03/01/2026
Why the Word of God Is So Often Misunderstood
“The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
We live in a time when the Bible is everywhere, but truth is rare. Everyone quotes Scripture, yet people arrive at opposite conclusions. One says, “The law is done away.”
Another says, “Remember the Sabbath day.” One says, “Once saved, always saved.” Another says, “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
The question is not: Is the Bible unclear? The real question is: Why do people misunderstand the Word of God?
“The Bible is its own interpreter.” Ellen G. White
I. THE WORD IS MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE IT IS READ WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13. “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20. The Bible is not an ordinary book. It is spiritually discerned, not intellectually mastered alone.
Many people: Read the Bible to win arguments. Read it to prove tradition. Read it to defend sin. But few read it to be corrected.
“The Spirit was not given, nor can it ever be bestowed, to supersede the Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the Word of God is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.” Great Controversy, p. 9.
Without the Holy Spirit: Parables remain stories. Commands feel burdensome. Truth becomes offensive
A man may hold a map, but without light he will still get lost. The Holy Spirit is the light that makes the map usable.
II. THE WORD IS MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE PEOPLE READ IT THROUGH TRADITION, NOT TRUTH
“Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” Matthew 15:6. “They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Romans 10:2
Tradition often speaks louder than Scripture: Family beliefs. Denominational customs. Popular theology
Many ask: “What does my church teach?” Instead of: “What does the Bible say?”
Spirit of Prophecy says, “The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 35. Truth is not decided by age or majority, but by “Thus saith the Lord.”
If a watch is five minutes fast, it will still be wrong, even if it has been fast for years.
01/04/2026
First Part