The bible is written for believers? Really?

Question

I've read a lot of comments written by people saying that the bible was only written for believers, and that if you do not believe or are not "saved," you will not be able to understand the bible. If that's true, then why is the "formula for salvation" in the bible? Why does it tell people what is expected of us by God? Isn't it kind of a paradox to say that in order to be saved, we need to do what the bible tells us, but we can't read the bible unless we are saved? Doesn't leave us many options, huh?

Answer 1

I've never heard that.  You don't have to be Christian to read the bible.

Answer 2

I've never met anyone who wasn't a Christian that says the Bible makes sense.

That means Christians are lying.  If it doesn't make sense to the rest of us, it doesn't make sense to them either.

That's called LOGIC.

I'm Atheist!

Answer 3

What some people say does not represent everyone. The bible is for all to read and to become believers. Although, people who do not believe in God will most likely find it all a bit far fetched.

Answer 4

That is correct. Hmmmm. Maybe it's for the evangelizers to read TO us non-believers, but not for us to read ourselves?  Interesting paradox.  But Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a doctor.....

Answer 5

Additionally, why do not "all" the saved people belong to identical congregations of the same sect of Christianity?

Answer 6

you can read the bible and understand some pieces of it. it just won't mean anything ot you because you don't have the holy spirit in you yet.  you got to pray and really mean it and ask for the "desire" to learn.  

you don't "NEED to be baptized to be saved.  baptism doesn't save anyone. baptism is just a public symbol of your loyalty to jesus.  baptism is reccommended but its not a must.  to be saved you just take Jesus as your savior and trust and believe in Him.  

Jesus is free.  He won't cost a penny?

if you don't  believe why do you care?

Answer 7

it is.....it says REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED...

you must have a willing heart

you can read it but understanding comes with being born again

Answer 8

The Bible was written for all of mankind, not just believers. It is impossible to accept and believe what it teaches if you're an unbeliever because of unbelief, sin and the fact they do not have the Holy Spirit to open their eyes to its truths and help them apply it to their lives. The Holy Spirit inspired every word of the Bible and that makes Him the true Author. If you want to get something out of the Bible you must have fellowship with the Author and you must believe that God will keep His promises to teach you and instruct you in His Word through the Holy Spirit. I can read books and historical documents about any event of history and choose to deny the truth of what the author has written. That does not make those events fiction- except in my own mind. The same applies to the Bible, which is a collection of historical documents as well as God's Word.

Answer 9

I think this is said for people who read the bible JUST to analyze it. If you just study verses and their origins and meaning, but you don't believe, it doesn't help you at all. So the bible is for believers only  because to them it is more than just literature to analyze and read without meaning. To them it means something and it speaks into their lives. I always took it like that. It does not mean that non-believers can not understand God's messages from the bible. I think it depends on your inner attitude and expectation towards God.  

Answer 10

That's the fallback answer.  First believers tell nonbelievers that they need to read the Bible.   For those who say they already read the Bible and became more convinced than ever that it couldn't possibly be true, they pull out the "you have to be a believer to understand it" answer.   It's strictly face-saving.  Don't expect it to make sense.

Answer 11

No, it is written for all, keep in mind many so called xtians and religous folks are lost and are burning in h**l, no matter how much  good they mean to do.

The words in the bible are revealed to those who are chosen

Answer 12

You do not have to be saved to understand the message of "salvation"

What you need is an "open mind" and a "willing heart" to let the Holy Spirit "WORK HIS SALVATION WITHIN YOU"

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Answer 13

Really?

Answer 14

I believe the Bible was written for all mankind.  Those comments saying it was written only for believers sounds to me like a Fundamentalist belief.  

Fundamentalists also say that God only hears the prayers of believers which is not true.  There's the story of the apostle Peter being sent by God to the Roman centurion to tell him the Gospel message.  Why?  Because God had heard his prayers and had seen his giving of alms to the Jewish people.  The Lord said he was a God-fearing man (not yet Christian though).

Fundamentalists don't represent all of us who are Christian.

Answer 15

The Bible is for all.  It is the written word of God.  When Jesus was on earth He said there are those that have eyes but cannot see, ears and cannot hear.  He meant that you can see the words in the Bible and hear them, but if your mind and heart is closed then you won't hear or see.  If you seek Him you will find Him.  If you aren't seeking then most likely you will not.

Answer 16

The Holy Spirit makes the Bible come alive to us so we understand it.  Of course you can understand it when you are a Christian because you have the Holy Spirit come to live within you.

But it is the Holy Spirit who speaks to you before you are saved, in order to convict you about your need of God.  So he can reveal the Bible to an unbeliever if he is speaking to them.

Answer 17

no offence right, but i think the bible was wrote by mental people, i'm sorry but its true.

Answer 18

Its circular logic. The Bible is the only way to salvation, yet only believers can understand the Bible. The bible is the only "proof" that the bible is true, but that doesn't work at all.

Answer 19

You need to excuse circular logic to be religious, it is just that simple.

Answer 20

The bible is like the tipsters pages in the sporting papers - all the answers are there if only you can decipher it correctly.

Answer 21

I do not believe that the Bible was only written for the believers.   I agree with you.  How then, could you become a believer in the first place, with out knowing and learning of God from the Bible?

Here is a reference in the Old Testament that teaches us about the bible, calling it a "stick" or tablet of writing.

Ezekiel 37

15 ¶ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

  16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

  17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

  18 ¶ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

  19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

  20 ¶ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.