2. Can We Understand The Bible Alike? Romans 16:25-27

3. Religious Division Demonstrates How Some Do Not Understand God’s word is truth (Jn. 17:17) It has a meaning It does not have multiple meanings Not the popular, “it means one thing to you and another thing to me” God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33)

4. Men have taught that the Bible cannot be understood John Calvin (1509-1564) – man too great a sinner to understand Catholicism has taught the “clergy/laity” distinction Protestants have relied on their “pastors,” but not on God’s word

5. Why Some Do Not Understand The Bible Prejudice Lack of desire Willful ignorance Infidelity Unwilling to be confined All these are problems of attitude; not problems of understanding See Rev. 22:8-9; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Jn. 9

6. Man Can Understand The Bible Called a “revelation” (Eph. 3:2-4) “a laying bare,…a disclosure of truth, instruction, conceiving divine things before unknown” (Thayer) Unless man can understand the Bible, it is not a revelation Once a mystery, but now a revelation (Rom. 16:25-26) Written for certainty (Lk. 1:1-4) Commanded to understand (Eph. 5:17)

7. Man Has Understood The Bible Israel understood (Neh. 8:7-12) Timothy understood from a child (2 Tim. 3:14-15) Apostates once understood (Heb. 10:26; 2 Peter 2:20-22)

8. If We Cannot Understand The Bible, Then We Cannot Be Saved Judgment is not based on what we do not know (Jn. 12:48) One must first know, then understand (Jn. 8:32) We must receive (understand & obey) the word to be saved (James 1:21)