Are there contradictions in the Bible?

Do contradictions exist in the Bible?  I would answer that question with a yes and a no.  Yes…it does appear that some verses in the scriptures do contradict themselves.  When confronted with an apparent contradiction, the challenge is there for you to dig and find out what is really going on there.  Some questions you could ask yourself are:  What does the original language say?  Am I missing some information that would explain this?  Sometimes we might have to take a step back and even look at our mindset and way of looking at scripture to see if it might be flawed somehow.

I’ll make it fit!!

Here is what I mean…A few weeks ago I was thinking about some things that I had been learning.  It occurred to me that throughout our lives we have been taught certain doctrines, theologies, morals, etc that have shaped the way we think, the way we believe, and even the way we interpret scripture.  When we read scripture, we tend to “see through” these doctrines and beliefs much like one looks through their glasses when they need to read.  These “glasses” aren’t necessarily used to help us “see” better as normal glasses are designed to do.  Rather, these “glasses” are more along the lines of sunglasses or something like that.  The intention is not to make things clearer, but to put a particular tint on things.  Another “tool” that has been given to us from all of our doctrines and theologies is the shoe horn.  If, while we are reading with our “glasses”, things don’t really jive with what we have been taught, we get out the ole shoe horn and make it fit.  Instead of putting down the “shoe horn”, taking a step back, and taking off our tinted “glasses” to see how perhaps we could use a little tweaking to our doctrines and theologies, we tend to “force it” to where it really doesn’t make sense at all.  Either that or just set it aside as something we will just have to figure out later.

If you know me at all, you are probably well aware of some of the changes that I have been going through scripturally speaking.  A year or so ago I was comfortable with what I believed in the scriptures.  Over the course of a few months I started to learn some things that went against what I believed.  This was not something new to me…I have been confronted or challenged many times over what I believe.  I have described it this way before.  When I was presented with something different in the past a chain reaction would start…I would think if I started to believe this, it would change what I would have to believe about this.  The top layer would change and thus the foundation that makes that belief fit would also have to be changed. Then I would have to look at the next layer.  When that no longer fit I would have to change that and so on.  Finally, I would get to a position or a “layer” of belief that I could not change.  This particular belief for me was nailed on…there was no changing it.  Thus, after consideration I would throw out the others because they were not compatible with my foundation.  Well…this time was different.  When I heard this new teaching I could not refute it.  It was being presented in a way that I could not reject it scripturally.  In fact, I was shown other scriptures that all the sudden fit in perfectly with what was being taught.  This really made me angry and bitter.  For a while I was so shocked that I didn’t want anything to do with the Bible or “religion” in general for a while.  I struggled for a long time.  Finally, I got back into the Word and I began to test (or rather, set out to disprove) this new line of thinking every day.  Many times I found passages that didn’t fit and disproved this new teaching.  However, after digging in deeper, I found that I had been misunderstanding/misinterpreting what was going on in the passages.  It seemed like every single day the case for this new teaching was getting bigger and bigger until I was at the point that I am at now…completely sold.

Now, all that being said…I completely understand the reaction I get from people who learn what I believe now.  Their first reaction is to try to “win” me back to the “other side”.  Trust me…I tried to win myself back for months.  I also want everyone to understand that I am not making this change lightly. I am not some leaf that is blown in the wind to and fro that can’t quite make up his mind what to stand on.  I do this with much study and prayer.  If you don’t agree…and I understand that most of you do not…please understand that you don’t have to take it upon yourself to set me on the right path.  I am not trying to be rude, I just want to make it clear that this is something that I have been testing myself for quite some time now and feel confident that the Lord has led me to where I am now.  I do not wish to be argumentative with anyone or get into a debate with anyone concerning anything that I post.

The purpose of this post is to pose some questions…questions that will get you thinking about a particular view point and many of you will revert back to old doctrine and theology and stand firm on it.  That is fine, you just have to be comfortable with where you are standing.  If you find that, according to your doctrine or theology, you see contradiction in what the Bible says, you may want to research it out for yourself…but remember to remove your doctrine/theology tinted glasses and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.

In Acts chapter 15 we read about what is referred to as the Council of Jerusalem.  Peter had just spoken with Cornelius a couple of chapters before and there are many that gathered together in Jerusalem to talk about the Gentiles coming into the faith.    Here is what Peter said in verses 7-10…

After a lengthy debate, Peter stood up and told them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me to be the one among you through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows everyone’s heart, showed them he approved by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between them and us, because of their faith-cleansed hearts. So why do you test God by putting on the disciples’ neck a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we could carry? Acts 15:7-10 ISV

 What is the “yoke that neither our ancestors nor we could carry”?  Most, if not all, would probably suggest it was the Law (Torah).   Many use this verse and passage of scripture to state that we are no longer under the Law.  So, if the “yoke” is the Law and it was so difficult that these men here and their ancestors could not keep…how does it play out with this verse…

“Indeed, these commands that I’m giving you today are neither confusing nor unattainable for you. Deuteronomy 30:11 ISV

 If you continue on reading this passage in Deuteronomy, you will see that Yahweh (God) is telling His people that Torah is not in heaven or across the seas that they cannot reach it.  He says that it is in their mouths and in their hearts.  In other words, it is easy for them to hold onto and keep.  In verse 15 He says that He has laid out what is life and good versus what is death and bad.  The part that is life and good are the commandments He gave unto His people…the Torah.

So, you have a New Testament scripture where Peter is telling people that they should not put such a heavy yoke or burden (which many interpret as the Torah or Law) on the necks of these new disciples…one that they cannot bear…and in the Old Testament you have a scripture where Yahweh is telling His people that His Torah (Law) is not out of reach for them and that it is good and brings life.

So we have a couple of different ways to look at this.  We will throw one out right off the bat.  I think we can all agree that Yahweh is not lying.  The other options are:  Peter is incorrect in saying that Torah is too difficult or the yoke that is too difficult to bear is not the Torah.  Let’s look at some more verses in chapter 15 to see if we can get more information to make a decision.

James (Ya’akov in Hebrew), the brother of Yeshua (Jesus), makes a decision after hearing what was said by Peter and taking the scriptures into account.  He said…

Therefore, I have decided that we should not trouble these gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write to them to keep away from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from anything strangled, and from blood. Acts 15:19-20 ISV

So, these are the things that are listed for the Gentile believers to do.  Keep away from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, anything strangled, and from blood.  What does that mean… “from blood”?  Most everything I could find suggested that this was referring to eating blood.  I know of many Christians who believe that the above verse is proof that new covenant Christians are not under the Law as these “commands” are the ones that Christians should adhere to.  Are we really going to suggest that “Thou shalt not kill” and etc are thrown out?  I think that would be a bad conclusion to make.  Let’s keep reading though…

After all, Moses has had people to proclaim him in every city for generations, and on every Sabbath his books are read aloud in the synagogues.” Acts 15:21 ISV

Whoa!  I don’t remember this verse being in there!  What does this mean?  How do you “proclaim” Moses (Moshe in Hebrew)?  The “Books of Moses” is another name for Torah (AKA Pentateuch) and it was read aloud every Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) in the synagogues.  James was saying that here are some things that you need to address immediately…verses 19,20 because they have to do with what the pagans were doing in that day.  When they came to faith they needed to change some things that caused them to blend in (or look like) with those who were idol worshipers.  The rest, the commands and decrees that Yahweh gave His people (note I did not say Jews), were what they would pick up on every Shabbat when they went to the synagogue.

How is it that the Torah (Law) is done away with here if James is saying they will hear it every Shabbat when they go to the synagogues?

Some will think of Yeshua who said…

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest. Place my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls, because my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ISV

Here we have Yeshua Himself talking about yokes and burdens.  Now we might get a glimpse into what Peter might have been talking about when he was referring to a yoke being too much to bear.  Is it the Torah?  Remember what Yahweh said in Deuteronomy about His Law not being too difficult.  Yeshua came speaking what the Father told Him to speak…

… the Father who sent me has himself commanded me what to say and how to speak.  John 12:49 ISV

Yeshua will not speak against what His Father spoke.  He will not contradict the Word.  In fact, Yeshua is the Word (John 1).  In Matthew 11:28-30 we have two different words used for a load.  “Burden” at beginning of the verse is being referred to as being heavy and loads one down.  The “Yoke”, which Yeshua talks about being His, is pleasant and light but cannot be the same as the first “burden”.  Neither can it be the same thing that Peter was referring to as being too much to bear.

It helps to understand that there were two different Torah’s that the Jews of that time held to.  One was what was referred to as the “Written Torah” which was what Yahweh spoke and was written down by Moshe (Moses).  The “Oral Torah” was one that was passed down from generation to generation and was finally written down in the Jewish Talmuds.  The Oral Torah was the one that was too much to bear.  It was what the Pharisees kept catching Yeshua breaking over and over.   The Oral Torah did not mean anything to Yeshua…in fact, Yeshua seemed to be intentionally breaking these man-made laws called ma’asim and takanot in the Hebrew.  The Written Torah,  however, the real Torah, Yeshua kept to the letter.  It is the one that He fulfilled.  So, put this in context when you read the verses.  

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with ***the doctrines and laws of men***, and I will give you rest. Place my ***Torah*** on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls, because my ***Torah*** is pleasant, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ISV  (words added inside ***___*** were added by me as an interpretation only to help understand the verses…I am not out to change the Word of God)

I believe it was the doctrines and laws of men that Peter was referring to when he spoke about a yoke that was too hard to bear.  It does not contradict with what Yahweh said concerning His Law and Commandments in Deuteronomy.  All throughout the “Old Testament” His people go on and on about how great the Torah of Yahweh is and how much they love it.  Look what David says about them…

You are near, LORD, and all of your commands are true. I discovered long ago about your decrees that you have confirmed them forever.  Psalms 119:151-152 ISV

The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring life. The testimony of the LORD is steadfast, making foolish people wise.  Psalms 19:7 ISV

According to most Christian doctrine, the Torah may have been good for the Jews, but it is definitely not for the Christians.  How many of us have heard that God’s Law has been done away with?  a curse?  a burden? legalism? Some, including myself at one time, thought that Paul taught these very things in his epistles.  No longer do I believe that.    Is that what any of you read in the Old Testament?  If it was perfect, why do we think it needed to be stricken or done away with?  Surely we still believe that the Old Testament is the Word of God!  What scriptures do you think existed when Paul (Sha’ul in Hebrew) wrote to Timothy when he said…

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good action. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ISV

The only thing that was considered scripture at that time was the Tanach or what we refer to as the Old Testament.

To better answer the question I posed at the beginning…are there contradictions in the Bible?  I would say that only in appearance…meaning either a translation issue is occurring or perhaps an issue with our interpretation of the scripture.  I believe that the Word of Yahweh is perfect in the original languages with no contradictions.

All I am asking is that you think about it and pray for guidance and direction.  Shalom!