A sermon on contradictions in the Bible, part 2
1. According to the end of Jn. 6, there were some people who stopped following the Lord.
2. These people left because they did not like what they heard.
3. Part of the scripture reading introduced us to material that some found to be objectionable.
4. Jesus said that people would need to “drink His blood” and “eat His flesh.”
5. This is not a reference to the Lord’s Supper.
6. This is a figurative description for what Jesus taught.
7. People were told that they needed to digest the Lord’s instructions.
FROM THE FINAL 15 OR SO VERSES IN JOHN 6, IT
APPEARS THAT JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS TO TEST PEOPLE.
THIS INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO HELP SIFT THE HEARTS OF
THOSE WHO WERE PRESENT.
A. This technique worked.
B. Part of those who heard this information were so turned off that they left.
C. Others who heard what was said decided to learn more.
D. Last week we began to make some preliminary observations about Bible contradictions.
E. It was noted that skeptics have charged that there are hundreds of contradictions in scripture.
F. Yet, in spite of the allegations, not one has ever been proven.
G. We noted that wherever alleged conflicts are found, the passages can be reconciled.
2. Last week we also looked at some of the reasons why passages that seem to conflict exist.
3. Tonight we start with a new reason that is based upon Jn. 6.
4. Alleged contradictions exist because they help examine the hearts of men.
A. Some see an alleged contradiction and say, “That’s it. The Bible is not from God.”
B. Others see passages that do not immediately go together and reason, “I want to know more.”
5. The passages that at first seem to be at odds with one another are a lot like the thought in Heb. 4:12.
6. This passage says that the word of God is quick and powerful.
7. It is living and active.
8. It can divide between the soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow.
9. The writer said that scripture judges the “thoughts and intents of the heart.”
10. We have heard and probably read this passage many, many times.
11. This is a wonderful passage.
12. How is the information in Heb. 4:12 accomplished?
13. How does the word of God separate all the things listed in this verse?
14. One of the ways God’s word does these things is through alleged contradictions.
15. When a person finds two or more passages that seem to disagree, what does he do?
16. Does he shake his head and toss away the Bible?
17. Or, does he study and see if the passages somehow go together?
18. The word of God helps separate those who are interested in the truth from those who are not.
19. The information in Heb. 4:12 is consistent with other parts of the Bible.
A. In the New Testament there are passages that speak of “seeking” spiritual things.
B. Mt. 6:33 talks about seeking first the kingdom.
C. Mt. 7:7 says that those who “seek” will find.
D. Acts 17:27 says that men should “seek” God.
E. Col. 3:1, written to Christians, speaks of “seeking” things above.
F. We also have Heb. 11:6.
G. According to this reference, God is a reward of them that seek after Him.
20. The passages that seem to be contradictory distinguish seekers from non-seekers.
21. The person who is not interested in seeking the truth sees a potential problem and shuts the case.
22. The type of person described by Mt. 7 and Heb. 11 wants to know more.
23.
TO HELP US DEAL WITH SOME OF THE PASSAGES
WHERE CONTRADICTIONS SEEM TO OCCUR, I WANT LIKE TO OFFER SOME
GUIDELINES.
A. These guidelines can help us in our private study of the Bible.
B. They are also useful when discussing Bible contradictions with others.
C. When we have two or more passages that seem to conflict,
D. We should ask if the same person or the same thing is under consideration.
24. Here is an example.
25. Mt. 5:16 says “let your works be seen of men so God will be glorified.”
26. In Mt. 6:1-4 Jesus said works are to be done in secret.
27. Skeptics compare these passage and shout “conflict.”
28. These passages do not deal with the same subject matter.
29. In Mt. 6 the context involves people who boast and brag about what they do.
30. It is true that good works are to be done, and that people should see them (Mt. 5:16).
31. If we draw attention to what do (Mt. 6), this is wrong. Another quick example.
32. In Acts 12 we are told that James was killed.
33. In Acts 15 it is said that James was at a conference in Jerusalem.
34. How could this be? The answer is not difficult.
35. The same name is applied to 2 different men.
36. Other alleged contradictions involve time or chronology.
37. In this area criticism has been based upon Judas.
A. On the one hand it is affirmed that Judas was with the disciples and was a child of God.
B. According to Mt. 10:4, 5, 18, he had the power to cast out demons.
C. In Jn. 17:12 this same man is called a “son of perdition.”
D. How could Judas be both good and bad at the same time?
E. If we were dealing with the same time, there would be a contradiction.
F. These verses do not describe the same period.
G. There is a space of about 2 years between Mt. 10 and Jn. 17.
H. Judas was part of the apostolic group and he did share in the Lord’s work.
I. With the passage of time, he moved further and further away from the right way.
38. Another alleged contradiction in the area of time is based upon the Lord’s crucifixion.
39. Jesus was crucified at the third hour (Mk. 15:25).
40. John (19:14-15) says that Jesus came before Pilate at the sixth hour.
41. How could Jesus come to Pilate three hours after He was crucified?
42. There is no conflict.
43. John wrote using Roman time; Mark used Jewish time.
44. ASIDE FROM SEEING IF THE SAME PERSON OR TIME IS UNDER DISCUSSION, THERE ARE ABOUT 10 OTHER BASIC CONSIDERATIONS TO LOOK AT WHEN STUDYING PASSAGES THAT SEEM TO BE CONTRADICTORY.
A. We must consider the speaker.
B. In so-called problem passages, who spoke?
C. In some verses the text contains words from Satan.
D. Gen. 3:4 says that Adam and Eve would not die if they ate the fruit.
E. The first couple did eat the fruit and they did die.
F. There is no conflict because Gen. 3:4 contains words from the devil.
G. He was not speaking the truth.
H. Knowing who the speaker was makes some difficulties immediately disappear.
45. We must also remember that some subjects are treated from different viewpoints.
46. We can get a different impression of light depending upon where we stand.
47. The light does not change, but what or how we see the light, can vary.
48. The same is true with the Bible.
A. Some passages are viewed in a spiritual way.
B. Other passages are related to the secular realm.
C. There are places that are figurative; others are literal.
D. Unless readers account for different perspectives, they will have some problems.
E. Passages will seem to conflict and be contradictory.
49. Some of the passages that seem to conflict are explained by their arrangement.
A. Some of the material in scripture is in chronological order.
B. Another writer may have chosen to arrange things by topics.
C. There is a difference in style, but this difference is not a contradiction.
D. A contradiction says that it is impossible to reconcile conflicting verses.
50. Some of us know that there are places where numbers do not agree.
51. This is an area where skeptics sometimes get very excited.
52. They think, “We have got them now. The numbers in the Bible must match”
53. What can be said about the places where numbers differ?
A. In life we sometimes have figures that differ.
B. How many bones are in the human body?
C. Unless something has changed, people come up with different figures.
D. A medical school may insist on a certain figure, but the exact figure is disputed.
E. Are people wrong? Is it impossible to know how many bones are in the human body?
F. The figures differ because the bones can be counted in more than one way.
G. If this seems difficult consider this question.
H. How many fingers does the average person have?
I. Someone might say “eight” and two thumbs.
J. Another might say “ten.”
K. The same is true concerning the so-called contradictory passages involving figures.
L. There can be different ways to count things.
54. In dealing with alleged contradictions, consideration must be given to speech and culture.
55. Even now we know that there are some peculiar quirks in languages and people’s traditions.
56. Consideration must be given to the fact that some things had more than one name.
57. Many of the people in the scriptures had more than one name.
58. Furthermore, the Bible contains three different languages: Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.
59. Before an allegation of a contradiction is made, attention must be paid to these languages.
A. There are some verses that seem to conflict only until we study the original language.
B. One example of this is found in Acts 9:7.
C. Here it is said that the people with Paul on the road to Damascus “heard the voice.”
D. In Acts 22:9 it is said that they did not hear the voice.
E. Almost every person who is skeptical of the Bible knows about these two verses.
F. These two verses are a classic example of a so-called contradiction in scripture.
60. More than a few have alleged that these two passages cannot be reconciled.
61. It is said that these verses are an absolute contradiction. Is this true?
62. There is a slight difference in the Greek text.
63. The “not hearing” in Acts 22:9 means “not understanding.”
64. How many times have we said to someone, “I didn’t hear that?”
65. We heard something in that words were spoken. We know that something was said.
66. We did not “hear” in the sense that we understood.
67. This is what Acts 22 means. There is no problem or conflict.
68. A knowledge or study of the language that was used helps resolve many of the alleged contradictions.
69. When we think about this area, it is also important to remember that words have multiple meanings.
70. This is not surprising because such is the case with the English language.
71. Well over a thousand contradictions have been alleged.
72. Each one has been carefully examined and refuted.
73. The word of God stands.
74. If we are a Christian we have a book that we can be proud of and have confidence in.
75. This book is God’s message to man and it is true.
76. Because it is true, we need to obey it.