It is truly amazing how often this
question is asked. It contains the assumption that the Bible is filled with
many obvious discrepancies – which, if true, would make it impossible for
someone to believe that the Bible has a divine origin.
If, indeed, the Bible does contain
demonstrable errors, it would show that at least those parts could not have
come from a perfect, all-knowing God. While one could not argue with this
conclusion, there is disagreement with the initial premise. It is very easy to
accuse the Bible of inaccuracies, but it is quite another matter to prove it.
Certain passages at first glance appear
to be contradictory, but further investigation shows that this is not the case.
What constitutes a contradiction? The Law of non-Contradiction, which is
the basis of all logical thinking, states that a thing cannot be a and non-a at the same time. In other words,
it cannot be raining and not raining at the same time in the same exact spot.
If one can demonstrate a violation of
this principle from Scripture, then and only then can he prove a contradiction. For example, if the Bible said -- which it
does not -- that Jesus died by crucifixion both at
It is important to remember that two
statements may differ from each other without being contradictory. Some fail to
make a distinction between contradiction and difference.
For example, take the case of the blind
men at
Suppose you were talking to the MP of
your city and the chief of police at city hall. Later, you see your friend Jim
and tell him you talked to the MP today. An hour later, you see your friend
John and tell him you talked to both the MP and the chief of police. The
statements you actually made to Jim and John are different, but not contradictory.
Likewise, many biblical statements fall into this category. Many think they
find errors in passages that they have not correctly read.
In the Book of Judges we have the
account of the death of Sisera. Judges 5:25-27 is
supposed to represent Jael as having slain him with
her hammer and tent peg while he was drinking milk. Judges
Sometimes two passages appear to be
contradictory because the translation is not as accurate as it could be. A knowledge of the original languages of the Bible can
immediately solve many of these difficulties. The reason is that both Greek and
Hebrew -- like all languages -- have peculiarities that make them difficult to
render into English or any other language.
A classic example concerns the accounts
of Paul’s conversion as recorded in the Book of Acts. Acts 9:7 (KJV) states,
"And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice,
but seeing no man." Acts 22:9 (KJV) states, "And they that were with
me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him
that spake to me."
These statements seem contradictory; one
says that Paul’s companions heard a voice, while the other account says that no
voice was heard. However, knowledge of Greek solves this difficulty. As the
Greek scholar, W. F. Arndt, explains in his book Does the Bible Contradict
itself?:
"The construction of the verb ‘to
hear’ (akouo) is not the same in both
accounts. In Acts 9:7 it is used with the genitive, in Acts 22:9 with the
accusative. The construction with the genetive simply
expresses that something is being heard or that certain sounds reach the ear;
nothing is indicated as to whether a person understands what he hears or not.
The construction with the accusative, however, describes a hearing which
includes mental apprehension of the message spoken. From this it becomes
evident that the two passages are not contradictory. "
Acts 22:9 does not deny that the
associates of Paul heard certain sounds; it simply declares that they did not
hear in such a way as to understand what was being said. Our English idiom in
this case simply is not so expressive as the original Greek" (Does the
Bible Contradict Itself?, pp. 13,14). [Note:
Newer translations, such as the New King James Version, the NIV, or the NASB
are more accurate due to better understanding of linguistics. In other words,
while the original Greek manuscripts have not changed, current versions render
the languages more "readable" and easier to understand.]
It must also be stressed that when a
possible explanation is given to a Bible difficulty, it is unreasonable to
state that the passage contains a demonstrable error. Some difficulties in
Scriptures result from our inadequate knowledge about the circumstances, and do
not necessarily involve an error. These only prove that we are ignorant of the
background.
As historical and archaeological studies
proceed, new light is being shed on difficult portions of Scripture, and many
"errors" have disappeared with better-informed understanding. We need
a wait-and-see attitude regarding some problems. While all Bible difficulties
have not yet been cleared up, it is our firm conviction that, as more knowledge
is gained of the Bible’s past, these problems will fade away. The biblical
conception of God is an all-knowing, all-powerful being who does not contradict
Himself. Therefore, we feel that His Word, when properly understood, will not
contradict itself.
Let us turn the question around. With a
body of sacred Scriptures so different from the rest (e.g. supported by many
historical records and a great amount of evidence, fulfilled prophecy, etc.)
why won’t you put your trust in Jesus Christ, Who attested to the complete
accuracy of this written Word, the Bible?