How to Study Bible Verses You Want to Skip: A Practical Guide for Believers

Learning how to study difficult Bible verses transforms troubling passages from obstacles into gateways for deep spiritual growth. By replacing the habit of skipping hard passages with a structured method of context analysis and honest prayer, believers can uncover life-changing biblical truths they would otherwise miss.

Why We Naturally Avoid Difficult Bible Passages

Every long-term Bible reader eventually stumbles upon a passage that brings their reading rhythm to a screeching halt. It might be a harsh moral command, a narrative about judgment that clashes with your view of divine love, or a phrase that seems to completely contradict your foundational beliefs. The natural human reaction is self-preservation. We want our daily devotion time to feel comforting, encouraging, and peaceful. When a verse threatens that peace, the temptation to slide right past it is overwhelming.

Most dedicated churchgoers carry a mental list of verses they have silently avoided for years. They might have encountered these verses in Sunday school, during personal quiet times, or through a sermon, only to experience immediate friction. Rather than leaning into the friction, they turned the page. But hidden beneath those avoided pages are often the exact lessons, corrections, and paradigm shifts our spiritual lives desperately need.

The Biblical Precedent for Scriptural Difficulty

If you have ever felt unintelligent or spiritually inadequate because a passage made no sense to you, take heart. The Bible itself freely admits that parts of its text are genuinely difficult to grasp. In 2 Peter 3:15-16, the apostle Peter explicitly remarks on the letters written by his beloved brother Paul, noting that some of his comments are hard to understand.

Notice what Peter does not do. He does not sugarcoat the reality of the text, nor does he issue a warning to stop reading altogether. Instead, he highlights a critical distinction: unstable people twist these difficult portions to their own destruction, while grounded believers stay the course. Peter warns against manipulating difficult passages to mean whatever we want them to mean just to make ourselves comfortable. The instruction is clear: stay grounded on solid theological footing and keep reading.

A Step-by-Step Method for Tackling Troubling Verses

When you encounter a verse that bothers you, you face a distinct choice: turn the page or dig in. If you choose to dig in and embrace the challenge, a structured study approach can make all the difference. Here is a practical framework you can use during your daily devotional time.

Step One: Stop Avoiding and Name the Verse

The first step in learning how to study difficult Bible verses is identification. Bring your avoided verse out into the open. Write it down in a journal. Acknowledge the specific emotion it triggers in you—whether it is confusion, frustration, fear, or skepticism. Admitting that a verse bothers you is not a lack of faith; it is the starting point of authentic spiritual engagement.

Step Two: Consider the Broader Context

Context is the ultimate antidote to biblical misinterpretation. Never judge a single verse in isolation. When a line arrests your attention negatively:

• Read the entire chapter where the verse lives to understand the author's overarching argument.
• Examine what comes immediately before and after the problematic statement.
• Research the historical and cultural background. Understand what those specific words meant to the original audience who first heard or read them, free from modern cultural baggage.

Step Three: Bring Your Questions Directly to God

Many believers mistakenly believe that questioning God or struggling with His word is offensive to Him. This simply is not true. God is the author of Scripture, and He is certainly not nervous about your honest questions. He can handle your pushback, your confusion, and your doubt. Instead of hiding your frustration, pray openly: "Lord, this verse bothers me, and I want to understand it." Then, give Him room to answer over days, weeks, or even months.

How Historical Breakthroughs Happen in the Wrestling

History demonstrates that the greatest spiritual transformations often emerge from prolonged wrestling with difficult texts. Consider the experience of Martin Luther. As a dedicated monk desperate to achieve right standing with God, Luther was utterly tormented by Paul's phrase "the righteousness of God" in the book of Romans. To Luther, that phrase sounded like an impossible divine courtroom verdict—a standard of perfection he knew he could never attain. He later confessed that he didn't just dislike the verse; he hated it, and he hated the God he believed it revealed.

Most people would have permanently turned the page. But Luther couldn't. He kept circling back to those agonizing words day and night. Through relentless study, context analysis, and prayer, a massive breakthrough occurred. He realized he had been reading the phrase entirely backwards. The righteousness of God was not a demanding standard to climb, but a free gift provided by God and received entirely through faith in Christ. The very verse that felt like a death sentence became the doorway to grace, ultimately sparking the Reformation. Luther found his way to profound freedom precisely because he refused to run away from the text that troubled him.

Conclusion

The verses that frustrate you are often guarding the exact spiritual insights, comforts, and transformations you need most. Instead of turning the page out of habit or fear, commit to staying with the text. Bring your honest questions to God and give Him the space to reshape your understanding.

For a deeper exploration of this topic, including more insights on how to handle Scripture that challenges your assumptions, make sure to Listen to the full episode of Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. Take the challenge this week to stop skipping the hard passages and start letting God meet you in the wrestling.