This was the question Philip asked of the Ethiopian prince as he sat reading from Isaiahβs prophecy (Acts 8:30), and it is a question which we should continually keep asking ourselves as we read the Holy Scriptures.
There are always those among Godβs people who do not muchΒ care whether or not they understand what they read, if only it warms their hearts! To them the Bible is little more than a fetish. Taking only those Scriptures which appeal to them, and leaving the rest, they actually feel themselves quite spiritual and often talk aboutΒ believingΒ the Bible whether they understand it or not!
But such βspiritualityβ is far from genuine, and such βfaithβ is blind and superstitious at best.
While it is true that the Bible teaches many truths which we believe, although they are beyond our comprehension (such as its opening verse!), yet how can we believeΒ what the Bible saysΒ unless we understandΒ what it says? God would have us understand what we read and believe it intelligently. Indeed, true faith will want to know and understand more and more of Godβs Word. One who does not care whether or not heΒ understandsΒ what God has said is not interested in knowing what God has said at all. His faith is based on his own will rather than on Godβs Word, for regardless of the meaning of Scripture, he will take any passage that suits his fancy and use it as he wishes.
How great an emphasis God Himself puts upon the importance of understanding His Word! On one occasion, when our Lord saw the multitudes, He βwas moved with compassion toward them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd:Β and He began to teach them many thingsβ (Mark 6:34).
And now that the secret of Godβs great plan has been made known, how much more reason there is toΒ studyΒ the Scriptures with a view to understanding them! How Paul, by the Spirit, emphasizes this as he writes of his prayers for the saints:
βTHAT the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, MAY GIVE UNTO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM:
βTHE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; THAT YE MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLINGβ¦β (Eph. 1:17,18). source
