Introduction
We are living in very dangerous times. Millions are being deceived daily, including many Christians. Evil seems to prevail, and righteousness seems to be on a downward slide. We who believe in Christ—those who have been born again—continually turn to the Bible as the Word of God and as the revelation of divine truth. This is where we find solace. This is the only place in the world where peace becomes truth. Scripture does not merely contain words about God; it points us to the living Word Himself:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word (is) was God.” John 1:1 (RSV)
I believe this, and I intend to continue believing it. It is not merely a theological position I have adopted; it has become part of the very foundation of my life. As I have expressed repeatedly in the closing Scripture of my letters:
“Thy words were found, and I ate them, and thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” Jeremiah 15:16 (RSV)
Yet there is another perspective. Those who do not share the Christian conviction that Scripture is the inspired Word of God are often quick to point to apparent inaccuracies, inconsistencies, or contradictions in the Bible. At times, Christians are even ridiculed for believing that Scripture is true. I have to admit that this has bothered me.
Rather than simply becoming defensive, however, I decided to examine the matter more carefully. Can the apparent contradictions in the Bible actually be explained? Are they contradictions at all? And when we encounter a passage that seems difficult to reconcile with another passage, what should we do with it?
That is the purpose of this study. With careful study, reflection, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I have assembled what follows. This is not intended to be an exhaustive treatment of every alleged contradiction in Scripture. I have not addressed every passage, resolved every textual question, or offered explanations that others may understand differently. But every journey begins somewhere. What follows is my attempt to examine these difficulties honestly rather than simply dismissing them. My goal is not to prove that every question can be answered with a convenient explanation. Ra-ther, it is to encourage us to look more carefully at Scripture—considering context, language, translation, chronology, literary style, and the purpose of each passage — before concluding that the Bible contradicts itself. If you believe the Bible is the Word of God, I hope this study strengthens your confidence in Scripture. If you do not yet share that conviction, I hope you will at least consider the evidence before concluding. So, let us begin.
Rightly dividing the Word of Truth is the issue here.
Are These Contradictions Real?
Yes—and no. That may sound like an unsatisfactory answer, but the issue requires more care than a simple yes or no. Before we shout: Error! Error! Error! We have much to consider. The Bible contains passages that, when placed side by side, appear to contradict one another. Some difficulties arise from differences in translation, variations in ancient manuscripts, or the limitations involved in rendering ancient Hebrew and Greek into modern English. Others become understandable when we ex-amine the surrounding context, the literary genre, the chronology of events, or the particular question each writer was addressing. There are also textual questions for which we should acknowledge that we do not have complete certainty. That distinction is important. Therefore, throughout this study, I will try to distinguish between:
• apparent contradictions that may be resolved through context or careful examination;
• translation differences that can affect how a passage is understood;
• textual difficulties arising from the transmission of ancient manuscripts; and
• questions that remain genuinely difficult or unresolved.
My purpose is not to force an explanation where none exists. Truth does not need our dishonesty to defend it. At the same time, neither should we hastily declare the Bible contradictory simply because two passages initially appear difficult to reconcile. The Bible itself encourages us to search, examine, and rightly understand the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11). For continuity throughout this study, I will use the Revised Standard Version (RSV) wherever possible when quoting or referencing Scripture.
So, with an open Bible, an honest mind, and a willingness to examine the difficult passages carefully, let us see whether these contradictions are real—or only apparent.
Let Us Begin
In reading Scripture, we must consider the whole counsel of God. But here is another riddle. We have been taught that the Bible is true—and it is. Yet when we read Scripture carefully, we encounter statements that, at first glance, appear to contradict one another.
Are there really contradictions? Consider Proverbs 26:4–5:
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.”
Then immediately following:
“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.”
Here’s another:
“The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice”. Proverbs 17:23 ESV
Followed by:
A man’s gift (bribe) makes room for him and brings him before the great. Proverbs 18:16 ESV
What are we supposed to do? Answer the fool—or not answer the fool? Offer a bribe or not offer a bribe? At first glance, it appears contradictory. But perhaps that is precisely the point. The wisdom of a proverb is not necessarily a mechanical rule to be applied identically in every circumstance. We are given an option. Proverbs 26:4–5 illustrates that wisdom requires discernment. There are circum-stances in which answering a fool only draws us into his foolishness, and there are circumstances in which refusing to answer allows folly to go unchallenged. There are circumstances where offering a bribe is acceptable or not.
The issue is not whether Scripture contradicts itself. The issue is whether we have enough wisdom to know how and when to apply what Scripture says. That is an important distinction. The Bible gives us truth. Wisdom teaches us how to walk in that truth. The same principle can be seen elsewhere in Scripture. For example:
“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation…” Exodus 20:5
Yet Ezekiel says:
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. Ezekiel 18:20 ESV
Is Scripture contradicting itself again? No. These passages address different aspects of responsibility and consequence. Again, the problem is not with the Word. The problem is with our understanding of the Word.
What to Do
When you see what appears to be a contradiction in the Bible, what should we do? My first thought is: “What difference does it make?” “Does it affect me specifically, or am I just looking for something to defend my position that the Bible has errors in it?” Thus far, I have not come across any paradox or error that affects the way I live or my dedication to Christ. That being said, I have other considerations I take into account when I come across such an enigma.
1. Ask whether or not the statements really do contradict each other.
For example:
• “Judge not” (Matthew 7:1). Everybody likes to quote this.
• “Judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). This is often overlooked in favor of the above especially when sin is involved.
At first glance, these seem contradictory. But Jesus is not necessarily forbidding all discernment or judgment. The surrounding contexts distinguish hypocritical condemnation from righteous dis-cernment.
2. Examine the immediate context. Read the paragraph before and after the quotation and understand the surrounding argument. Ask:
• Who’s speaking?
• To whom is the text spoken?
• I consider the fact that the author’s perspective probably differs.
• Cultures and time need to be taken into account.
• The manner of writing prose or poetry at the time of writing may be foreign to us.
• Languages and translations often differ.
3. Examine the words themselves. Many words look the same but mean different things. (English is notorious for this.) Use a Lexicon and look up the words in their original language.
4. Consider the genre. The Bible contains many literary forms, and they should not all be interpreted identically.
• A proverb is not necessarily an unconditional promise.
• Poetry uses metaphor and hyperbole.
• Apocalyptic literature uses symbols.
• Narrative reports what people did without necessarily approving what they did.
• Paul’s theological argument operates differently from Proverbs’ wisdom literature.
For example, do trees really clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12)? This isn’t a contradiction in bota-ny. It is poetic imagery.
5. Compare Scripture with Scripture
• One of the most important principles is: Let the clearer passages help illuminate the more difficult passages.
• If one passage appears to conflict with another, don’t immediately discard one. Put them into conversation with each other. Sometimes the apparent contradiction exists because we are trying to reduce a biblical mystery to only one side of it.
Examples:
• God’s sovereignty and human responsibility
• God’s grace and obedience
• faith and works
• Christ’s humanity and divinity
• God’s transcendence and His presence
• God’s justice and His mercy
• the already and the not-yet of God’s kingdom
Biblical mysteries often have more than one side.
6. Distinguish paradox from contradiction. This distinction is especially important.
• A contradiction says: A is true, and A is not true in the same respect.
• A paradox says: Two truths appear incompatible from our limited perspective, yet both may be true.
Jesus provides perhaps the greatest examples:
“Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” —Matthew 16:25 RSV
And:
“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” —Matthew 20:26 RSV
These are not logical errors. They overturn the assumptions of the natural mind and reveal the values of God’s kingdom.
7. Ask what assumption is creating the problem. What am I assuming that the biblical text does not assume? Sometimes the difficulty isn’t in Scripture; it is in our framework for understanding Scripture.
For example, we may assume:
• greatness means power,
• life means preserving oneself,
• freedom means doing whatever we want,
• weakness means failure,
• wisdom means accumulating information,
• blessing means comfort.
Jesus repeatedly challenges such assumptions. When looking at this through wisdom’s eyes, the paradox becomes a doorway into revelation
8. Look for the theological tension. Some biblical truths are not meant to be flattened into one-dimensional formulas. Consider: God is one, yet Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
9. Look at the original audience. Ask what the first hearers or readers would have understood. A statement made to Israel under the Mosaic covenant may not function identically when applied to the Church under the New Covenant.
10. Most importantly – Don’t force a resolution. Sometimes after careful study, you should be willing to say: “I don’t yet understand how these truths fit together.” That is different from saying: “They cannot fit together.” The first statement recognizes the limitation of our under-standing. The second concludes the nature of Scripture.
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us…” Deuteronomy 29:29 RSV
There is a difference between mystery and error.
Conclusion
This is as far as I’m willing to go. The rest is up to you. All scripture is God-inspired. He doesn’t lie, nor does He make mistakes – that’s our domain. The Bible is the most fascinating, astounding book anyone can read. Read it often. Read it wisely.
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts”. Jeremiah 15:16
