The thoughts expressed in the Bible are plain enough. They are written in the common language of man and make use of the usual grammatical patterns and vocabulary with which men express thoughts in every area of life. Any man who can read can understand the statements made in the Bible from the standpoint of language and logic.

There is an understanding of the Scriptures, however, which is at a deeper and more profound level. The apostle Paul says that the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural (unregenerate) man, and that he cannot know nor understand them apart from the indwelling of the Spirit of God. In other words, a man must be born again before he can truly understand the things of the Spirit. The Bible is a thing of the Spirit, for the holy men of old who wrote the books of the Bible did so “as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Therefore, in order for a man to understand the Scriptures as to their spiritual content and importance, he must first be born again.

One of the best examples of the difference between a grammatical understanding and a spiritual understanding of God’s word is found in John Chapter Eight. Jesus asked this question of the wicked Jews: “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word” (Jn. 8.43). Our Lord was by no means saying that they did not understand the natural meaning of His words. In fact, by the time He had finished His conversation with them, they were so angry that they took up stones to cast at Him (v. 59). He had told them, “Before Abraham was, I am,” and they correctly understood that to be a declaration by Him of His eternity, and therefore His divinity. With their natural ears they had heard what He had said and had understood the natural meaning of His words, but they had not understood the spiritual truth of His statements because they did not have “ears to hear,” that is, they had no spiritual nature to enable them to comprehend and rejoice in spiritual things. Their reaction to the meaning of Jesus’ words only manifested their hatred of God and the things of the Spirit.

The Bible is written for the benefit of God’s people. Obviously it is not written for those who cannot understand it. By God’s grace we have been enabled to hear the words of Jesus and to rejoice in the heavenly principles contained in them. Apart from God’s grace, the Bible would be foolishness to us, and would remain foolishness forever.