It is a learned joy of the Christian to read and study the Scriptures on a regular basis, and to grow in our knowledge of God and His ways. Regular reading and study is not an easy habit to establish, but one we are encouraged in by the examples of Jesus and the Apostles. Jesus often responded to challenges and questions by quoting the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Bible studying brings great rewards in terms of understanding Jesus and this ‘new way’ of life we have embarked upon.

From time to time though, in our reading of Scripture, we run into a portion or a verse that is very hard to understand, perhaps confusing or even sometimes downright offensive to us. Given the fact that most of us don’t have the time, or even the resources to become academic Biblical scholars

what are we to do?