136
BIBLE “CONTRADICTIONS” … ANSWERED (Contradictions 36-40)
A Booklet by Brad McCoy, Th.M.
© Copyright 1985 Reprinted with
author’s permission. May be distributed freely but not sold.
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Note: I thought it would be
interesting for a few posts, to consider some alleged Biblical
contradictions. I hear this all the time, but no one who makes the
complaints will sit down with me and study them. Brad McCoy was my
Theology Professor in Seminary. He is an outstanding theological scholar
and teacher. At my request, he provided me with a booklet he
self-published in 1985. The booklet can be reproduced, but not sold. - dh
**
UPDATE ** Recently, I conversed with Dr. McCoy and he confirmed directly
with me that I can post from his booklet. In addition, he informed me
that the book was recently updated to – “150 Bible Contradictions Answered!” He sent me this self-published manuscript
which, by the way, is excellent. If you would like the new manuscript,
let me know and I will pass it on to Dr. McCoy. I see it cost him about
$5.00 to send it to me, so you should be willing to make a contribution to Dr.
McCoy's church to help defray the mailing cost and perhaps a bit more, maybe
$20.00 or so.
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(This
booklet is a response to the pamphlet “136 Bible Contradictions” printed by
Crusade Publications of Redmond, Washington.)
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“Contradictions”
36-40
#36
Proverbs 4:5, 7 and James 1:5 which directly encourages believers to obtain
wisdom is contrasted to the statements of 1 Corinthians 1:19-25 and 3:18-20
which warn that wisdom is of little or no real value.
Clearly two different kinds of wisdom are being
discussed. Proverbs 4:5, 7 and James 1:5
refer to godly wisdom or divine viewpoint.
In contrast, the Apostle Paul in the epistle of 1 Corinthians, is
describing the wisdom of this world or human viewpoint. The believer is to seek God’s perspective on
life and to reject “worldly wisdom” based on ignorance or rejection of God.
#37
Contrasts Proverbs 12:2 which states that a good man will obtain favor from the
Lord with 2 Timothy 3:12 and Hebrews 12:6 which indicate that godly men will be
persecuted.
Proverbs 12:2 affirms that God Himself will bless a
wise and righteous believer. It
primarily has in mind “spiritual blessings” such as wisdom, peace of mind,
inner joy, and a good reputation. In
contrast, 2 Timothy 3:12 deals not with what God does for believers but with
what the ungodly in the world tend to do to them. It describes sinful men’s reaction to wise
and righteous believers. 1 Peter 3:14
combines these two concepts, “even if you should suffer (from sinful men) for
the sake of righteousness you are blessed”.
Blessing from God does not eliminate all worldly problems but allows the
believer to live victoriously despite the reality of such difficulties (see 1
Peter 4:12-19).
#38 Contrasts
Proverbs 12:22 which states that God hates lies with 1 Kings 22:23 in which the
Lord “put” a deceiving spirit in the mouths of certain prophets.
There
is a huge difference between direct and indirect causation. In 1 Kings 22:23 God allowed (via indirect
causation, the Hebrew verb used in this verse means “to permit, to allow”) a
lying spirit to control the prophets of Ahab.
While God does allow moral creatures the freedom to sin (in this case
allowing certain demonic spirits to empower and direct the activities of the
false prophets) He is never responsible for sin. He never coerces man to do evil. He permits but He never promotes evil.
#39 Isaiah 44:24
which states that God alone created the universe is contrasted to John 1:1-3
which states that Jesus Christ is the Creator.
The
Bible reveals that in the unity of the Godhead there exist three Co-Equal and
Co-Eternal Persons-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Triune God eternally preexisted the
present time-space universe, and created it without the help of any other
agent. The plurality of persons within
the Godhead is indicated by the first person plural personal pronouns “us” and
“our” in Genesis 1:26. However the
specific Person of the Godhead who actually was the active agent of creation is
the Lord Jesus Christ (see also #72).
#40 Contrasts
Jeremiah 3:12 in which God says He will not be angry forever with Jeremiah 17:4
which states that He will be angry forever.
This
“contradiction” ignores the chronological progression of the book of
Jeremiah. In chronological context,
Jeremiah 3:12 is a call for the nation of Judah to repent. It was given during the reign of godly King
Josiah (640 B.C.). God states that He is
willing to forgive the nation at that time if she would repent and return to
Him. Jeremiah 17:4 is a statement made
many years later during the reign of ungodly King Jehoiakim (609 B.C.). At that point God announces His final verdict
upon the unrepentant nation which had refused His previous offers of
forgiveness.
Doug
Douglas
S. Holden, Douglas Holden, Doug Holden, Brad McCoy, Theology, Doctrine, Bible
contradictions
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