The Bible says God has the right to hide truths and also to reveal them. It's clear that the scriptures are hidden to an extent, from those who haven't yet accepted the gospel. And that the gospel begins to become clear to a person, as soon as he begins to seek God sincerely, and with deep desire.
When a person becomes a true Christian, he has acquired greater wisdom than he formerly had, about the gospel. But that isn't the end of the spiritual learning process of life. Spiritual learning continues on and improves with time, throughout one's life - through his regular exposure to the Bible - and through the guidance of The Holy Spirit.
It's interesting to notice how, this can be seen as going on in the lives of the disciples, throughout His time here on the earth with them. I think it's also somewhat comical - how the way Jesus said things to them can be seen to have been purposely said in a difficult way for them to understand - and also comical to note their reactions to this, each time. But they often understood what He meant - better - most often - shortly after He said such things to them. It makes more of a dramatic story that way, too! If He'd explained things clearly to them always right away - it wouldn't be nearly so fun to read about - nor as thought provoking. And I think the lessons they learned from Him - had greater impact on them, and also on us, the readers of the Bible - than if they'd always understood right away!
Here are some examples I can think of, for times, when I can see that Jesus purposely disguised what He was saying, to the affect that those He spoke to in this way - didn't at first, understand what He meant:
*His conversation with the woman at the well. Think of how He first talked to her about the water in the well - but later on in the conversation - spoke to her of "living water."
*Think of how He told the disciples to get some food to feel the large crowd He had just preached to. At first, He didn't tell them how to get it - He just told them to get it. No wonder they exclaimed at the seeming impossibility of being able to do this! And He didn't tell them that He was going to do a miracle. He just told them to get the little food that happened to be available.
*Think of how He disguised what He said about Judas (at the last supper), so that the disciples failed to immediately understand what He meant! Though yes, their difficulty in understanding Him, was partly due to emotions or whatever mental fog was in them at the time. Our way of handling "mental fog" (that we are already aware that people have) when dealing with people - is to be extra careful to explain things extra thoroughly to them. But Jesus didn't do it that way. He allowed His hearers to experience some confusion, at first - but then later, helped them to understand correctly, later. That is, if they were people who were sincere in their seeking of God.
When a person becomes a true Christian, he has acquired greater wisdom than he formerly had, about the gospel. But that isn't the end of the spiritual learning process of life. Spiritual learning continues on and improves with time, throughout one's life - through his regular exposure to the Bible - and through the guidance of The Holy Spirit.
It's interesting to notice how, this can be seen as going on in the lives of the disciples, throughout His time here on the earth with them. I think it's also somewhat comical - how the way Jesus said things to them can be seen to have been purposely said in a difficult way for them to understand - and also comical to note their reactions to this, each time. But they often understood what He meant - better - most often - shortly after He said such things to them. It makes more of a dramatic story that way, too! If He'd explained things clearly to them always right away - it wouldn't be nearly so fun to read about - nor as thought provoking. And I think the lessons they learned from Him - had greater impact on them, and also on us, the readers of the Bible - than if they'd always understood right away!
Here are some examples I can think of, for times, when I can see that Jesus purposely disguised what He was saying, to the affect that those He spoke to in this way - didn't at first, understand what He meant:
*His conversation with the woman at the well. Think of how He first talked to her about the water in the well - but later on in the conversation - spoke to her of "living water."
*Think of how He told the disciples to get some food to feel the large crowd He had just preached to. At first, He didn't tell them how to get it - He just told them to get it. No wonder they exclaimed at the seeming impossibility of being able to do this! And He didn't tell them that He was going to do a miracle. He just told them to get the little food that happened to be available.
*Think of how He disguised what He said about Judas (at the last supper), so that the disciples failed to immediately understand what He meant! Though yes, their difficulty in understanding Him, was partly due to emotions or whatever mental fog was in them at the time. Our way of handling "mental fog" (that we are already aware that people have) when dealing with people - is to be extra careful to explain things extra thoroughly to them. But Jesus didn't do it that way. He allowed His hearers to experience some confusion, at first - but then later, helped them to understand correctly, later. That is, if they were people who were sincere in their seeking of God.
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