"Do You Understand What You Are Reading?"
by Joe R. Price

"...And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near and overtake this chariot.' So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him" (Acts 8:28-31).

Do you understand the Bible when you read it? If not, you are not alone. We are not suggesting the Bible is impossible to understand; just the opposite, in fact. Jesus said we can know the truth (John 8:32). We are commanded to understand the will of the Lord (Eph. 5:17). To do so, we must be willing to be taught.

One way God helps us understand the Scriptures is through the work of teachers. Just as we need teachers to guide us through our academic training, we need teachers to guide us in understanding the word of God. Jesus "gave some to be... teachers" in order to equip us to serve Him and His people (Eph. 4:11-12).

We should never let pride or any other obstacle keep us from humbly admitting that we need to learn God's word, and to ask for help to do so. The Ethiopian knew he needed someone to guide him in understanding the prophet Isaiah. God knew it too, so He sent the man a teacher who taught him about Jesus and salvation (Acts 8:34-39). God is willing to teach you today, if you are will to be taught by those who teach the truth (John 6:45).