Can we answer every Bible question?

This site is dedicated to answering Bible questions, but can we really answer every Bible question? This is potentially an important baseline or boundary for our faith. For example, if something is unanswerable, does that mean it isn’t so? If we can’t answer every Bible question, does that mean that God has failed or come up short in some way?

As humans, we can at times not deal well with things that remain unanswered or beyond our grasp. Maybe it is an inherent struggle between man’s pride and ego? For example, on questions regarding the creation and how we came into being. It’s not okay for some to accept the idea that God created matter by speaking it into existence. Some may protest and insist, “There must be more to it!”.

How Scripture answers "Can we answer every Bible question?"

We cannot answer every Bible question^1,2,5,8,9,10. Supposing or expecting that we can only puts us in the same position of error in which Job found himself³, and paves the way for pride⁹ and false teachers/false teaching⁸. It is a futile endeavor as Solomon, the wisest man to live, discovered¹⁰. God is sovereign^2,3,4,5, and we can only know what He has revealed to us through His word^1,2, which is only part³ of “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God”⁴ (but is sufficient for our salvation⁷). Formulating answers to questions that the Bible doesn’t answer – for example, prophecy that isn’t interpreted for us – would only be adding to His word⁶.

Answer built on scripture-blocks below

1

Deuteronomy 29:29

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

What does it say?

There are things that God has kept secret, but what He’s revealed to us are for our generations to keep and obey.

What is the context?

Moses is re-telling the law of God to the people before entering the Promised Land. Chapters 28 and 29 specifically and famously cover the “blessings and the cursings”. “Famous” since the prophets would often quote portions of these chapters in their sermons in order to remind the people of what God had promised them depending on their obedience to the Law.

How does it apply here?

There are things revealed for us, and things still secret to God.

2

1 Corinthians 2:6-7

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

What does it say?

We [apostles] impart a wisdom that is not of this world that is passing away. Instead, we share the once hidden wisdom of God, which existed with Him before the ages for our glory.

What is the context?

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth dealing with several serious issues throughout the letter, but here dealing with divisions among them and reminding them of the uniting nature of the Gospel.

In this chapter, and really including the first four chapters of this letter, he emphasizes the need for them to rely upon the word of God that he had shared with them as the foundation to solve these issues.

How does it apply here?

God’s wisdom has been hidden. The implication is that there is still hidden wisdom, that which has not been imparted by the apostles.

3

Job 42:2-3

I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

What does it say?

I [Job] know that you [God] can do all things and that any purpose of yours cannot be thwarted. You asked who it was that passes judgment without knowing all the facts? Yes, it was I who spoke without understanding, things that are beyond me and don’t understand.

What is the context?

Job is repeating a rhetorical question already asked by God (38:2). He and his friends have been speculating about “life questions” and God’s response and reaction, until finally, God Himself weighed in on the matter.

How does it apply here?

Job acknowledges the fact that he “got out too far in front of his skis” as we might say. His questions to and about God went too far.

4

Romans 11:33-35

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’

What does it say?

How great are the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! His judgments are unsearchable and His ways impossible to understand or interpret. ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?

What is the context?

Paul is drawing his letter to the Christians in Rome to a conclusion. He has just written about salvation coming to the Gentiles and illustrated it as them being branches that were “grafted in” (10:19), while warning that they too can be “broken off” again through unbelief (10:20-21).

To enforce his point of God’s great mercy and His gift of salvation available to all mankind (vs 32), Paul quotes from Isaiah 40:13, a passage he also uses in his letter to Corinth (1 Corinthians 2:16). He also quotes or paraphrases the thoughts from Job 35:7 and/or 41:11.

How does it apply here?

The wisdom and knowledge of God are vast, too much for us to know (except that which has been revealed²).

5

Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

What does it say?

Our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, nor are our ways shared by Him. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.

What is the context?

God is speaking through Isaiah the prophet around 700BC. This chapter, along with the entire latter half of Isaiah starting around chapter 40, contains many confirmed Messianic prophecies along with images and foreshadowing of Christ and His coming Kingdom. In this context, he mentions an “everlasting covenant” (vs 3) and includes the Gentiles (“a nation that you do not know” vs 5).

How does it apply here?

God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours; on a completely different plane.

7

2 Peter 1:3-4

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

What does it say?

We have escaped from the corruption in the world due to sinful desire and have knowledge of the God that called us to His own glory and excellence because He has graced us with His divine power and His precious and very great promises, through which we are able to become partakers of His divine nature.

What is the context?

Peter’s second letter, like his first, still encourages the faithful to remain so while focusing on the peril of false teaching. In this opening of his second letter, Peter goes on to list several qualities (virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love) that they should make “every effort” to add to their faith. In fact, they must be added and “increasing” (vs 8). “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” (vs 9)

How does it apply here?

God has supplied everything we need pertaining to “life and godliness”.

8

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

What does it say?

As I have urged you already, remain in Ephesus in order to command certain individuals not to teach “any different doctrine” or to spend time on myths or endless genealogies. These things only promote speculation rather than “good order” (lit) by our faith in God. This is love that comes from a dedicated heart (mind), good conscience and sincere faith. Certain individuals by diverting from this have gone into worthless discussion. They desire to be teachers but don’t have an understanding of what they teach or the things they confidently assert.

What is the context?

Paul’s instructions to the young preacher Timothy, ending chap 1 with two named individuals that were engaged in false teaching and as a result made a “shipwreck of their faith” and have been “handed over to Satan…”

How does it apply here?

False teachers are doing their work by encouraging “vain discussion.” The implication, or certainly one way vain discussion ensues, is through the asking of questions God has not answered.

10 Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

What does it say?

When I [Solomon] set out to understand the activities of man’s pursuit on earth and how it is never completed, compared with all that God has done, man will not comprehend it. No matter how much he seeks or how wise he is, he might think he understands but he does not.

What is the context?

Throughout the book, the writer is documenting the vanity of life “under the sun.” It is a thesis from the wisest to ever live and probably the single-best authority (from a human perspective) given his God-ordained wisdom and wealth to examine human life. His conclusion in the end is simply to honor God (12:1) and obey/fear His word (12:13).

How does it apply here?

Regardless of how much wisdom or knowledge one possesses, there are things that man cannot know or presume to know.

!! scripture-block context extra important here !!

This entire book is a record of Solomon’s pursuit to understand life and make sense of the things around him. Granted, it wasn’t a pursuit to understand God’s word specifically, but it was pertaining to the “work of God…that is done under the sun” and in the end his finding was simply to obey what God has revealed for man.

end of scripture-blocks; go back to the answer

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…and if you’re wondering more about what we’re doing and why, here are some links we hope can help explain it (and maybe even get you excited about contributing):

the Bible Study Framework and the scripture-blocks that build answers from scripture
our format and the anatomy of a question
our mission and the Bible study standard that we follow
our top four obstacles to letting scripture interpret scripture

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