“He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16 NIV).
By highlighting some of the challenging aspects of Paul the Apostle’s Biblical letters, Peter directs our attention to a practical application from this passage. For example, some may justify their reluctance to read the Bible by claiming that it is too difficult to understand. But today’s age of technological advancement has made it increasingly difficult to rationalize that argument.
For instance, there are Biblical translations that cater to readers of all levels. Audio Bibles with skilled voiceover artists are widely accessible, with some online versions available at no charge. These advancements can help virtually anyone gain access to God’s Word in a manner that he or she can understand, remember, and apply.
So if we eliminate this objection, we may be left with a brutally honest truth: we don’t engage with God’s Word because we choose to prioritize other things. Some may not wish to invest the effort it takes to grasp and apply certain Biblical truths. Others may be hesitant to embrace the lifestyle changes that might accompany a better understanding of the Scriptures. In the alleged words of American humorist Mark Twain, “Some people are troubled by things in the Bible they can’t understand. What troubles me are the things I can understand.”
In such instances, honesty is the best policy. This means acknowledging our reluctance to read the Scriptures and humbly asking God to cultivate that desire within us. Good things in life rarely come easily, and our text from 2 Peter 3:16 alludes to the fact that we are likely to encounter Scriptural truths are are difficult to grasp. Nevertheless, God will surely reward the diligent student who faithfully attends to His Word.
A prayerful effort to understand God’s Word will yield several other important benefits. First, we will be well positioned to understand what we believe and why. A familiarity with the Bible will also help us identify and avoid the false teachers Peter discussed earlier in chapter two. Finally, we have an opportunity to discover fresh spiritual truths or new applications of familiar truths whenever we open the Scriptures.
Thus, in the wise words of one commentator, “…let us seek to have our minds prepared for receiving things hard to be understood, by putting in practice things which are more easy to be understood.” (1)
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(1) Matthew Henry: Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible – Christian Classics Ethereal Library. (n.d.). https://ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhcc/mhcc.liii.iii.html