How Do We
Address Apparent Bible Contradictions?
"Is Christianity really
consistent? It seems that there are many contradictions to the Bible."
Yes, it does seem that way. We must remember that the Bible was written
in other languages by cultures far removed from ours. Most alleged
contradictions stem from a misunderstanding of certain terms and
phrases. For example, Jesus predicted that He would be in the grave for
"three days and three nights"(Matt.12:40). When we read the passion
narratives, we see that He was crucified late Friday afternoon and that
He rose from the dead, early on Sunday morning. It is impossible to get
three days and three nights out of this, and I have seen many atheists
refer to Jesus’ prophecy as a "blatant error which completely
destroys the credibility of the Bible."
The solution comes with an understanding of the way ancient Jews spoke.
To a Jew any part of a day was viewed as a whole day.1 Describing part
of a day as "a day and a night" may seem foreign to us but that is
because we live two thousand years later in a completely different
culture. We must realize that if the Bible did not contradict itself to
the original audience it was written for, it cannot contradict itself
to us. This is only one example of the many apparent Bible
contradictions that melt away in light of authentic historical
interpretation.
"But the Old and New
Testament are very different. Isn’t that a contradiction too?"
No, because, again, the Old Testament predicts the new. The consistency
we expect is not in the quantity of information but in the accuracy of
the facts. For example, if Susan has a vision in which God says, "I
love corporate worship," and Ron has a vision in which God says, "I
love private worship," it is possible that both parties received an
authentic vision. God may like both. But supposing Susan heard God say,
"I hate corporate worship," while Ron heard, "I love corporate
worship,"? Now somebody is on the wrong frequency. At least one person
did not have a true encounter. After all, God is not schizophrenic.
Likewise, if God had warned the Hebrews to never expect another
covenant from Him, then any prophet who claimed to institute a new
agreement between God and man could be immediately labeled as false.
But instead, God said through Jeremiah;
"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like
the covenant I made with their forefathers…(Jer. 31:31-32).
Footnotes:
1) Rabbi Eleazar Ben Azariah (ad 100) says "A day and a night are an
Onah (a portion of time) and the portion of an Onah is as the whole of
it." (As quoted by H.W. Hoener, Ibid.).
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The following
is a brief excerpt from a larger book.
For a fuller treatment of this subject as well as a better context, see:
I’d
Like To Believe
In Jesus, But…
(The harder, less frequently discussed questions)
By Bob Siegel
Published by CSN Books
Copyright © 2007 by Bob Siegel
All Rights Reserved
Published by
Campus Ambassador Press
Copyright © 1999 by Bob Siegel
All Rights Reserved
This article is not to be reproduced without written permission from
the author. |
