“And what did he really mean when he said, ‘You must be home before 11?’ Did he mean that in an exact, literal sense? Besides, he never specified 11 p.m. or 11 a.m. And he wasn’t really clear on whether he was talking about Central Standard Time or Eastern Standard Time. I mean, it’s still only quarter to seven in Honolulu. And as a matter of fact, when you think about it, it’s always before 11. Whatever time it is, it’s always before the next 11. So with all of these ambiguities, we can’t really be sure what he meant at all. If he can’t make himself clearer, we certainly can’t be held responsible.”
There’s no doubt that some parts of the Bible are hard to understand. It reflects the places, histories, cultures and languages of places long ago and far away. Sometimes it helps to have some background information on those issues to get the best sense of it, and there are some passages that people might disagree about. But on the essential teachings and issues, the Bible leaves little room for confusion.
As Mark Twain was known to have quipped, “It’s not the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that disturb me, rather it’s the parts of the Bible that I do understand that disturb me.”
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
