Background: An atheist on the internet (who seems to disdain the Bible and Christians) sent me a link to this article "30 Pairs Of Bible Verses That Contradict One Another" in order to try and cast doubt about God and his word. It didn't work. In fact, it was a blessing that got me inspired by Yahweh to serve him by addressing the "contradictions".
Here is the beginning of the article.
A long, long time ago, I used to be a Christian. Then again, I also used to believe in Santa Claus. The thing that primarily killed my faith is that I read enough of The Bible to realize that it teemed with contradictions and thus couldn’t possibly have been divinely inspired, AKA the infallible words of a perfect God that was dictated to human transcribers.So I will attempt to go thru these contradictions one by one and see what I come up with. Comments are welcome.
Please feel free to send comments to yahwehseeker32@yahoo.com. (Note: Please be civil. Abrasive or abusive comments from those who disagree will be ignored/trashed).
His concerns before the 30 verses
Concern 1:
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. —Luke 12:10
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13My Response
This is about the context. In Luke 12:10, Jesus was speaking directly at the Pharisees (who knew he was the Son of Man) and were still attacking his miracles/works/teachings by saying he was getting them from the devil. They were jealous of him. That is the unforgivable blasphemy. Romans 10:13 (Paul's epistle to the Romans years later) does not speak towards that specific blasphemy that the pharisees knowingly did. Blasphemy by cursing God (as much of a sin that it is) is a forgivable one if one repents and asks for forgiveness) is not the same as the blasphemy done by the pharisees to discredit Jesus at the time. So these verses do not contradict themselves.
Concern 2
Another thing that ultimately made no sense was the whole Old Testament/New Testament conundrum. God actually changes his mind? In Leviticus, God lays down a bunch of laws and calls them “everlasting.” Then in the New Testament, we suddenly hear this:
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. —Hebrews 8:7
So God made a deal with the Hebrews that had faults in it? God is imperfect? It doesn’t compute.My Response:
It's the context. The OT was an account of God's covenant with his chosen people (the Israelites) and the laws he set aside to distinguise them from the others.
Read the context/surrounding verses around Hebrews 8:7. You can make your convenant with your spouse with the intent of it being "everlasting" when you get married. However, then divorce later due to unfaithfulness by your spouse. This is the same thing. God does change his mind in a few places in the bible "due" to the free will he gave us. God IS perfect. We aren't. He gave man free will. We are the one's who break the convenant with him due to the free will he gave us. It computes perfectly.
Onto the alleged contradictions.
Alleged contradiction #1
Thou shalt not kill. —Exodus 20:13
Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side. and slay every man his brother…companion…neighbor. —Exodus 32:27My Response:
Those were God's commandments for his people to keep the covenant with him. Our creator can do whatever he wants. That does not mean we can. Later on you will see (leading up to 32:27)
leading to:
The Lord originally (I believe) intended to wipe out all of them in verses 7 - 13 but the Lord changed his mind due to Moses' plea. In the end, only the one's who still disobeyed him by worshipping the golden calf not choosing to go with Moses (when given the chance) were killed. They had the free will to disobey God but ended up suffering the consequences of that free will.
Alleged contradiction #2
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. —Revelation 8:7
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. —Revelation 9:4My Response:
"third part of trees". Not all.
In the NKJV
I give you that.. The Bible/books were not written by scientists/chefs that must list all of the exact quantities of every ingredient. There are several places where the authors wrote without "repetition" and several places where they wrote with repetition. With the "all of the grass" in 8:7, it can be inferred that it meant the grass of the 1/3rd of the earth due to the previous statements. With the building of the tabernacle as well as describing the dimensions of the new Jerusalem, the bible is specific on the measurements as it was from God. There are inferences in other areas (as in the case here).
Alleged contradiction #3
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. —Proverbs 12:22
The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee. —I Kings 22:23My Response:
It's the context again.
Proverbs declares that "lying lips" are an abomination to the Lord.
In Kings 22:23, he's referring to something entirely different.
Ahab's kingdom consisted of false prophets who worshipped Baal. Ahab chose to believe them over God.
Alleged contradiction #4
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month…Nebuzaradan…came…unto Jerusalem… —2 Kings 25:8
…in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month…came Nebuzaradan…into Jerusalem… —Jeremiah 52:12My Response:
Alleged contradiction #5
For by grace are ye saved through faith…not of works. —Ephesians 2:8,9
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. —James 2:24My Response:
This was answered in #6 of this post which will open a new tab. Please refer to that.. This is not a contradiction
Alleged contradiction #6
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. —2 Kings 24:8
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem… —2 Chronicles 36:9My Response
Jehoiachin became king because his father was taken captive into Babylon but he did not begin to rule until he was 18. The Hebrew word for becoming king is Malik and it can have a few different meanings. It can mean to "become king" or to "be inducted into royalty". The writer of 2nd kings didn't feel it was worth mentioning that he was technically named "king" or "future king 10 years before he effectively became king". They seem like a contradiction but they work together to give a picture of what was completely going on.
Alleged contradiction #7
Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy…and they shall be your possession…they shall be your bondmen forever. —Leviticus 25:45-46
Undo the heavy burdens…let the oppressed go free,…break every yoke. —Isaiah 58:6My Response:
The meaning of "slavery" back then was not the same as the slaves of the south in the 1860's.
Also, the KJV of the Bible is considered the most accurate modern translation of it. Not the others. Some newer versions of the Bible omit verses (NIV) and will not be sold in some purist Bible Stores (the Passion Play store comes to mind as I was told)
Leviticus 25:45-46
Alleged contradiction #8
For I am the Lord; I change not. —Malachi 3:6
And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. —Exodus 32:14
My Answer:
It's the context that makes the difference. In Exodus 32:14, Moses' plea for forgiveness "for God's Chosen People" pleased God so God changed his mind.. He IS God and can change his mind and spared those who wished to follow him.
In Malachi, he was speaking against those who hate and reject him. He was saying that he will change the fact that he will not harm the people of Jacob (God's chosen) but will reflect punishment against the others who will never stop rebelling against him and putting God's people in harm.
Alleged contradiction #9
For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. —Exodus 20:5
The Lord is good to all. —Psalms 145:9My Response:
It's the context
Exodus 20:5
Psalms 145 written by King David who blessed the Lord for his compassion and love to those who follow him. God shows mercy and compassion to those willing to change their ways and seek/follow him (I believe he also shows mercy and compassion to those who have never known him (due to where they live/culture). He is not pleased with those who know of him and openly reject him and bow down to other idols that openly reject God.
Alleged contradiction #10
No man hath seen God at any time. —John 1:18
For I have seen God face to face. —Genesis 32:30My Response:
I already answered this. Please click this link here and scroll down to Item #4 (I apologize for not having anchors. I will look into that.
Alleged contradiction #11
For every man shall bear his own burden. —Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. —Galatians 6:2
My Response:
Please correct the first one to be Galatians 6:5
(5) Every man shall bear his own burden.—The word for “burden” here is different from that which had been used above, though its meaning is very much the same. The distinction would be sufficiently represented if we were to translate in the one case burden, in the other load. The context, however, is quite different. In Galatians 6:2 the Christian is bidden to “bear the burdens” of others, in the sense of sympathising with them in their troubles. Here he is told that he must “bear his own load,” in the sense that he must answer directly to God for his own actions. His responsibility cannot be shifted on to others. It will make him no better that there are others worse than himself.
Alleged contradiction #12
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. —Romans 3:23
There was a man…who name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright. —Job 1:1My Response:
Good one. I had to do a little digging and I agree with the results I came upon.
Remember these are translations although the KJV is considered the most accurate although things have been lost in the translation from the original scripture. There's many way to interpret this.
This I believe.
Please see this article
Alleged contradiction #13
Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign. —II Kings 8:26
Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign. —II Chronicles 22:2My Response
Refer also my response in #6 above
Alleged contradiction #14
Submit yourself to every ordinance of man…to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors. —I Peter 2:13
We ought to obey God rather than men. —Acts 5:29My Response:
Acts 5:29. It's all about the context (as in most of these "contradictions"). Acts 5:29 is submitting to God's authority rather than the Sanhedrin who were blasphemous and going against Jesus' desires to spread the Gospel.
1 Peter 2:13 in KJV
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme
1: Peter and Acts are 2 different contexts. One needs to read the surrounding verses before and after the specific verse to see the differences in context. Thus, there is no contradiction here.
Alleged contradiction #15
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. —Mark 16:2
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. —John 20:1My Response:
Please visit this link to see answers to other contradictions regarding the resurrection.
which says:
What time did the women visit the tomb?
Matthew: "as it began to dawn" (28:1)
Mark: "very early in the morning . . . at the rising of the sun" (16:2, KJV); "when the sun had risen" (NRSV); "just after sunrise" (NIV)
Luke: "very early in the morning" (24:1, KJV) "at early dawn" (NRSV)
John: "when it was yet dark" (20:1)
Answer: Notice that John, the only one to mention a departure before dawn, is also the only one who mentions no women apart from Mary Magdalene. So Mary Magdalene left her home before dawn, as stated by John. She met up with the other women, (which is where the other three gospels take up the narrative), and the group went to the tomb just after dawn.
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