Are There Really Contradictions In The Bible?

Are There Really Contradictions in the Bible?March 24, 2021IntroductionThe claim that the Bible contains contradictions is a serious allegation, for if theBible has even one single contradiction, then it contains error and it cannot becompletely trusted because it is not completely true.In dealing with this matter of contradictions in the Bible, there are only twopossible assumptions one can make. First, one can assume that the Bible contains contradictions, so it containserror and must be discredited as being false; it cannot and should not betrusted. Second, one can assume that the Bible is inerrant and contains nocontradictions or mistakes; it is, therefore, perfect, true, reliable, and can betrusted in every aspect.Alleged biblical contradictions are not contradictions at all, and there is really noconflict between any two statements or propositions.Beware of “apparent” contradictionsInformation could be complementary, not contradictory, so differing accounts donot constitute contradiction.Example: Matthew and Luke differ in their accounts of Jesus’ birth.Luke 1:26 – 2:40 records Joseph and Mary starting their journey in Nazareth, thentraveling to Bethlehem (where Jesus was born), and then returning again toNazareth.Matthew 1:18 – 2:23 begins with Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, then describes thefamily’s journey to Egypt in order to escape King Herod’s rage, and then recountstheir travel back to Nazareth after Herod’s death.These two accounts complement each other; they do not contradict each other.NOTE: It is interesting to note that the seeming contradictions in the four gospelsattest to the fact that there was no corroboration between the writers.

Example: Who really carried the cross of Jesus?John 19:16-17 – John’s account seems to suggest that Jesus carried His cross theentire way to Golgotha.Matt. 27:32 states that “as they came out” of the city, the Roman soldiers orderedsomeone else to carry the cross.John also records that Jesus, bearing His cross, “went forth”, meaning “out of thecity”This is the same observation made by Matthew: Simon of Cyrene was ordered tocarry the cross from just outside the gate of the city to Golgotha – Matt. 27:32.Matthew simply provides an extra detail to the same observation made by John.What John didn’t record that Matthew did, is that once outside the city, Simon wascompelled to carry Jesus’ cross.So, John and Matthew both agree that Jesus carried His cross out of Jerusalem.God chose to communicate the details of Christ’s journey to Golgotha to twodifferent men – Matthew and John, and there is no distortion of truth between theirtwo accounts.Beware of different meanings or relationshipsExample: “You are descended from Adam”, “You are descended from Noah”This “apparent” contradiction is not a contradiction at all because both statementsare true.Example: Gen. 35:23 – Reuben was the son of Jacob.Gen. 46:8 – Reuben was the son of Israel.How could the same Reuben be the son of two different fathers?Again, there is no contradiction because both statements are true.Remember that Jacob was Israel; God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.Example: Rom. 4:2-3 – Abraham was justified by faith alone, and not by works.James 2:21, 24 teaches clearly that Abraham was justified by works and not byfaith alone.This is not a contradiction; the words are the same, but the relationship is different.Romans 4 is teaching about justification before God.It was by faith and faith alone that Abraham was declared righteous before God.However, James 2 is teaching about justification before men.It was by works, as a result of faith, that Abraham was considered righteous beforemen.The statements are merely referring to two different relationships.

Beware of assuming there is a contradiction when there is noneExample: II Tim. 3:16 – The Bible was given by inspiration of God.Luke 1:1-4 – The Bible was written by men.If only one of these statements can be true, then the Bible must contain an errorand a contradiction.But, there is no contradiction, because both statements are true.The Bible was inspired by God and written by men.God used men to write His inspired Word according to II Peter 1:21.Example: The account of the capture of Zedekiah, king of JudahJeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah that God would judge him.In Jer. 32:3-5, he was informed that he would be “delivered into the hand of theking of Babylon”But, in Ezekiel 12:13, God warned, “I will bring him to Babylon yet he shall notsee it, though he shall die there”Three verses in Jeremiah state that King Zedekiah would go to Babylon, butEzekiel says that he would not see Babylon.How could someone be taken somewhere and not see it?Jer. 39:4-6 – Zedekiah saw Nebuchadnezzar face to face and saw his two sonskilled before his eyes.Then, note what happens next in verse 7: Nebuchadnezzar put out Zedekiah’s eyesbefore taking him to Babylon, and he was blinded.That is how Zedekiah could be carried to Babylon and die in Babylon without everseeing Babylon.Beware of taking the text out of contextExample: Matt. 27:5 – Judas “departed, and went and hanged himself”Luke 10:37 – “Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise”John 13:27 – “Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly”Example: Gen. 1:1 states that God exists and has made everything.Psalm 14:1 says, “there is no God”There is no contradiction, since the excerpt from Psalm 14:1, “there is no God” istaken completely out of context.The entire verse states that “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God”When the context is considered, there is no conflict or contradiction at all.

Beware of figures of speechFigures of speech in the Bible should not be taken as anything other than figures ofspeech.The Bible often describes things as they appear from a human perspective.When the Bible mentions sunrise or sunset, it is not claiming or teaching that thesun revolves around the earth.The Bible is simply referring to the sun’s appearance of moving from east to west;it is describing how something appears from a human perspective.Beware of sweeping generalizationsThere are a number of places where the Bible speaks in terms of generalizations –things that are generally and usually true, but not universally true.Example: The Book of Proverbs contains many of these.Be careful not to apply a general principle as if it were a universal rule.Prov. 10:27 – “The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wickedshall be shortened”The 5th commandment says, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days maybe long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”Does this mean that when a faithful Christian dies young that he was wicked ordishonoring of his parents?NOTE: Proverbs and other wisdom literature sections of the Bible teach principlesof wisdom, not absolute laws.Beware of inferring a contradiction that is not stated in the textMark 5:1-2; Luke 8:26-27; Matt. 8:28We might make the inference from Mark and Luke that there was only one demonpossessed man. However, the text does not actually say this.If there were two men, it would also be true that there was one man.The fact that Mark and Luke do not mention the other man is not contradictory.We can only speculate that perhaps one man was more violent or noteworthy thanthe other.Since Mark and Luke do not state that there was only one man, there is nocontradiction.

Example: Omission does not constitute contradiction.Luke 24:1-9 tells of two angels at Jesus’ tomb after the resurrection.Matthew mentions an angel – Matt. 28:1-8If Matthew stated that there was only one angel, it would be a contradiction.However, Matthew simply omitted any mention of a second angel, so the accountsdo not contradict each other.Example: The four gospels give four different accounts as to what was written onthe sign that hung on Jesus’ cross – Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John19:19There is no contradiction if the sign simply said, “This is Jesus of Nazareth theKing of the Jews”ConclusionSkeptics and critics of the Word of God dismiss the Bible by doubting the Author.Many people just do not want to believe the Bible.The issue comes down to a matter of man’s word versus God’s Word.It is true that we live in a culture today where something as simple as two differentbut accurate accounts of the same event recorded from two different vantage pointsbecomes the basis for an attack on Scripture and on its entire message.The problem is not with the Bible; the problem is with our understanding of it.God meant what He said, and said what He meant; and what He said is withoutflaw, error, or contradiction.

Mar 24, 2021 · Second, one can assume that the Bible is inerrant and contains no contradictions or mistakes; it is, therefore, perfect, true, reliable, and can be trusted in every aspect. Alleged biblical contradictions are not