The Hard Bits

“Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” — 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)

Sooner or later, Torrey says, every young Christian comes across parts of the Bible that are hard to understand or hard to believe. For some, these difficulties become a real crisis of faith.

Torrey doesn’t pretend the difficulties aren’t there. “We have no desire to conceal the fact that these difficulties exist,” he says. “We rather desire to frankly face and consider them.” Then he gives some wise points.

First, difficulties are to be expected. The Bible is God revealing himself to people like us, and we are limited. Torrey says that if someone gave him a book “as simple as the multiplication table” and said it was a complete revelation of God, he wouldn’t believe it. An infinite God is bound to say things we struggle to understand.

Second, a difficulty doesn’t prove something is false. Torrey uses an example from science. When astronomers first said the earth goes round the sun, there was a problem: if they were right, the planet Venus should have phases like the moon. But nobody could see any. Later, a stronger telescope showed that Venus did have phases. The difficulty came from not having all the facts yet.

Third, Torrey says there are bigger difficulties in believing the Bible is merely human than in believing it comes from God. How do you explain its fulfilled prophecies, its amazing unity, its depth, and its power to change lives?

Torrey’s practical advice is this: be honest, keep reading, ask questions, and don’t give up something you have good reason to trust just because you can’t answer every question yet.

Doubts and questions are a normal part of growing up in faith. Bring them to God, and talk them through with a wise Christian you trust. You don’t have to have every answer to keep following Jesus.

One thing to do this week: write down one part of the Bible or one question about faith that you find hard. This week, look into it a little, and ask a wise Christian adult about it. Pray: “Lord, help me understand, and help me trust you while I wait.”