Is the Bible simple and straightforward to understand?

I was reading a debate recently where some people were describing the Bible as being clear.

Over the months, many have also used the expressions "the plain reading of Scripture" or "the Bible is unambiguously clear".  These are usually in the context of sin and homosexuality.

We do need to acknowledge the incredible hard work that Bible translators over the centuries have put into translating the original texts.  Anyone with a knowledge of translation will know that this is no easy task.   There is no such thing as a literal translation, as words and language have meaning that is bound up with their context and culture.  To give a simple example, take the French expression "je t'aime".  What does this mean?

In one context, it means "I love you".  In another context it means "I like you".  These different understandings could have profound implications in certain situations!  Some words do not translate at all into other languages.  Some have many words for snow or types of cloud or weather.

And then, there is historical context.  A word can change its meaning over time.  Take for example the word "gay".  Decades ago, this meant happy or bright.  Now it means homosexual.  In some contexts it is a fashion statement.

Bible translators have a very tricky job of not only finding the original meaning of a word in its original context, but they must then choose a word that conveys a similar meaning in the new context.  This is why we have countless Bible translations on our shelves and why there is no single "best translation".  You might be interested to know that the word "homosexual" does not feature in the Bible for example, but translators used that word to convey different meanings into a context where they felt it was the best word (do a word search online in the old King James Bible if you don't believe me!).

But another thing we must remember about the Bible is that it is not a single book, but a collection of 66 books, which include poetry, song, stories, historical documentation, biography, prophetic vision, pastoral letters and more.

When someone says "the Bible says..." they usually mean "my understanding of what God teaches us through the Bible is..."  At least, I hope they do.  Sometimes it feels like the Bible is a glove puppet that pops up and starts speaking to people from behind a pulpit.

We must also remember that the early Church did not have the Bible we know today.  They created much of the New Testament themselves, yet God clearly spoke to them in different ways.

In light of all these facts, we should be cautious when we hear the words "the Bible clearly says..."  Really, we are trying to discern the will of God through the Bible.  I personally believe that God inspired the writers and that God speaks to us today through the Bible and that the Bible translators take great care in their work.    However, it is clear that throughout the centuries, different understandings of what God says through the Bible have resulted in countless denominations, religious orders, divisions and even war.

This is not to say we should discard the Bible.  I have had profoundly moving spiritual experiences through devotional Bible studies.  The Bible is the first place I turn to after prayer when looking for guidance in life.  We can learn so much about God, Jesus, the Church and how to live lives as Christians through the amazing words of these sacred texts.

However, we worship a living God, not a book about a living God.  God speaks to us through the Bible, yes.  He also speaks to us in different ways and through different people.  The key is that each time we think we know what God would say, to return to God in prayer and ask him directly!  We need to check our initial interpretations for the consistency with the message, example and life of Jesus.  We need to discern through the Holy Spirit residing in us if we are on the right track.  We need to check things out with the community of believers.  These are all important safeguards in our walk as Christians.

The Bible is the most amazing book in the world.  Through it, God transformed my life and I love it dearly and I would fight for it to be freely available to all.   It is most certainly not simple and straightforward (and at times can be very unclear), but then neither is God and neither are we.  If the Bible were a simple textbook with all the answers, then we wouldn't need the gifts of teaching or preaching.  We would just need to hand everyone a copy and say "just do what it says".