Explore the words, commands, parables and actions of Jesus that can be difficult to understand. Bible Answers Daily examines these passages through their biblical context, Gospel parallels and careful interpretation.
The aim is not to force easy answers, but to distinguish what the biblical text clearly says from conclusions that require interpretation.
A difficult saying deserves more than a quick explanation. It deserves to be read in the passage where Jesus spoke it.
The teachings of Jesus include statements that can sound severe, mysterious, paradoxical or surprising when read by themselves.
Examples include commands to love enemies, statements about carrying a cross, warnings about judgment, difficult parables, unusual expressions and sayings that appear to conflict with other passages at first reading.
Bible Answers Daily focuses on these difficult teachings and asks a simple but important question: What did Jesus mean?
Bible Answers Daily is not designed to cover every possible Christian topic. Its central subject is the careful study of difficult teachings, sayings, commands, parables and Gospel passages connected to Jesus.
These are the kinds of difficult passages that form the heart of the Bible Answers Daily study collection.
Examine Jesus' final declaration from the cross and the context surrounding His death.
Matthew 5:38–48Consider the teaching in the larger section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount concerning retaliation and love of enemies.
John 4:10–14Explore the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman and the meaning of His promise.
Matthew 16:24–26Examine Jesus' call to discipleship and the connection between self-denial, following Him and losing one's life.
Some of Jesus' statements have challenged readers for centuries. A difficult saying is not a reason to ignore the text. It is a reason to examine the text more carefully.
The Hard Sayings collection brings together passages that can be difficult because of their language, context, apparent tension with other teachings, or the questions they raise.
Study principle: A short quotation should not be allowed to replace the larger passage in which Jesus spoke.
Difficult passages are approached as passages to be studied, not merely as isolated quotations to be explained.
Statements of Jesus that can appear harsh, mysterious, paradoxical or confusing.
Teachings that challenge ordinary assumptions about obedience, relationships, possessions, forgiveness or discipleship.
Parables whose imagery, characters or conclusions can be difficult to understand.
Events, encounters and actions involving Jesus that raise significant questions for readers.
The goal is to understand what a passage is saying before deciding what it means for a particular theological argument.
Begin with the actual words and the surrounding verses.
Consider what comes before and after the difficult statement.
Ask who Jesus was addressing and what situation prompted His words.
Where the same event appears elsewhere, examine what the Gospel accounts contribute.
Distinguish direct statements from conclusions drawn from them.
Where significant interpretation remains, explain the issue rather than pretending every question is simple.
Begin with a difficult saying and examine the biblical passages surrounding it.
Explore Jesus' call to deny oneself, take up the cross and follow Him in the context of His teaching to His disciples.
Read the study →Examine Jesus' teaching about retaliation, love of enemies and the wider argument of the Sermon on the Mount.
Read the study →Examine the final declaration of Jesus in John's Gospel and the events immediately surrounding it.
Read the study →
A trustworthy study should show readers how its conclusion was reached.
Each detailed study should make the relevant biblical passage easy to identify and should explain the reasoning used to understand it. The purpose is not simply to provide an answer, but to help readers examine the passage for themselves.
A few things to know about Bible Answers Daily.
Bible Answers Daily is a Christian Bible-study resource focused narrowly on difficult teachings, sayings, commands, parables and Gospel passages connected to Jesus.
It refers to a teaching, saying, command, parable or Gospel scene involving Jesus that may be difficult because of its language, context, imagery, apparent tension with another passage or the questions it raises for readers.
Bible Answers Daily is founded and written by Pastor Johnson A. Baso. The site identifies its author so readers can distinguish the person responsible for the study material from the biblical text being examined.
Where a passage has significant interpretive disagreement, the study should identify the relevant issue and distinguish what the biblical text directly states from conclusions that require interpretation.
When the same event or teaching appears in more than one Gospel, the parallel accounts can provide additional context and details. Comparing them can therefore help readers examine a difficult passage more carefully.
Yes. If there is a saying, command, parable or Gospel passage involving Jesus that you would like examined, you can contact Bible Answers Daily and suggest the passage.
Start with the passage. Examine the context. Compare the Gospel accounts where relevant. Then consider what the biblical text supports.
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