City Fan, You wrote: I think people living 3 millennia ago would have understood a sentence such as "and Elohim made the Moon to circle around the Earth, and the Earth to circle around the Sun". ... Someone on this board once re-wrote Genesis 1 as it should have been if truly inspired ... SNG, You wrote: It is possible to write clearly and accurately, such that people in different lands, in different cultures, in different times can still understand what you are talking about. ... If the Bible were truly God's word, I would expect it to be written like that. ... Why can't you just read the book and have it make sense? If this book were really the work of an intelligent, benevolent Creator-person, s/he should have been able to write simply, clearly, and accurately.
You both appear to be laboring under the same two misconceptions.
Your first misconception: Christians believe that God intended and desired for the contents of the Bible to be easily and clearly understood by all of its readers.
Christians do not believe this. Christians believe that Jesus Christ created our universe and all that is in it. As Colossians 1:16 tells us, "For by him [Jesus Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (Col. 1:16) We also believe Jesus Christ was the great "I AM" of the Old Testament. (John 8:58; Ex. 3:14) Because we believe these things we believe that Jesus Christ Himself inspired the writing of both the Old and New Testaments. Because we believe that He did, we understand that the entire Bible was written in the same way that Jesus Christ spoke while on earth. For a person writes like he speaks. How did Jesus Christ speak? Jesus Christ spoke in parables, stories which were designed not to be easily and clearly understood by all, but were designed to impart accurate knowledge only to Christ's disciples, and to withhold knowledge from people whose hearts were not inclined toward God.
In confirmation of this fact, Matthew 13:10-15 tells us, "The disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' Jesus answered them, 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, you will keep on hearing , but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull.' "
So, with these things in mind, we can see that the Bible itself indicates that God did not intend or desire for the contents of the Bible to be easily and clearly understood by all of its readers.
Your second misconception: Christians believe that God inspired the Bible to be written in a way that would be able to convince all skeptics that it is the Word of God.
Christians do not believe this. If the Bible contained scientific information not available to ancient people or was written in such a way that made it clearly obvious to all people that it must be the inspired Word of God, then we would all be forced to acknowledge God's existence and His inspiration of the Bible right now. And that would defeat God's own stated purpose. For the Bible tells us God has chosen to save that time for Judgment Day. (Romans 14:9-12)
The fact of the matter is, Christians believe it is not the Bible, but God Himself by means of His Holy Spirit, who draws people to Christ, convicts them of sin, and provides them with all the evidence they need to put their faith in Him. (John 16:8; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 12:3; 2 Cor. 4:13; Eph. 2:8)