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Many people say that the Bible cannot be trusted because they believe that it contains contradictions. They ask "How can an all knowing, perfect God contradict Himself?"
The answer is, He can't. And he doesn't. There are No contradictions in the Bible. |
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This misunderstanding is due to a lack of study of the scriptures. This page will list a few of the misunderstandings.. and show you that nothing in the Bible contradicts itself.
I will be answering many alleged contradictions on this page.. I will be adding more as time allows. If you feel as if you know a contradiction please email me with the verse in question, and I will post the answers here (don't worry, I won't post your email address or your last name).
There are many people who claim there are contradictions in the bible. But when you ask them for specific examples, they can not give you any. They will tell you that someone else told them there were contradictions, but they don't know of any themselves.
Question:
"If the bible was
written by some omniscient "god" that why does it contradict itself so many times?"
Axis S. 11/11/01
My response:
God is omniscient (all knowing).
The bible does not contain any contradictions. Most so called contradictions are cleared up when read in their context. If you know of any please cite specific examples, and I will answer them for you.
Response from Reader:
I've heard there are contradictions. I don't feel like pointing them out
myself because that would require me to actually
read the bible.
Axis S. 11/12/01
Comment on the above:
What this person is really saying, is that they don't know of any. They just believed someone who told them there were. Further correspondence with this person made it clear that they wanted a reason to reject God, and believing there were contradictions made it easier (I am not saying this is the intention of everyone claiming there are contradictions however).
This is explained on my commentary to Genesis chapter 2
"Why does Ecc. 1:4 say that the earth will endure forever and 2 Peter 3:10 say that the it will be burnt up?"
THANKS,S. T.
ANSWER:
In the "Defenders Study Bible" Henry Morris has added some great footnotes. He says of Ecclesiastes 1:4 that: "This is one of many biblical affirmations that God created the earth to last forever. Like our mortal bodies, it must be made new again, but once renewed, it will abide forever".
2 Peter 3:10 says: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therin shall be burned up."
So is this a contradiction?
No. Morris adds: "The "day of the Lord" will be terminated at the end of the millennium with the long-awaited renovation of the old earth by fire. The earth will not be annihilated, any more than it was annihilated at the time of the Flood, but will be completely changed and purified, made new, as it were."
Colin Groves did a review of the book "Buried Alive - the startling truth about Neanderthal man" in which he (Groves) claims there is a contradiction in the bible in the book of Genesis, 11:10-24:
"...the genealogy goes Shem-Arphaxad-Salah-Eber-Peleg-Reu-Serug-Nahor-Terah, which is the same as that given by 1 Chronicles, 1:17-26 but not the same as that given by Luke, 3:34-36, who says that Arphaxad's son was called Cainan and it was he, not Arphaxad himself, who was the father of Sala (=Salah). Sorry, but if one genealogy is right, the other must be wrong."
The author of the book "Buried Alive", Dr. Cuozzo responds to this, and gives an explanation:
"This is a battle that volumes have been written about and I prefer to believe the facts that have endured for ages and ages. It has often been said, and I believe to be true that Luke's genealogy contains a copyist error and that in the original writing it was identical to the Old Testament writings. Let's face it, Luke was not illiterate. He had the Old Testament writings as did many first century Jews. This was their Bible. Why would he write a contradictory account when he wrote, "it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:3-4.) He claims to communicate exact truth and then contradicts the very Scriptures that Jesus proclaimed as truth. "Thy word is truth." (John 17:17) I don't think so.
Question: "I have a bible question that came up concerning the differences between(or similarities) of Mathew 27:5 and Acts 1:18."
Thank you
J.W.
Answer:
After Judas had betrayed Jesus, the book of Matthew (27:5, KJV) says:
"And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
The book of Acts says:
Acts 1:18 (KJV)
"Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.."
So are these contradictory accounts? No.
Henry Morris explains:
"By comparison with the account in Matthew 27:3-8, it is evident that Judas "purchased" this field only indirectly. He threw down his blood money (the thirty pieces of silver paid him for betraying Jesus) in front of the chief priests, who used it to buy the field called Aceldama (Acts 1:19), or "the field of blood" (Matthew 27:8). He then hanged himself, apparently in the same field, but bungled the attempt, actually dying as described in this verse." source: ("The Defenders Study Bible", pg 1177)
Question: "You said you'd be happy to answer Bible contradiction questions, and I have
one. I personally believe the Bible is true, and that all contradictions can be explained, but a friend asked me about this one and I was stumped.
2 Kings 24 8-18 tells the story of the reign of Jehoiachim. his age, how long he reigned and who took his place.
It appears to be contradicted by 2 Chronicles 36:9-10
I'd appreciate any help you can give on this matter. Thanks.
Laura V.
Answer: 2 Kings 24 verse 8 (KJV) says: "Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months."
2 Chronicles 36 verse 9 (KJV) says: "Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD."
on pg 46 of "So the Bible is full of Contradictions? 101 Seeming Contradictions with Possible solutions" author Carl G. Johnson says that:
"These and others could be given to show that, in spite of the carefulness of the scribes, copyists' errors were not in the autographs [original manuscripts] but in the copies, and none of them affects the doctrinal contents of the Bible. Keil comments: "In the course of repeated copying many small errors crept into the text... The copyists have committed these errors by seeing or hearing wrongly, by faithlessness of memory, and by other misunderstandings; yet not arbitrarily or intentionally. And by none of them have the essential contents of scripture been in danger' (Introduction to Old Testament, II, pp. 294-295).
A reader (Barry G.) helps with the following answer:
"I believe that the king was joint-ruler ten years
and then sole-ruler. David and Solomon were joint -rulers until David died and Solomon ruled alone.
In English history William and Mary were joint rulers until Mary died and William ruled, this was in the 18th Century. Also Henry the Second of England crowned his young son as Henry III whist he was still living then his son ruled alone so there is no contradiction or error about the Bible."
JC (7/11/00) asks:
"In II Samuel chapter 24 the Lord tells David to take a census of Israel, but in I
chronicles chapter 21 we read that Satan told David to take this census"
Henry Morris responds to this by saying:
"There is no real contradiction here with 1 Chronicles 21:1 which says that "Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel". Satan can only to what God allow as in the case of Job. In this case, Satan tempted David to commit sin, because of his pride in his military might, knowing that David's sin would incur God's judgment on Israel and hinder God's plan of redemption. But God allowed Satan to do this. Therefore, depending on view point and emphasis, it would be correct to say either that God or Satan moved David to number the Israelites."
(pg 383, Defenders Study Bible)
Who killed Goliath? Was it David or Elhanan?
Read my page on Goliath to find the answer (opens new browser window)
Genesis 11:1,6-9 In the days of Babel, generations after the Flood, the world had one common language. God "confused the tongues" to create many. Genesis 10:5 Prior to this. the Bible speaks of many "nations", each with its own language. Some apologists suggest the Babel story was a "flashback"; the events in Genesis 11:1-9 actually occurred prior to those in Genesis 10:5. It's possible, but nothing in the source manuscripts support it. The narrative link at the beginning of Chapter 11 is the same which elsewhere is translated as "and", and invariably implies a normal succession of events.
Claim:
Leviticus 11:6 The Bible says that hares chew cud,
like cows. 
Answer: Rabbits do not regurgitate their food and chew it again as cows do, but they do practice refection. This is a process where the rabbit will eat its "droppings" as a form of nourishment. So technically they do eat their food again.
For the answer read my commentary on Genesis
Question: Who inscribed the Ten Commandments on the second set of stone tablets?
Deuteronomy 10:1-2.4 God inscribed them.
Exodus 34:27-28 (KJV) God dictated while Moses inscribed them.
This alleged contradiction can be cleared up by noting that God inscribed the original tablet, but Moses inscribed the 2nd copy.
Don't forget these are the Ten Commandments not the Ten Heavenly Suggestions! 
I Kings 6:2: II Chronicles 3:3 The size of Solomon's temple was about ninety feet by thirty feet by fourty-five feet high. (1 Kings 6:2) And yet in I Chronicles 23:4 it says that managing it required 23.000 servants.
This is not a contradiction. 1 Kings 6:2 (King James Version) says that: "And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits." and the verses after (1 Kings 6:3-10 (KJV) go into more detail on just how big this was, and what it entailed: 1 Kings 6:3-10 (KJV)
3)"And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. 4) And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. 5) And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about: 6) The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. 7) And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 8) The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. 9) So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. 10) And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar."
1 Chronicles 23:3 says that there were 38,000 Levites and 1 Chronicles 23:4 (KJV) says that "Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:"
Are these numbers accurate? Did it take 24,000 men to build? It may well have taken this many people to construct the stones, or bricks and move them.
I Samuel 17:23.50-51 David slew the Philistine, Goliath of Gath.
II Samuel 21:19 Elhanan son of Jair slew Goliath of Gath. Note: In the standard KJ translation, the story is altered in the second instance, so that Elhanan slays the cousin of Goliath; the prevarication is disclosed by the italics in most editions. The contradiction stands in the source texts. See any good Bible commentary. (Clearest in the Revised KJ version:)
Job 7:9: Ecclesiastes 9:5 The dead will never rise again. They will have no further reward.
John 5:28-29: I Corinthians 15:16,52 The dead will rise again to be rewarded or punished.
This is not a contradiction. The verses in Job are Job’s words - not God’s. The bible records the words of men, even when they are wrong. In this instance Job is refuted by God.
John 1:18, 6:46: I John 4:12 No one has ever seen God.
Exodus 33:11 God says no man will ever see His face and live. But ... the Lord appeared to Abraham
(Gen 18:1#. Jacob saw God face-to-face (Gen 32:30). Moses and the Elders gazed upon God (Exodus 24:9-11). God spoke to Moses face-to-face (Exodus 33:11: Deut 34:10). God allowed Moses to see his "back parts" (Exodus 33:22-23). Isaiah saw God in a vision (Isaiah 6:1,5). Ezekiel also saw God in a vision and described Him in some detail (Ezekiel 1:27-28). Amos saw God (Amos 7:7).
John 3:13 Jesus said that no man but himself has ever ascended to heaven.
II Kings 2:11 Elijah ascended to heaven in a whirlwind.
Genesis 5:24: Hebrews 11:5 Enoch was taken bodily into Heaven.
Actually Elijah and Enoch were taken to Paradise. They, and all believers will be in heaven later. See This page
Acts 13:39 All sins can be forgiven.
Mark 3:29 Cursing or blaspheming the Holy Spirit is unforgivable.
All sins committed by believers are forgivable according to Acts 13. The sin against the Holy spirit is the sin of Unbelief, as such the sins of unbelievers are not forgiven.
Matthew 20:29-30 Following this last incident, on the way out of Jericho, Jesus encountered two blind men.
Matthew 20:29-30 (King James Version) “And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.”
Mark 10:46-47 seems to indicate that he only encountered one blind man.
Mark 10:46-47 (King James Version) “And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.”
The verse above doesn’t say that Bartimaeus was the only blind man that cried out to Jesus. Rather, it only names one of the blind men by name, Matthew indicates there were 2 men .
John 19:17 says that Jesus carried his cross.
Matthew 27:32: Mark 15:21: Luke 23:26 says that Simon the Cyrenian was forced to carry Jesus’ cross. This is not a contradiction. Jesus carried the cross until he was exhausted at which time Simon carried it for him.
Mark 15:32 and Matthew 27:44 say that both of the criminals crucified with Jesus taunted him.
Luke 23:39 says that one of the criminals taunted him.
This is not a contradiction. Because initially both criminals taunted Jesus, but in the hours that followed one of the criminals repented and accepted Christ as Savior, that left only 1 criminal who continued to taunt him.
There are others, and I will answer them soon. Put your trust first in God and his word.
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