Hard Sayings: Understanding Difficult Passages of Scripture

by R.C. Sproul

God gave us His Word so that we may know Him and live by His truth. So, what should we do when we’re reading the Bible and a difficult passage stops us in our tracks? Sometimes the solution is right there on the page—if we know where to look—while other passages gain clarity in light of the rest of the Bible or its historical background. With the help of an experienced guide, we can overcome the obstacles to our progress and know God’s Word more deeply. In Hard Sayings , Dr. R.C. Sproul applies his wisdom as a theologian and Bible teacher to some of the most challenging verses in Scripture. By showing us how to navigate tough texts in the Old and New Testaments, he outlines key principles to help us grow in our knowledge of God.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Audiobook, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

167 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2023

About the author

Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.

Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.

Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.

He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.

Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Reviews

[Kacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. Definitely thought provoking. Learned several new things, and some topics had me pondering and searching the Scriptures. It’s worth a read!

[Michael Collings]

Man, I wish I had read this book when I was a new Christian. It is comforting just to have someone walk you through a hard saying in the Bible and explain why it is hard, even if you don’t fully agree with his conclusion. Sproul often points out difficulties that I had not even thought of in these difficult biblical passages. And even so, this instills confidence in the Scriptures. Being raised in a liberal Christian family, somewhere along the way I got the idea that one must explain away the difficult passages in the Bible by making excuses, apologizing, or evading the difficulties altogether. How arrogant and presumptuous! Looking these difficulties squarely in the face requires humility, and does honor to the Bible.

[Benjamin Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am only halfway through the book but it is quickly becoming a favorite. Insightful, well thought out, and very interesting. Brilliantly organized and written.

[Aardvark · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was so meh. the premise of the book promises so much (sproul explaining through the hard passages of scripture), yet delivers so little. sproul rather explains, oftentimes excessively, about the different viewpoints regarding each difficult passage, and then goes on to draw some big-picture application of the issue, sometimes bypassing what the text is actually saying to make his point. for example, on the issue of head coverings in 1 corinthians 11, sproul explains the different views, briefly states his own view, and then concludes by saying that this issue is not one worth dying upon and that we should be focused on giving God serious worship. like wut bro. and sometimes, sproul doesn't even clearly state his own view on a passage, nor does he explain other viewpoints super accurately. and another downside is this book is maddd boring. this book lowkey felt like it was a first draft of a book that was left unquestioned and thus published.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some passages of scripture are harder to understand and harder to hear than others. Like Douglas Wilson has said, as Christian’s we should have no problem passages. Meaning, we shouldn’t apologize for what scripture says even when it is tough to swallow. Sproul works through a bunch of these passages and at the end you will probably say that they aren’t so bad after all.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter of this book is focused on a hard section of Scripture. I didn't always agree with his interpretation of hard passages, but it was helpful to hear some of the most common interpretations all laid out in one place.

[Jenna DiGirolamo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative! I love the idea that the parts of Scripture that leave us unsettled or unsure are precisely where we need to lean in. I don’t agree with Sproul on every issue, but this was a really solid read and I learned a lot!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/11/2024 * 4 stars

[Taylor Livengood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a lot to chew on.
I was hoping to obtain more clarity on these "hard" passages of Scripture, but really just ended up with more perspectives and rabbit trails to ponder. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and, I suspect, was Sproul's intention.

[Caleb Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the difficult verses in Scripture. This book does not give in depth arguments, but rather a survey of what people have said and where the author falls. If anything, it’s a helpful launching point into further study.

[Matthew Gasperoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sproul was such a gifted teacher! Taking difficult passages, breaking them down into short explanations, he gave very helpful insights. I thought he tackled many of these very well, and I will likely refer back to them for further study. I also appreciate how he doesn't try to claim to know everything. It may not answer everything to your satisfaction, but it definitely felt like a wonderful fireside chat from a great teacher in every one of these short chapters. Definitely recommended.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging. This is a really good template on how to deal with hard portions of Scripture. Sproul walks through 27 passages that are controversial and/or affronting to our fallen, sinful sensibilities. I do not necessarily agree with all of his answers to these passages (although most of them are quite good), but the way he walks through each of the passages provides the readers with a great example of how to examine the Scriptures for answers and how to compare that with different theories that have historically existed on a given passage. The chapters are readable and concise, as the author wastes no time in getting to the heart of the issue that makes each passage hard. While this means that some issues are not dealt with as thoroughly as I wanted, each chapter provides a good springboard for further research to be done.

One last comment: Sproul gives a great piece of advice right at the beginning of the book in the introduction, so do not miss it! He says that a "shortcut" to sanctification is to read through the Bible and highlight all the passages that you do not like and do not understand. Focus your study on those passages because these passages reveal precisely where you need to be conformed to Christ. Sproul's writings, along with Doug Wilson's, have encouraged me to have no "problem passages." Once all the proper interpretation has been done, there should be no passage in Scripture that I disagree with, either intellectually or emotionally. I'm not there yet, but I am working towards it. What a great challenge for all of us Christians!

[Caleb Hoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I love Sproul, but this one felt a bit underwhelming. I wish some of the passages were explained clearer, as lot of it was Sproul discussing various interpretations without really giving clear direction. The places where he did were either great (Hebrews 6) or not so great (in my opinion, the section on head coverings).

[Haley Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title speaks for itself. Many times I had to pause and run and grab my journaling Bible to jot down a thought/quote. Dense, but in a good way. He doesn't overdo it with the explanations but tackles some really difficult passages succinctly.

[Katie Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Different layout to what I expected and would be used best to refer back to when reading a particular passage but really enjoyed this book & it was very helpful. Would like to read more of his stuff

[Layne Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a somewhat difficult book to read, but I learned a lot. I also was challenged with some things I had been taught over my many years of life. It’s a great book to challenge what you believe and why.

[Ryan Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a 3.5 stars. A helpful read on some tough passages of Scripture. Gives good perspectives without forcing his own belief on you.

[Flynn Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and reliable as always

[Carissa Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure I totally agree with all of his conclusions, but this was a very helpful and edifying book!

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love loved - a very interesting read going through 27 different parts of scripture that are difficult to understand.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful explanations of 27 parts of the Bible that seem harsh and difficult to accept, or are puzzling and difficult to understand. The book is a collection of Renewing Your Mind episodes. Several of these are questions I've had. I don't completely agree with all of Sproul's answers, particularly on Creation.

Notes
Creation (Gen 1-2)
I was disappointed that the editor(s) chose to end the section on Creation with Sproul praising Ridderbos' framework hypothesis, even though back in 2011 Sproul said,

For most of my teaching career, I considered the framework hypothesis to be a possibility. But I have now changed my mind. I now hold to a literal six-day creation, the fourth alternative and the traditional one. Genesis says that God created the universe and everything in it in six twenty-four-hour periods. According to the Reformation hermeneutic, the first option is to follow the plain sense of the text. One must do a great deal of hermeneutical gymnastics to escape the plain meaning of Genesis 1-2.

A 2012 Ligonier article quotes Sproul as saying,

When people ask me how old the earth is I tell them “I don’t know,” because I don’t. And I’ll tell you why I don’t. In the first place, the Bible does not give us a date of creation. Now it gives us hints and inclinations that would indicate in many cases a young earth. And at the same time you get all this expanding universe and all this astronomical dating, and triangulation and all that stuff coming from outside the church that makes me wonder.

In an interview published the next day by Tim Challies, Sproul said,

I didn’t take a stand on a young earth. I don’t know how old the earth is. … And what do we mean by “young earth”? If you’re thinking six thousand years, I doubt that. If you’re thinking 12 billion years, I doubt that, too. All I was speaking about was the understanding of what the Scriptures teach regarding the six days of creation. And I’m not even sure it’s correct to say that I took a stand. I said that’s what my view was. … I could be wrong in my understanding of Genesis. It’s a very difficult to deal with the literary genre in the opening verses of the beginning chapters of Genesis. I think there has to be some room for some flexibility on it.

The Sons of God (Gen 6)
This describes intermarriage between descendants of Cain and descendants of Seth (sons of God), not intermarriage between angels and human women. Seth's line had been growing in godliness, and Cain's had been increasing in wickedness. This trend is interrupted when the lines intermarry, causing both lines to pursue evil. Only Noah remains obedient to God.

The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart (Ex 7)
God's hardening of someone's heart is a judgment on someone who's already sinful. When God hardened Pharaoh's heart, He didn't create fresh evil in his heart, but removed His restraint of his sin, letting him do what he wanted to do. The Bible speaks in many places of God judging people by giving them over to their sin and to Satan.

Rahab's Lie (Josh 2)
Rahab's lie was not only morally acceptable, but heroic. Justice requires giving people their due. We must tell the truth to whom it's due; when righteousness and justice require us to tell the truth. We're not required to tell the truth to someone who has no right to it. Rahab's civil disobedience and lying during warfare were justified because she was obeying her mandate from God, to protect spies from being killed by wicked king of Jericho. That's principle at play with Rahab, Hebrew midwives, hiding Jews during WWII.

Will a Man Rob God? (Mal 3)
NT doesn't explicitly restate tithing obligation; it's more ambiguous. But NT imposes greater obligations than OT, because we have greater revelation and blessing.

It may not be right to say local church is equivalent of OT storehouse, so that all tithes must be given to local church. To be consistent with OT system, all tithes would need to be given to a central agency in denomination, then allocated to local churches. A requirement of membership in a local church should be supporting that church with tithes and offerings. Lion's share of giving should be to local church; it should be top priority.

The Unpardonable Sin (Mt 12)
Blasphemy against Holy Spirit is different than blasphemy against Jesus because blasphemy against Holy Spirit occurs after Holy Spirit opens a person's spiritual eyes to see that Jesus is Son of God. This sin could only be committed by a believer (because Holy Spirit only opens spiritual eyes of believers), but this sin is only theoretical, because God will preserve every true believer from committing this sin and losing salvation.

Image is Not Everything (Mk 11)
In Palestine, there's a season for figs, but there's a type of fig tree that bears fruit at a different time of year. Its leaves indicate when fruit is ready. Jesus cursed tree because tree had outward signs of bearing fruit but didn't have fruit, and to teach an object lesson about hypocrisy.

Why Didn't Jesus Know? (Mk 13)
Jesus likely meant that in His incarnated human nature He didn't know the time of His return. Omniscience isn't an attribute of humanity, so Jesus' human nature wasn't omniscient. As a member of the Trinity, the eternal Son must know the time of His return.

The Inner Struggle (Rom 7)
Rom 7:13-25 is about Paul after conversion, because he describes his struggle. Unconverted people are only carnal; they don't have Holy Spirit or desire to please God and be righteous. Paul writes in present, not past tense. V 22 says he delights in God's law, and no unconverted person would say that. "Body of death" in v 24 refers to remaining sin nature in a Christian, which torments us and causes internal conflict, and that we desire to be freed from.

Vessels Prepared for Destruction (Rom 9)
Rom 9 seems to teach that God created Adam and Eve without inclination to sin, because context emphasizes God's mercy toward sinners. Pharaoh was sinner before God hardened His heart (v 18).

The Authority of Apostolic Teaching (1 Cor 7)
Sproul says that "not I but the Lord" (v 12) and "I have no commandment from the Lord" (v 25) is likely Paul saying that he didn't receive those teachings through conscious, direct communication from Christ, but is giving command in his apostolic authority and inspiration, though he wasn't aware of that inspiration at the moment.

Sproul doesn't mention an explanation I've read, that Paul was distinguishing between 1) what Jesus had taught about marriage during His earthly ministry and 2) what He hadn't taught, but that He had later inspired Paul to write.

Did Jesus Descend into Hell? (1 Pet 3)
Bible doesn't say anything about Jesus going to Hell between death and resurrection. His body was in tomb, and His soul was in Heaven (Lk 23:43, 46; Jn 19:30). 1 Pet 3:18-19 doesn't say "dead" or "Hell"; it says "spirits" and "prison." Bible sometimes uses "spirit" to refer to living people. Bible sometimes uses "prison" to refer to captivity to sin and Satan (Lk 4:18-19). 1 Pet 3:18-19 could refer to Jesus releasing people from captivity to sin during His earthly ministry. The passage says Jesus was raised from dead by same Holy Spirit that enabled Him to preach to spirits in prison, without detailing when He did that.

[Seth Elmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sproul explains difficult passages of scripture in an easy way for people to understand. However, the only thing I did not like was that he did not always say exactly what he thought. Although, in most cases, he did.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ligonier Ministries, with the assistance of Vesta Sproul, edited and adapted R.C. Sproul’s original teaching material to create this book. I remember listening to the various “Hard Sayings” teaching series on cassette tape.
Sproul begins by asking what makes a saying hard? He tells us that in the first place, a saying of Scripture may be a hard saying if it appears to us to be somewhat harsh in its orientation. The second category of hard sayings is one that’s hard to understand. The third category, similar to the second, is a hard saying that has become controversial in the history of biblical interpretation, usually because of one of the first two reasons.
In this book, Sproul explores twenty-seven of the more prominent hard sayings of Scripture. Among the hard sayings addressed in the book are whether the earth was created in six twenty-four hour days, the hardening of Pharoah’s heart, Rahab’s lie, the unpardonable sin, the rapture of the church, head coverings for women, whether Jesus descended into hell, and many more.
Sproul addresses these hard sayings, some of which you may have had questions about, in a manner in which the layperson can easily understand them.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
• To interpret the Bible literally is to interpret it according to the manner in which it is written.
• It’s a very important principle of interpretation to interpret Scripture by Scripture.
• When God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, the act of divine hardening is a judgment of God on someone who is already sinful. It is a judgment that is completely consistent with what is said throughout Scripture about how God will judge the wicked.
• For God to make Pharaoh’s heart harder, He didn’t have to create fresh evil in that heart. All He had to do was to take His mercy away, remove the restraints, take the leash off, step aside, and let Pharaoh do whatever he wanted to do.
• We need to be careful in this age that we do not tacitly assume that God will always be on our side. He is on the side of those who obey Him.
• We are always obliged to tell the truth to whom the truth is due. We are always to tell the truth when righteousness and justice require us to tell the truth. But we are not required to tell the truth to someone who has no right to it.
• The sovereignty of God, indeed, stands above and behind every single thing that ever happens.
• It is important for us, as we look at these difficult passages throughout Scripture, to look for the sweetness, to look for the beauty and the glory of God that stands behind them, for God’s truth is always sweet. When we recoil against God’s truth in a spirit of bitterness, it’s because we haven’t yet tasted to see that the Lord is good.
• God is not interested in our giving outward signs of producing fruit, but He wants to see real fruit in our lives.
• What Jesus said is true. He meant what He said, that according to His human nature He did not know the day or the hour of His own return.
• In a real sense, our lives don’t become complicated until we’re converted. That’s when the war is declared. That’s when we have to enlist, and we enlist for the duration of the battle that goes on until we are ultimately victorious in heaven.
• If we reject the authority of the Apostles, we reject the authority of Christ—and if we reject the authority of Christ, we reject the authority of God Himself.

[Ethan Moxham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book this year that I read due to a 121. Similar to my review on Hughes’ book ‘Disciplines of a Godly Man’, I think this is more of a good resource than a good book.

From my understanding this book, ‘Hard Sayings’ by R.C. Sproul was put together based of his audio (+ video) teaching series also called ‘Hard Sayings’. I have listened to a number of them through the podcast series ‘Renewing Your Mind’ by Ligonier Ministries.

The book’s purpose and structure is simple. It’s arranged in 27 chapters, each tackling a different “difficult” or rather, “hard to understand” passage of scripture.
Each chapter, having a title addressing the topic, with a subtitle identifying what passage(s) it is. Then Sproul jumps straight into exegeting, contextualising and explaining each passage and concept. The chapters are a simple explanation, usually around 5-7 pages, more of a jumping off point into surface level of discussion, while also being satisfying as a whole clarification on its own.

The main weakness I have with this book is its dryness, especially compared to other writings of Sproul. As well as, that it feels much weaker than the audio teaching series which covers the same content.
I do think this is a good and helpful book to own as a resource to reference when necessary, especially for 121 or bible study preparation. However, if it was for more personal use, I would HAVE to suggest going to the original audio teaching series, as it feels much more alive (no pun intended).

I would recommend this book as a good resource, with the weaknesses given above, and agree with the rating of 3/5.

[Connor Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not specifically written by RC Sproul for the intention of being published in this format. It is a collection of exegeses that are taken from his sermons and adapted as book chapters. With that being said, Sproul and the publishers did an excellent job adapting the sermons, explaining why the scripture is controversial, and showing how the passage fits into the overall story of the Bible. I especially liked the chapters about The Hardening of Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 7), Will a Man rob God (Malachi 3), Image is not everything (Mark 11), and the Danger of Apostasy (Hebrews 6). These in particular really helped give me understanding and we see RC wrestling with scripture while still remaining faithful to what is being said. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because I wished he would have given more of his opinion about what he believed, and gone into more depth on some of the passages such as romans 9 and Hebrews 6. I will be referring to this book continually in the future and am grateful that RC's teaching is continuing to be edifying even after his death.

[Amelia and John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun little book to read. I’ve only read one of Sproul’s books and didn’t quite like it, but I do like this one.

Most of the nonacademic Christian books I read are always geared towards pastors. It creates a problematic separation between those who are “in ministry” and those who are not—a separation that casts aside the historic Protestant idea that we are all priests.

This book I felt really did speak to the Christian, not as a lay person or as a minister, but just as a Christian with questions about difficult passages in Scripture. Obviously each person will resolve textual challenges differently according to their beliefs and experiences, but Sproul offered some creative suggestions that I think everyone would find helpful.

I really liked his discussions of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Pharaoh would not have listened to God anyway; God was simply giving Pharaoh the desires of his heart), Rahab’s righteous lie (one need not tell the truth to someone who does not deserve to hear it), and Jesus cursing the fig tree (it was a lesson in hypocrisy).

An easy and enjoyable read!

[Ben Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really admire and value R.C. Sproul. Have read several of his books and love many of them. However this is by far his weakest work from a scholarly point of view. From a personal view as someone who isn't reformed and holds to more historic Christian views this book didn't answer the true hurdles in understanding some of the disturbing or confusing passages of scripture. The weird part about many of his explanations, was that (besides the Apostle Paul) any consideration of what the human authors actually believed they were conveying is routinely ignored in favor of a modern philosophical view of the text. The only bright part was the consistent exalting in the beauty of trusting divine sovereignty. And he certainly upholds choosing faith over rationalizing into the perfect understanding of the inscrutable. Anyway if there is a real theological hang up you are experiencing this book won't do a deep dive into it. But if you just need a plausible rational which could make sense than at least this demonstrates that there are answers out there. Still love RC and blessings to you all.

[Evan Cruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I found this book to be helpful and I naturally love Sproul's writing style. There are parts I disagree with (Hebrews 6, and blasphemy), but I appreciate Sproul's willingness to always take on the tough issues. There are also parts where one wonders what the "final product" may have been if this wasn't a posthumously published book. There are chapters where I was left wanting more (e.g. man of lawlessness), but I could see how this may lead in the future to a broader "Reformed Hard Sayings," book which includes much of the material from this text.

[Carol Ghattas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this an interesting book and a good one for those looking for insights into some of the hard sayings of Scripture. I would not have picked some of these as hard, but I can understand why Sproul addressed them. Though I didn't agree with every viewpoint given, I found much of the book to be helpful, as it opened my mind to new or different understandings on some of these passages.

A good book for those seeking answers about Scripture, who teach the Word to others, or who are searching for a deeper understanding.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good. I enjoyed the high-level overview of the main viewpoints of 27 of the 'hard sayings' in the Bible. He was surprisingly not in favor of a young earth view, which surprised me. It seemed more like an appetizer for each topic, rather than an entree, but it was a good launching point to consider how we should understand and apply a given text. The chapters were all roughly the same length, which made it easy to listen to in short spurts.