Explore puzzling statements and events from Scripture. Each short investigation presents the biblical account, explains the difficulty, and considers its meaning.
What Does Saved Through Childbearing Mean?
1 Timothy 2:15
1 Timothy • Apostolic Letters & Revelation
How should Christians understand this unusual statement about women and salvation?
To Whom Did Christ Preach Among the Imprisoned Spirits?
1 Peter 3:18-20
1 Peter • Apostolic Letters & Revelation
Who were the spirits in prison, and what did Christ proclaim to them?
What Is the Mark of the Beast and the Number 666?
Revelation 13:16-18
Revelation • Apostolic Letters & Revelation
What does Revelation mean by the mysterious number and mark of the beast?
What Is the Thousand-Year Reign of Christ?
Revelation 20:1-6
Revelation • Apostolic Letters & Revelation
What does John's vision reveal about the reign of Christ and His saints?
Understanding Puzzling Passages
The Bible contains passages that have puzzled readers for centuries. Some describe extraordinary events, others record troubling actions, and still others contain statements that seem difficult to reconcile with what we know about God.
Why are these passages difficult?
Sometimes the difficulty comes from differences in language, culture, or ancient customs. In other cases, understanding a passage requires knowing its historical setting, literary style, or relationship to the larger biblical story.
Looking Beneath the Surface
Rather than avoiding these questions, we can explore them with curiosity and care. Drawing upon Scripture, historical evidence, and the insights of Christian and Jewish scholars, these investigations consider what the biblical writers intended to communicate.
Questions Worth Exploring
Not every puzzling passage has a single, universally accepted explanation. Where interpretations differ, we examine the principal viewpoints while remaining attentive to the Bible's historical setting and the Christian understanding of Scripture.
Our goal is not merely to resolve difficulties, but to discover how thoughtful study can deepen our understanding of God's Word.