Good morningDear Rella,
Scripture tells us why most believers cannot come to the same understanding of God's Word. It is not because of different levels of intelligence, or wisdom, or length of time a person has been a believer or even what church denomination they attend. Mankind's individual abilities have nothing to do with it.
In Mark 8:15-25, Christ teaches how a person comes to a knowledge of the truth (the one and only truth).
Let's start with verses 15-21:
Mark 8:15 And he charged them, saying, take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, HOW IS IT THAT YE DO NOT UNDERSTAND?
In the verses above, Christ is giving His disciples a lesson on the spiritual language of God's Word - His language. This scripture below from Isaiah is "key" to understanding why new believers cannot understand God's Word:
Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another language will he speak to this people. 12 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
At this point in time (before the disciples were converted at Pentecost), the disciples had received the Early Rain of the Spirit but had not yet received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Latter Rain of the Spirit). And because of such, they were still carnally minded, spiritually blind and unconverted. They had a "measure of faith" but the spiritual teachings of Christ remained veiled. They simply had no ability to understand the spiritual language of Christ.
Christ ends His comments above by asking the disciples this question: “How is it that ye do not understand?” No response from the disciples is recorded in scripture. However, Christ answers His own question in the very next four verses.
Mark 8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
Since Christ is the Word of God, He teaches us not only through His words which are recorded in scripture but also by the things that He did. In answering the question that He proposed to the disciples in verse 21, Christ goes to Bethsaida and gives us His answer in type by the healing of a blind man.
In verse 23, Christ leads a blind man out of the city. Once outside the city, Christ places spit on his eyes and touches him with His hands. These actions occur as the blind man is looking down which symbolizes the carnal aspect of His healing. Christ does not have to tell the blind man to look down, the blind man just does it naturally. The spit (water) symbolizes the blind man receiving the Early Rain of the Spirit with its accompanying vision (carnal understanding). This event represents the time when an unbeliever is called out from the world and enters the church.
After Christ asks the man what he could see, the man looks up and says that he could see men "walking as trees". "Walking as trees" is a spiritual symbol for called out believers who walk by sight (the flesh, carnal nature) rather than by faith & the Spirit. The man’s blindness was not total any longer but he was still very near-sighted and could only see Christ carnally. Paul stated that this near-sighted type of understanding will only allow a believer to see "Christ and Him crucified" (1Cor 2:2). This means that the new believer can see Christ's physical work that He did under the Old Covenant, but Christ's spiritual work that He is presently doing under the New Covenant will remain blurred.
This first healing of the blind man reflects the true spiritual condition of a new believer when they first enter the church. At this time, the believer is left carnally minded and spiritually near-sighted. They can see a little, but that only opens the door to Satan's carnally based deceptions - deceptions which each new believer will readily accept due to their carnal nature still being in control of them (Mat 12:43-45, Mat 24:24 & Luke 5:39).
For a carnally minded and spiritually blind believer (Early Rain only), the Old Wine still tastes better than the New Wine:
Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desires the new: for he says, The old is better.
The Old Wine represents the Old Covenant which is based on the works of man. The New Wine represents the New Covenant which is solely based on the spiritual works of Christ.
Peter says that this near-sighted condition is the same as being blind:
2Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins
Peter makes this statement because the believers to whom he was addressing were mixing their own works with faith. They were still preferring the Old Wine.
In the final verse of the story of the blind man, Christ lays His hands upon the man’s eyes again, but as He does, Christ has the man look up instead of down. This second healing represents the Latter Rain of the Spirit when true spiritual vision is given to a believer. The man’s upward gaze represents the spiritual aspect of the healing in contrast to the carnal aspect when the blind man was looking down at the earth.
From that moment onward, we now know that the blind man is a type for a called AND chosen believer who has received both the Early and Latter Rains of the Spirit (James 5:7-8). The man has been given eyes that can see spiritually ("drawn from the breasts" Isa 28:9). From his new ability to understand God's Word, he will then come out from Satan's deceptions and will begin walking by faith. He will be included in the resurrection of the First Fruits and will receive the reward of life during the ages.
Joe
HOW IS IT THAT YE DO NOT UNDERSTAND?
"2Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, .........
You are missing my point.
From Jesus' own teachings they still did not understand...
Most everyone that ventures forward into forums such as these is not here to inquire for knowledge of specifics. And while all would, or should agree that Jesus is the reason.. there are different understanding on what that really means.... and will argue about it. Born again, baptism, faith should come natural but they
are not seen the same.
Most everyone is certain of his or her understanding. From the preterist, to the diehard Calvinist they are all correct.... in their own minds. I am certain you have your opinion of free will... but how many here will argue with you that you are wong. Also on the forbidden debate subject...
I myself see things with clear understanding and often when I point things out I get told how wrong I am and why... followed by someone else who will say to that respondent that both of us have it wrong.
We read the same words..... How can there be so many misunderstandings???????????????