Who has never been confused when studying the bible?
Crickets…
Silence…
No takers…

Why can two different people study the scriptures and have opposite viewpoints, with both being 100% sure they are correct?
It isn’t possible, right?
Opposing views cannot both be correct.

Why is it that some people can clearly see and understand a concept in the bible and share it with others, and they totally do not get it?
It’s just a book full or words, right?
Just read it and believe it.
Simple.
It says what it says, right?
Why all the confusion?

Well, for starters, it is not just a book full of words.
John 17:17
¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 
So it is settled — Scripture tells us that the Scriptures are truth!
Sort of like a double negative, but in this case, a double positive, right?
But it goes a step further…
This verse identifies what the Scriptures are:
They are the Words of Yahweh, our Creator.

2Timothy 3:16-17 confirms this, but also gives us instructions on what to do with it:
¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

What do we learn here?
1. All (not some) Scripture
2. Is inspired by Yahweh
3. It is profitable
     >>>>for doctrine
     >>>>for reproof
     >>>>for correction
     >>>>for instruction in righteousness
4. So that one who belongs to Yahweh
5. May be complete
6. Thoroughly equipped
     >>>>for every good work.

So the Word is truth, it is inspired by God, and it is useful to us.
In addition, understanding is promised to us — but only if we do not doubt:
James 1:5-8
⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

But this promise is conditional…
2Corinthians 3:14-16
¹⁴ But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 
This tells us that people are blinded from understanding.
Understanding what?
The Old Testament.
Who is blinded?
Those who have not fully submitted their hearts to Yahweh (God).

Even further, Messiah (Jesus, Yeshua, Our Savior, the Son of God) tells us that understanding is intentionally withheld from people:
Matthew 13:11
¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

So now we have learned there is something very special about the Scriptures.
They are not just words on a page.
They are not just God’s words on a page.
Our ability to understand has a supernatural element to it.
To some, understanding is given.
To others, understanding is withheld.
In both cases, it is due to the condition of their hearts.
A humble, submitted heart is promised understanding and truth.
An unsubmitted heart is not allowed the truth.
Very interesting…

So here is a HUGE QUESTION:
How can we tell the difference?
How can we know who understands and who does not understand?
What if two people spend time studying the Scriptures, but they each come away with a different idea or understanding?
Whom are we to believe as a teacher?
There are over 40,000 different Christian denominations.
Each and everyone of them think they “have it right.”
In reality, pretty much none of them have it right.

How do we get to the bottom of it?
The answer lies >>>> wait for it…
In the Scriptures.

First of all, let’s take a look at one vital warning:
2Peter 3:14-17
¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom [peace], spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction. ¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.

Peter gives us this warning from his death bed.
What do people speak of on their death bed?
The things they find to be MOST important in life.
What do we learn from Peter?
What things were the MOST important to him?
1. We are to make every effort (full time job)
     >>>>to be found in peace
     >>>>to be spotless and blameless (without sin)
2. Paul speaks of matters of salvation
3. Some of which is hard to understand
4. Which ignorant and unstable people
     >>>>twist (misconstrue, confuse, change, alter)
     >>>>Paul’s writings
     >>>>And the Scriptures (Old Testament, as it is all that existed at this time)
     >>>>To what end?  Their own destruction [not good!!]
5. Be wary, even though you already know this
6. So that you are
     >>>>not led astray
     >>>>by the error (mistake, wrong-doing)
     >>>>of the lawless (those who do not keep the Law)
     >>>>resulting in the loss — of their sure footing.

Ok, so this is a great deal of info packed into one concise warning.
First of all, please recognize the importance of this warning:
The consequences are your destruction and the loss of your sure footing.
What sure footing?
Matthew 7:13-14
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
We must no lose our sure footing on the narrow path that leads to eternal life.
Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) is telling us already that few will find this path.
Peter warns those who have found this path to not lose our footing and stray from this path, resulting in our destruction (same description that Messiah uses).

How can we avoid these pitfalls that lead to destruction, and lead us away from life?
It is quite simple.
All we have to do is pass our test.
What do I mean by this?
What test?

We must pass the test that Yahweh (God of the Bible, Yehova, Elohim, Adonai, The Great I Am, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) gives to each and every person who has ever lived:
Deuteronomy 13:3-4
“…for Yahweh your Elohim is testing you, to find out whether you love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁵ Yahweh your Elohim you will follow and Him you will fear. His commandments you will keep, to His voice you will listen, Him you will serve and to Him you will cling.

What is this test comprised of?
How do we pass this test?
1. Love Yahweh with all our heart
2. Love Yahweh with all our soul
3. Follow Yahweh
4. Fear Yahweh
5. Keep Yahweh’s commandments (The Law)
6. Listen to Yahweh’s Voice
7. Serve Yahweh
8. Cling to Yahweh

“Yes, but this is old testament stuff. We don’t have to do these things anymore. We’ve learned to believe in Jesus and call it good because He did away with the Law…”

What does Jesus say about it?
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah [The Law] or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill/fully teach. ¹⁸ Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah [The Law] until all things come to pass.

Messiah [Jesus] says that He did not do away with the Law.
He goes on to say that not a single pen stroke of the Law [the Torah] will change until heaven and earth pass away at End Times.

“If Jesus wanted us to keep the Law, He would have told us so…”
I present to you the very words of Yeshua Messiah [Jesus]:
John 14:15
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
Not convinced?
How about more words of Messiah?
John 14:21
^{21 “}He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.”
Still not convinced?”
How about even more words of Messiah?
John 15:10
^{10 “}If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Still not convinced?
What about a New Testament test?
Are you passing the newer test?
1John 2:3-6
³ Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.

Mainstream Christian doctrine is built upon the twisted and misunderstood quotes of Paul.  If a Christian pastor is presented with any of the verses I’ve quoted in this article, they always respond with a quote of Paul.
Is this a good or a bad thing?
Well, God and Jesus both tell us to keep God’s commandments, the Torah, the Old Testament Law.
Mainstream Christianity teaches that we do not keep the Law because of the things Paul said.
This raises two questions in my mind:
1. Have they ever bothered to read Peter’s warning about Paul’s writings that we quoted and reviewed above?
2. WHo the heck is in charge around here?  God and Jesus, or Paul?  If you have to choose which to follow [with your eternity on the line] whom will you choose?
God and Jesus?
Or Paul?
Before you decide, let’s look at some direct quotes of Paul that your church leader most likely has not included in their teachings:
Acts 24:14
“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.”
Acts 25:8
…while he answered for himself, “Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.”
Paul says those who do the Law [the Torah, God’s commandments] are the ones who will be justified:
Romans 2:12-13
¹² For all who have sinned outside of Torah will also perish outside of Torah, and all who have sinned according to Torah will be judged by Torah. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of Torah who are righteous before God; rather, it is the doers of Torah who will be justified.
Are you confused by these quotes of Paul?
What about this one?
Romans 3:31
³¹ Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah.

If you follow a mainstream Christian doctrine of not keeping the Law, built upon the words of Paul, then which Paul do you follow?
Do you follow the twisted and misunderstood words of Paul that Peter warned us not do do?
Or do you follow the Paul who upholds the Torah?

What famous words do we learn from Joshua, that many lawless people quote and even hang on their walls?
Joshua 24:15
“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Do you follow and serve misinterpreted Paul?
Or do you follow and serve Yahweh, Yehova, Elohim, Adonai, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Do you serve Messiah Yeshua, Jesus, the Son of the Living God?
Because you can’t follow and serve both, and why would anyone follow a man anyway? Paul is not a god, and he is not to be followed, and yet, the whole of mainstream Christianity does exactly that!
Did you know that the prophets foretold this?
Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

God said His Law is forever, for all generations, never ending, and a perpetual covenant.
God said His Law is for both the native Hebrew and for the sojourners/strangers among them [Gentiles].
God said His word shall never pass away.
Here is a direct quote of God:
Malachi 3:6
“For I am Yehova. I do not change…”
Paul has no authority to change the things that God said are for everybody, and are forever, and he did not try to do so.
Paul’s letters sometimes refer to the Torah Instructions, the Law/Commands of God, and other times refer to the Law of Sin and Death.  Still other times, Paul refers to the Law of the Pharisees.
This is why Peter says his letters are hard to understand.
Churches take Paul’s statements about the Law of Sin and Death or the Law of the Pharisees and use them to say that God’s Torah is done away with.
This is blasphemy, as God said His commands are forever and for all people who want to belong to Him.

Mainstream Christians claim to belong to the New Covenant.
Let’s look at the very simple details of the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:7-10
⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. ⁸ Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ⁹ not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. ¹⁰ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

What do we learn here about the New Covenant that Christians claim as their own?
1. The first covenant was not faultless
     >>>>the fault was not with the covenant
     >>>>the fault was with the people who broke the covenant
This resulted in Yahweh [God] divorcing the House of Israel from the covenant:
Jeremiah 3:8
⁸ Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce;
But Yahweh promised to one day restore the House of Israel (as represented in the parable of the Prodigal Son).
Did Jesus come to save the Gentiles?
No.
Here is another direct quote of Messiah:
Matthew 15:24
²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But these things are a whole other study… 
Let’s get back to the new covenant:
2. There will be a New Covenant
     >>>>not like the one the people did not keep
3. But the New Covenant will be with
     >>>>the house of Isreal
     >>>>and the house of Judah
     >>>>[NO GENTILES]
4. God will put His laws in their mind
5. God will write His laws on their hearts
6. He will be their God
7. And they will be His people.

Does this sound like the New Covenant that your church teaches?
With Israel and Judah?
With the Law written on your mind and heart?
Is your church teaching you this truth?
Or do they twist Paul’s writings to say the Law is done away with, even though God Himself says it is not, and even though Jesus Himself says it is not?

Choose whom you will serve this day…
Yahweh and Yeshua Messiah?
God and Jesus?
Or do you serve your church’s false teachings.
You can’t serve both.
You must choose one or the other.

Still not sure if I’m right about any of this?
Have you studied this scripture?
This is a conversation a man had with Jesus:
Matthew 19:16-17
¹⁶ Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
¹⁷ So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Don’t listen to my thoughts and ideas.
Don’t listen to my words.
Listen to Jesus.
Listen to the One who you say that you serve and follow.
Listen to the Only One who can save you and grant you eternal life.
“But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Still not sure?
Jesus tells us who will enter His Kingdom in Revelation 22:14
^{14 “}Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”

Again, how many times now, straight out of the mouth of Jesus?
Keep the commandments.
Are you listening to Him?

Here is another quote of Jesus:
John 10:27-28
²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Do you know His voice?
Do you know the voice of the Father?

So back to the original question.
Why so confusing?
Why are various parts of the scriptures written in a way that can cause confusion?
It is a test.
Do you know His Voice?
Do you obey His Voice?
Do you cling to Him?
Or do you wander away from Him because of some confusing Scriptures?

Are you passing your test?
Deuteronomy 13:3-4
“…for Yahweh your Elohim is testing you, to find out whether you love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁵ Yahweh your Elohim you will follow and Him you will fear. His commandments you will keep, to His voice you will listen, Him you will serve and to Him you will cling.