginning of the Church have studied it. They are kept from making mistakes by the Church. I will tell you a story to show how foolish it is for people without proper training and without the guidance of the Catholic Church to try to understand the Bible fully by themselves. One day a doctor is ill, and cannot work, so he calls his friend who is a postmaster. He says to him: “My friend will you help me today, and go to my hospital and attend to my patients? Some will need medicine, others operations, examine them and see”. But his friend replies: “I have never studied as a doctor, so I cannot help you”. But the doctor replies: “Do not worry, it is quite easy, I have a big medical book called ‘The Doctor’s Bible’, which contains everything you will need about medicines and operations. Take it, and when you have examined a patient, read the book, and you will know what to do. After reading the book, do whatever you think is right”. So the friend agrees, and goes to the hospital. Now I ask you, do you think the postmaster will be able to understand that medical book? Do you think he will be able to give the proper medicine, and perform operations, and cure patients? No, very often he will give the wrong medicine, and make mistakes in the operations, and so he will often poison and kill the patients by his mistakes. Why? Because he will not be able to understand the ‘Doctor’s Bible’. It is the same when ordinary people without any proper training, and without the guidance of the Church, try to understand the Church’s Bible. They too, make mistakes , and instead of helping souls, they often poison and kill them. The ‘Doctor’s Bible’ came from doctors, and only doctors can properly understand it. The Church’s Bible came from the Catholic Church and only the church can explain it without making mistakes which are harmful to people’s souls.