Can we Fully Understand Anything?

Is it okay to misunderstand things in our faith? Is it okay if a neighboring church misunderstands something? Is it okay to believe we might not know it all? Our Coffee Break Bible Study looked at the Bread of Heaven passage last week - a "hard" saying, as the disciples now complain, and a hard saying that has divided Christian churches over the centuries. Does it matter that we don't all interpret it the same way? I hope we'll conclude in this week's study that there are more important things to worry about.

(44) Rejection or Misunderstanding?

Christian churches still choose to divide themselves by how they interpret the Bread of Heaven passage. How comfortable are you accepting that other Christians might have different interpretations?

1.       Read John 6:60 If this is, as the Bible and the disciples say, “a hard saying,” should any of us expect to fully understand it? Does the Spirit give us complete understanding, or sufficient understanding?

2.       Read John 6:61 What is the difference between not understanding and complaining?

3.       Read John 6:62 Did you remember Jesus predicting his ascension in this context? How does the ascension affect your faith?

4.       Read John 6:63 How does this affect your understanding of verse 55? How does it play into the disagreements of Christian churches?

5.       Read John 6:64 Is Jesus condemning Judas?

6.       Read John 6:65 Or is Jesus forgiving him? Does God “enable” false disciples?

Read John 6:66. Those who don’t, or won’t accept Jesus’ teaching now start to desert him. The crowds around him begin to thin out.

1.       Is this because everybody sick has been healed, because it’s time to fish and gather crops, because “hard teachings” are too challenging, or all of the above?

2.       What makes people walk away from the church today? Busy adults, college students, those who’ve been hurt?

3.       Read John 6:67 Have you ever felt like walking away?

a.      What challenges you to leave?

b.      What makes you stay?

4.       Read John 6:68-69 What made the disciples stay with Jesus? Was it an easy commitment?

5.       Read John 6:70-71 Is Jesus condemning Judas, or is he just predicting his betrayal?

a.      Later, the devil “enters into” Judas (Luke 22:3, John 13:27; Matthew and Mark just say he betrayed Jesus), though John also says the devil just put ideas into his heart (John 13:2).

                                                                                         i.      Does John phrase it differently because he’s already said that Judas “is a devil”?

                                                                                       ii.      Is there a difference, or are they just using words (that we probably don’t fully understand) differently?

b.      When and how might churches, founded for Jesus, betray him?

c.       When and how might Christians, chosen by God, betray him?

d.      Do you ever wonder if you might have betrayed him? What would you do about it?

Read John 7:1 Jesus’ words have stirred up some major controversies.

1.       What stirs up controversy in the Christian church today?

2.       Do we have to stay and fight every battle (does Jesus stay?) or is it okay to walk away?

3.       Why might it be important for us to stay united, even when things seem to divide us?

4.       Was it important that Judas stayed, even though his interpretations of words and events might have differed from those of the other disciples?