Contradictions

Next day. Well, not exactly. Next YEAR and next day:

Something that has intrigued me for years is the apparent contradictions in the Bible. Normally when you hear the phrase "contradictions in the Bible," it's something that has come out of the mouth of a skeptic. And I would bet that the person who utters such a remark has not actually studied the scriptures and found it to be true, but is merely repeating what he has heard somewhere before from some other unbeliever.

But I am not a skeptic. I believe what the Bible says is true. It is inspired by God in its entirety, even the parts that I don't understand and can't fathom how they could be possible. By virtue of the nature of God that has been proven to me, I choose to trust that the scriptures are the incarnation of the Word of God (in written form; Jesus is the human form) and if something must bend for me to understand it, then that something should be me, and not the scriptures.

So it strikes me as important to consider the special relevance of passages which by taking them in plainly, seem to make nearly opposite statements.


Matthew 11:12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force."
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."


Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:5 "For each one will bear his own load."


John 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."
I Corinthians 9:27 "but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. "

Perhaps in coming days we'll be able to take a closer look at some of these.