Does the Bible Contradict Itself?

Why do you read the Bible? Are you seeking answers about life situations? Perhaps you are looking for guidance in your relationship with the God of the universe. There are even some who read it so that they can argue against what it says. Either way you read it, you may come across certain verses or passages that seem to contradict themselves, especially when read out of context.

Contradictions are where parts of a text seem to say the opposite of what was said earlier in the same document. When someone thinks they’ve found a contradiction in the Bible, often there is a misunderstanding of the context of a passage—usually due to a lack of knowledge of the author’s original intent, a past style of writing, or use of language that the original audience would have picked up on. Some of the things we might be confused about when reading without context, would have been very clear to the original audience. They would have picked up on the author’s writing tools, which we might skim over or not even observe if they were part of the original language’s grammar and word usage, etc.

Is the Bible Infallible and Inerrant?

Infallibility has to do with whether or not a particular teaching, document, or person is in fact completely truthful and inerrancy means without error. Christians believe that the Bible is infallible and inerrant because we believe that God is the ultimate author of His Word and that His Holy Spirit illuminated and inspired the minds of the human Bible writers to write God’s truth.

Paul in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 explains this about God’s Word: “…the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Because Scripture is God-breathed, we hold it to be true and able to guide us in all matters of how to live our lives in an effort to please God. That is not to say that we will find the answer to every mystery that we encounter in the world. There will be things that we do not understand in this life, usually why something specific has happened to us or someone we love, but we can trust that God will reveal the purpose of all things when we are with Him in heaven.

Why Do People Think There Are Contradictions?

Most instances of a believed contradiction occur when people try to read something into the biblical text that isn’t actually there. We have very specific views that we interpret life through, which are built up in us from our cultures, backgrounds, life experiences, education, and families that can alter our perceptions of what the Bible says.

Our influences are not evil, they are a part of who we are. But we have to remember that the Bible was not written in our current culture. The Bible was written by several authors over a millennium in what is now the modern-day Middle East. The Old Testament likely started as an oral tradition of the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) being passed down through a few avenues until the Hebrew people had the expertise and resources to actually commit their sacred texts to writing, according to this article from Theopedia.

Over time, other authors added to this body of historical books, prophetic works, wisdom lessons, and the Psalms. The New Testament continues this work roughly 450 years after the last Old Testament prophet and introduces the Gospels, a history (The Acts of the Apostles), epistles (letters), and a prophesy (Revelation). It took about 1,300 years for the Bible to be written, writes John Drane for the BBC.

Considering that span of time with multiple authors, it is amazing that it has a consistent message with a definable direction, but God is sovereign over His Word. Arguments over the places where the Bible seems to contradict itself forget that it defies probability that so many different authors existing at different times in different situations and places were able to produce a document with incredible consistency and unity.

Where Does the Bible Seem to Contradict Itself?

Places where people think they have found contradictions fall into a few general categories.

Here are the 4 most common areas that people claim contradictions in:

1. The Creation Story

These usually revolve around the difference between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Some people claim that the passages appear to be two different stories and any number of theories exist as to their origin or relationship. However, when considering that the author is using a literary device to mark an important point in the story, we can see that the entirety of Chapter 2 is happening on the sixth day in the Genesis 1 story and that the specific moments where the plants and animals are created (in Genesis 2) are the ones in the Garden of Eden for that day.

From that perspective, they fit together rather well. Another consideration is that the whole of Genesis 1 fits the style of Hebrew poetry, which doesn’t make it any less true, but it does remind us that the Bible uses a variety of literary genres and devices to tell multiple stories along the same thread.

2. New Testament Genealogies

These genealogies have a purpose that comes from each of their authors.

Matthew is a Jewish believer writing to a Jewish audience. Matthew 1:1-17 shows the lineage of Jesus all the way back to Abraham. Verse 17 gives us some hints about what is happening. There are fourteen generations between each group and there are three groups of generations. The numbering is very significant and is more important to the author than including every name. You can go back through the Old Testament and find where there have been a few names left out, but it doesn’t mean that Matthew’s genealogy isn’t to be trusted. It means that for whatever reason Mathew did not need to include every single name to make his point.  

Fourteen is a doubling of seven, which is a biblical number of completion. The doubling adds special emphasis. The three groups points us toward language of the Trinity. The fact that Matthew only goes back to Abraham shows us his special concern that Jesus be fully connected via blood back to Abraham as a completion of God’s promise (Genesis 12:3). The original audience would have picked up on the numbers, whereas today we likely wouldn’t consider it without digging further into the context.

Luke 3:23-38 is from a Gentile author (Gaius/Luke), originally written to a Gentile audience. The lineage of Jesus is taken all the way back to Adam and in doing so, Luke provides two important connections. First, Jesus is seen as the second Adam. He is God made flesh, human as we were meant to truly be. Luke is a physician and the humanity of Jesus would have been a special concern to him.

Second, going all the way back to Adam shows that Jesus, though he was a Jew, was also connected to the larger human race that contained Gentiles. This was significant for Luke himself, who was a Gentile and traveled with Paul to share the gospel with other Gentiles. It is not so much that there are contradictions in the genealogies, but that each author had an emphasis on connecting Jesus in some way related to their ministry context.

3. Faith vs. Works Arguments

The most typical believed contradiction here is seen in the difference between passages such as James 2:20-21 and Romans 4:1-3. James holds up the idea of works as necessary. Paul (in Romans) is declaring that faith is all we need. So, which is it? Keep in mind the original audience(s) and what was actually being said. James was writing to a crowd that was relying on faith and not accomplishing much. Paul was addressing a crowd that was struggling with the legal demand of the Mosaic Law to perform works of ceremonial righteousness and how they incorporate that into a relationship with Jesus.

What both authors are doing is reiterating the need for a balanced approach that sees righteousness as being produced by faith in Jesus. Both works of righteousness and faith are needed, we can’t leave one out or the other will be invalidated.

4. The Role of Women in the Bible

In the early parts of the Scriptures, women are considered property (Exodus 20:17). This was the culture of that time and place. God did not consider women property as he is clear that women and men are equal in his eyes, and he has given each one a specific role to carry out. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of women being used by God to show his power and love to humanity.

In fact, it was Mary Magdalene who was the first person sent to carry the good news of Jesus’ resurrection to the other apostles. Jesus let another Mary sit as his feet in the male dominated position of one learning to be a Rabbi (Luke 10:38-42). Paul wrote in Galatians 3:23-29 that there was no difference between male and female, in relationship to Christ. 

Some may disagree about the role of women in the church when it comes to teaching and preaching, but disagreement over that issue does not affect the legitimacy of the gospel. Different churches will interpret it differently, the same way that different churches form different preferences on infant vs. adult baptism. Overall, the direction of the biblical message is that women have just as much a role in the life of the church as men.

What Should We Do If a Verse Doesn’t Make Sense to Us?

This is easier to understand, but perhaps longer to accomplish. First, for any passage you are having difficulty with, PRAY! In John 14:26 Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will be sent to teach us all things. Understanding Scripture is a good and honorable endeavor, and God will honor your prayer for clarity in the things he has revealed. Account for any personal bias that may be interfering with your interpretation of a certain passage. Is something upsetting because it’s counter-cultural, is something convicting and you don’t want it to be, or are you confused about the direction the author is taking?

Research the Scripture you are reading; interpret a Scripture with other Scriptures in the Bible, ask your pastor for guidance, find out what others have said in Bible dictionaries, commentaries, study Bibles, and sermons. BibleStudyTools.com can be a great place to start reading commentaries and search Bible dictionaries all in one place. But throughout your research do not neglect to pray in the Holy Spirit and ask for guidance, as well as reaching out to other believers.

Has Anything Been Lost in Translation?

Most English language translations of the Bible are very good and use panels of scholars to choose the best word match to the original language. Some translations are more literal with an emphasis on word-for-word transmission (ex. ESV, CSB, NKJV, KJV). Other translations focus more on transmitting the idea of the text as fully as possible (ex. NIV and NLT). Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses, but differences in translation (unless words and ideas are completely altered) do not make the Bible fallible. In fact, it can be beneficial to look at multiple translations in your Bible study.

How Should We Read the Bible?

Start by being prayerful. Don’t approach the Bible as an entertainment or pastime, let it be a meaningful nourishment to your soul. Be willing to let God be God and you be the created one. It is amazing what an honest perspective will do for your study time. Search deeper than a surface reading and educate yourself on the context. Don’t be lazy and don’t be satisfied with other people’s assumptions. Dwell on one passage for a few days or read an entire book in one go, taking time to read commentary notes and as yourself if those views are supported by Scripture. Patience will pay off. Do all of this with love and awe. God is sharing his love story with you and it is worthy of our devotion.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Rod Long

Larry White is the Pastor of Community United Methodist Church in Marathon, FL and is also an Adjunct Professor at Florida Keys Community College teaching courses in World Religions and New Testament.