Featured How does a non-believer make sense of the Bible?

Explaining John 11:26 will get you way on your way to explaining Psalm 91.

 

1 Corinthians 2:14 states, "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." This does not mean an unbeliever cannot understand the words of scripture, it means that the words of scripture are not viewed through a lens of God-given faith. When I was in my senior year of high school (1978-79), my school had an elective class called "The Bible as Literature". The Bible was studied the same as an English Literature major would study Shakespeare or Milton.

 

Unbelievers can be religious. Natural men have a fleshly religious understanding in which they believe man is in control rather than God. They invent their own views of what is right and what is wrong.
They invent their own view of reality, which is a fantasy world.

 

Psalms 91:9-12, ". . . Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. . . ."

I know this promise is true. It is a specific prophecy about Christ, not the individual believer.

Now the Devil tempted our Lord with this, ". . . Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. . . ." -- Matthew 4:5-7.

 

First, you have to ask if they are reading with a hardened heart. Even many who proclaim the Bible read it with a hardened heart where they are forcing or comparing their theology/philosophy to the Bible as oppose to reading the Bible while being open to what it may say.

Matthew 19:3-12

In this case, the Pharisees wanted to divorce their wives for any reason and they did their best to force their theology onto the scripture. Jesus places their prooftext into context with the rest of scripture.

In the same way non-Christians may be looking for a way to discount the Bible and may have already pre-hardened their hearts to refuse any explanation. And further explanation may simply further harden their heart like what happened with pharaoh and the plagues.

However, if you feel like they are open to an explanation, I would point out that Psalms is poetry - not expository text. In fact, there is very little expository text in the Bible. Poetry in the Bible, just like poetry elsewhere, tends to have numerous metaphorical images and tends to convey feelings more than facts.

Psalms 91:3-4

We obviously aren't birds and we don't live in nests. It's metaphorical.

If you read the Psalms 91 again, as a poem, you can see how this would give comfort to a Jew living in exile despite their circumstances, or provide encouragement to those who are doing right, or even something else. It's poetry and has multiple meanings and a depth that is not always seen in the first reading.

As far as physical loss of life or property, the Bible insures that this is not what we are fighting for.

Ephesians 6:12 CSB
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

And Jesus gives us the power over these enemies.

Luke 10:18-20

 

That's fine.
Until relatively recently, so did I.

What's important is, are you willing to believe whatever it says, deep down in your heart?

They probably wouldn't believe it.

I've watched many unbelievers either succumb to despair in the face of things that do come near their dwelling, or they simply "power through it" with positive thinking, and then do whatever it takes to put it behind them.

What they don't usually do is to seek God for answers, or to hope in His deliverance.
They usually dismiss them as, "That's life, what can you do?" and simply move on the best that they can.

As for how one makes sense of it and perceives it as truth...
A person that is "of God" hears, or welcomes the truth of God's word ( John 8:47 ).
Those that are not believers will not welcome its truths.

Since you believe His words, then you can trust that you are His and the promises contained are for you to rely on.

As for praying for you...
I will do that.

Try not to worry too much, and remember to cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you ( 1 Peter 5:7 ).

 

Calamity comes to everyone however under God's protection promised to those in Psalms 91 it did not come. The best explanation is Faith in God. God's protection is available to all believers if you ask for it.
Joh_15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Anyone who can read can comprehend can understand scripture.
MB

 

yes BUT, while there was scripture it did seem anemic (weak blood) and lacking in strength

To repeat your o/p question
How does a non-believer make sense of the Bible?

Well unaided by the Spirit of God he/she would have difficulties.

John 1
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

GOD reveals Himself to whomsoever He pleases - when and how He pleases.
Our responsibility is response.
I believe its to every man as verse 9 plainly declares.

respondez s'il vous plait

 

Nonbeliever: "See, I told you religion is just a crock ... an 'opiate for the masses' and a con to get your money."

(That's what makes them "non-believers". )

 

I suppose I'm an exception then because I rarely take nonbelievers at there word.
MB

 

Perhaps, but most "church goers" don't read their Bible, so I suspect that active "unbelievers" spend even less time pondering Proverbs. At best they once tried to read it and quit somewhere after Genesis when it got into boring lists and genealogies.

Do you really believe that God created the everything in 6 days?

• read a biology book ... evolution.
• read a geology book ... formation of sedimentary rocks and coal.
• read an astronomy book ... age and life cycle of stars.

Do you really believe that the world was flooded and all of the animals got on a 450ft long wooden barge?

• Did the dinosaurs miss the boat ... literally!
• Read a book on wooden shipbuilding ... hint hogging and break in half.
• How did the kangaroos get from/back to Australia?

Do you really believe that people lived 600 years?

• Sort of straining the limits of credibility, don't ya think.

All this is the first half of the Genesis ... and believers expect reasonable people of the world to swallow all this as infallible truth? Unbelievers do not believe it, so they have no reason to expect that the rest of the book is any more "credible". That is why GOD SAVES and not men.

If your experience with unbelievers is different, then Praise God. Personally, I find people willing to give God a chance only after everything else has failed.

 

All of your "do you really believe" inquiries leave out two important entities - GOD and faith.
so yes with those two entities I do believe the seeming impossibilities within the constraints/restraints you have decreed.

As an example - did God create everything in 6 days - yes - if and when I see Him face to face and the question comes up and He says "son, I meant the 6 days to be metaphorical" then I will certainly change my mind but until then 6 days it is.

However if brethren choose the metaphorical POV I won't care and can/will worship and have fellowship unless of course matters of a different gravity cause a problem.

 

Since childhood I have believed all these things although my mother was my Sunday school teacher. Adults who have rational reasoning would not. When I tell people about Christ I do not start out in Gensis.

You are right Jesus Saves and with the help of the Holy Spirit sinners can still believe. the Bible says;
2Co_8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
when a man has Willingness he will be convinced of Jesus and convicted of his sins and might be saved.
MB

 

GOD and faith tend to be lacking in "unbelievers" and the questions were presented to illuminate the Bible from an "unbeliever's perspective". People read books starting at the beginning and for an unbeliever, the opening of the Bible seems like "foolishness" thus the entire book gets written off as "religious nonsense" by those that do not believe it.

Personally, I have trouble reconciling all the biblical and archeological facts, but given God's track record compared with the track record of "modern science", I am unwilling to bet against God ... so 6 days it is for me, too.

 

I don't necessarily agree with this. I think it depends on what you mean when you say harm.

 

Yes, if you approach the bible by flipping open to a page, and reading a verse at random, you will have a hard time making sense of the Word. But such an approach is nonsensical.

How can believers be secure because bad things happen to believers? The answer is because of the surpassing glory of our afterlife in heaven, nothing that happens to us during our lifetime matters. Yes, sometimes believers enjoy the blessings of God, but we all will suffer and die until Christ comes for us. Are we told our long life will be on earth?

Try reading Psalm 91 NET version, on line, including the footnotes. Bottom line, yes some truths can be gleamed from just reading scripture, but when it seems not to make sense or seems to conflict with other scripture, the solution is study, prayer, and meditation.

As for the lost, who are open to God's word, one sound approach is for a believer to come along side, and present the essential truths, perhaps using the Roman Road, or other evangelical approach.

 

The best a non-believer may do is read the Bible as one reads any good literature.

They may find certain passages that they would like to emulate, incorporate, quote, and even some principles to live by, but ultimately it is nothing more than a book of stories and promises made to others.

The unsaved derive no eternal value from the Bible any more than some believers who leave it unread.

 

what about Cain, was he a believer?

or an enigma?