Examples of supposed contradictions in the Bible

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Supposed contradictions in biblical statements. The attempts to declare the Bible unbelievable will not stop. Some examples show how easy it would be to mislead people if they do not know the truth or are not interested in exploring the truth.

Overview of the claims made

The following verses are often mentioned to illustrate supposed contradictions in the Bible.

God’s jealousy

Exodus 20:5:
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: 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 of them that hate me;”

Proverbs 6:34:
“For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.“

If you automatically equate jealousy with hot temper and also equate God with man, then you could definitely create a contradiction out of it. But the reality looks different. Jealousy describes intense emulation, the desire for something. But how do people usually react when they do not receive what they have intended? This usually becomes angry, with corresponding reactions. God emulates man, but is man as quick-tempered as most people if God does not receive what he emulates? Exactly not.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Seduction of God

Genesis 22:1:
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”

James 1:13:
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:“

Are both verses talking about temptation, or is one about a test and the other about temptation? The attempted misdirection is obvious. In Genesis 22:1, God wants to test Abraham’s faithfulness, while James clearly states that God will not tempt anyone to commit sin. The difference is so obvious that no further arguments are necessary.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

God never regrets, yet repents

Numbers 23:19:
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

1 Samuel 15:10-11:
“Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.“

At first glance it is indeed a contradiction. You just have to take into account that God knows people’s actions and results before people come into the world. In this example, God also knew in advance that Samuel would fall away from God. Nevertheless, God, “against his better judgment,” appointed Samuel as king.

To understand God’s actions in various aspects a little better, you just have to imagine that only God knows in advance what will happen, and no one else. But in order to prove his justice, God ensures that people act entirely of their own free will, without influence or even coercion from God. Accordingly, God’s actions also look as if He had not known in advance. After all, the world should be a witness and convince itself of God’s justice.

So there isn’t really a contradiction to be seen.

Father and Son – differences

Philippians 2:5-6:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”

John 14:26:
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.“

This supposed contradiction would be resolved if not only verses 5 to 6, but 5 to 8, were quoted from Philippians 2. Jesus Christ not only acted as if He were a (“holographic”) human, but He was 100% human through and through. Man cannot be equal to God. Jesus Christ, i.e. God, reduced himself “down” to a human being. Precisely with the same characteristics of a human being, i.e. not with divine attributes, but as a creature.

In addition, Jesus Christ was the role model, the model of correct belief and action. Jesus as a human being behaved the way humans should behave toward God and also toward their fellow human beings. Reduced to a human being, Jesus Christ naturally subordinated himself to the Father. That’s why he also spoke about his father in his role as an example and he also prayed to him.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Jesus judges and does not judge

John 5:22;27:
“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”
“And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

John 12:47:
“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.“

Another lumping together of individual statements in a false context. Fundamentally, the Father and Jesus Christ are one (John 10:30). While John 5 describes the future (actually ongoing – info) judgment, John 12 deals with the time of Jesus Christ as a human being in this world. He came into this world to save and not to judge. As is well known, Jesus Christ has left this world again. Subsequently as our high priest and subsequently as our judge. The statements in John 5 and 12 each describe a completely different situation.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Not one without sin, but one nonetheless

Romans 3:10:
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one”

Job 1:1:
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.“

In order to construct a contradiction here, “just” justice based on faith must be ignored. Job was by no means a man wholly without sin. But Job had a firm and sincere faith and this is credited to him as righteousness (righteousness of Jesus). Further examples of righteousness by faith in the Old Testament can be found in Hebrews 11. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul simply stated clearly the sinfulness of every single person.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Righteousness by faith, by works

Romans 3:20:
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

James 2:14:
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?“

It is immediately surprising that instead of James 2:14, James 2:20 was not cited:
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
That makes it all the easier. James makes it clear that true faith leads to good works. This does not mean that good works lead to righteousness. These works are evidence that faith is genuine. If someone claims that he believes, but the works (of faith) are not there, then there is something wrong with that claim. It could actually be a lie.

Righteousness through the grace of Jesus Christ through faith. James doesn’t say anything else. But works must be visible so that faith appears to be true (“by their fruits you shall know them”).

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Dead people get up, stay lying down

Isaiah 26:19:
“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”

Job 14:12:
“So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.“

Man fragt sich, wo soll darin ein Widerspruch bestehen? Jesaja beschreibt eine allgemeine Auferstehung der Toten und Hiob beschreibt indirekt das Gleiche. Tote bleiben solange liegen, bis eben die “Stunde des Herrn” gekommen ist. So “nebenbei” ist im Vers Hiob erkenntlich, dass der “jüngste Tag” nicht zum Aufrichten eines irdischen Friedensreiches führt, sondern zu einer Zerstörung der Erde (Info).

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Dead people stay in the grave, leave the grave

Luke 16:19-31 and 1 Samuel 28:11-20
The passage in Luke is about a parable. Jesus Christ tells of a desperately poor man named Lazarus. In the end he sat in Abraham’s bosom. The Roman Catholic Church takes this parable at face value and uses it to justify a possible direct ascension of man after his death. But it remains a parable of Jesus Christ.

The verses in 1 Samuel 28 describe the king of Israel, Saul, as he sought out a necromancer, the Witch of Endor, to question the deceased Samuel. An abomination in God’s eyes, then and now. As the Bible clearly shows, there can be no “living” souls after human death. Rather, the “appeared” Samuel was a demon posing as Samuel. For Saul, his actions had serious consequences. The same actually applies to everyone who claims to be a so-called medium or those who visit such necromancers.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

Christians do not sin, but they do sin

1 John 5:18:
“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”

1 John 1:10:
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.“

Another attempt to lump context and chronology together in order to create a contradiction. No human being is without sin. Every person has already sinned. This in the knowledge of God’s laws, or in ignorance.

Not everyone who calls themselves a “Christian” is actually a Christian. Not everyone who believes they are born again actually is. A person who continues to live his life in the desires of the flesh will continue to sin. The other person, however, who is actually born again, i.e. born in God, is guided by the Holy Spirit, and it is this who enables people to resist temptations and become master of sin.

There is by no means a contradiction here.

The fact remains: everyone is responsible for themselves

This depiction of supposed contradictions in the biblical statements, which has been picked up on social networks, only shows how easy it can be to deceive carefree, gullible people using sometimes distorted and untrue statements.

As always, every person is responsible for themselves and their own salvation. Redemption through Jesus Christ, our Lord, High Priest, King, Redeemer and Judge(!) happens individually to each individual person, but never collectively. Those who love the truth will investigate for themselves. Anyone who does not love the truth will one day believe the lie and live according to it and do it.

Bible verses from King James Version