In theological discourse, the term "contradiction" refers to the presence of seemingly opposing statements or ideas. Within the context of the Bible, contradictions are often discussed in terms of apparent discrepancies between different passages or teachings. It is important to approach these discussions with a comprehensive understanding of the Bible's divine inspiration, historical context, and literary genres.

Biblical Inerrancy and Harmonization

From a conservative perspective, the doctrine of biblical inerrancy holds that the Scriptures, in their original manuscripts, are without error or contradiction. This belief is rooted in passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16, which states, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness." The divine inspiration of the Bible implies that any perceived contradictions are due to human misunderstanding or lack of context.

Harmonization is a method used to resolve apparent contradictions by considering the broader context, cultural background, and the intended message of the passages. For example, differences in the Gospel accounts are often harmonized by recognizing the distinct perspectives and purposes of each author.

Examples of Apparent Contradictions

1. The Genealogies of Jesus: The genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 present different lineages for Jesus. Matthew traces Jesus' legal lineage through Joseph, emphasizing Jesus' royal descent from David, while Luke provides a biological lineage, possibly through Mary, highlighting Jesus' humanity. These genealogies serve different theological purposes and reflect the distinct audiences of each Gospel.

2. The Death of Judas Iscariot: Matthew 27:5 states, "So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." In contrast, Acts 1:18 describes Judas' death differently: "With the reward for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out." These accounts can be harmonized by suggesting that Judas hanged himself, and his body later fell and burst open, or by considering different narrative emphases.

3. Faith and Works: James 2:24 states, "As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone," while Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." These passages address different aspects of salvation: James emphasizes the evidence of genuine faith through works, while Paul underscores the foundational role of grace and faith in salvation.

Approach to Apparent Contradictions

When encountering apparent contradictions, it is essential to:

· Examine the Context: Consider the historical, cultural, and literary context of the passages.
· Understand the Genre: Recognize the literary genre and purpose of the text, whether it is historical narrative, poetry, prophecy, or epistle.
· Seek Theological Consistency: Interpret Scripture in light of the whole biblical canon, maintaining theological coherence.
· Consult Scholarly Resources: Utilize commentaries, lexicons, and historical studies to gain deeper insights into difficult passages.

By approaching the Scriptures with reverence and a commitment to understanding, believers can reconcile apparent contradictions and appreciate the unity and depth of God's Word.1. (n.) An assertion contrary to what has already been said or affirmed; denial of the truth of a statement or assertion; contrary declaration; gainsaying.

2. (n.) Direct opposition or repugnancy; inconsistency; incongruity or contrariety; one who, or that which, is inconsistent.

CONTRADICTION

kon-tra-dik'-shun: the King James Version for antilogia (Hebrews 7:7; Hebrews 12:3). In the former passage, the Revised Version (British and American) has "without any dispute," i.e. what has been said requires no argument; in the latter "gainsaying" which is scarcely an improvement, the reference being to the oral attacks upon the words and character of Jesus.

485. antilogia -- gainsaying, contradiction
... gainsaying, contradiction. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: antilogia
Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee-log-ee'-ah) Short Definition: contradiction ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/485.htm - 7k

369. anantirretos -- without contradiction
... without contradiction. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: anantirretos Phonetic
Spelling: (an-an-tir-hray'-toce) Short Definition: without contradiction ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/369.htm - 6k

3892. paranomia -- lawbreaking
... 3892 -- properly, what is in direct contradiction to what is lawful; (literally,
"beside the law"); law-breaking, violation of divine justice. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3892.htm - 6k

Fourteenth Day. Endurance in Contradiction.
... Fourteenth Day. ENDURANCE IN CONTRADICTION. "Who endured such contradiction of sinners
against Himself."" Hebrews 12:3. What endurance was this! ...
/.../macduff/the mind of jesus/fourteenth day endurance in contradiction.htm

Plato's Self-Contradiction.
... Chapter XXIII."Plato's self-contradiction. But, perhaps, some who are
unwilling to abandon the doctrines of polytheism, will say ...
/.../chapter xxiii platos self-contradiction.htm

Of Socrates and his Contradiction.
... The Epitome of the Divine Institutes. Addressed to His Brother Pentadius.
Chap. XXXVII."Of Socrates and His Contradiction. After ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxxvii of socrates and his.htm

Asking for Information, not Contradiction.
... Homily II. Chapter XLI."Asking for Information, Not Contradiction. Then
I Clement, hearing this, said: "Truly I rejoice, and I ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter xli asking for information not.htm

The Self-Contradiction of victor as to the Origin of the Soul.
... A Treatise on the soul and its origin, Chapter 32 [XIX.]"The Self-
Contradiction of Victor as to the Origin of the Soul. Under ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 32 xix the self-contradiction of.htm

Contradiction Between Our Life and Our Christian Conscience.
... "THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU." CHAPTER V. CONTRADICTION BETWEEN OUR
LIFE AND OUR CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE. Men Think they can Accept ...
/.../the kingdom of god is within you/chapter v contradiction between our.htm

Of the Question Whether There is any Contradiction Between Matthew ...
... Chapter LXXVIII."Of the Question Whether There is Any Contradiction Between Matthew
and Mark on the One Hand, and John on the Other, in So Far as the Former ...
/.../the harmony of the gospels/chapter lxxviii of the question whether.htm

The Judicial Severity of Christ and the Tenderness of the Creator ...
... Jesus is the Christ of the Creator. Chapter XXXV."The Judicial Severity of Christ
and the Tenderness of the Creator, Asserted in Contradiction to Marcion. ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxxv the judicial severity of.htm

Of the Withering of the Fig-Tree, and of the Question as to the ...
... Chapter LXVIII."Of the Withering of the Fig-Tree, and of the Question as to the
Absence of Any Contradiction Between Matthew and the Other Evangelists in the ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter lxviii of the withering of.htm

The First Letter.
... if I mistake not, an entire argument of itself, which runs thus; to suppose a finite
being to be self-existent, is to say that it is a contradiction for that ...
/.../a discourse concerning the being and attributes of god/the first letter.htm

Contradiction (3 Occurrences)
... inconsistent. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CONTRADICTION. kon ... Jesus.
Multi-Version Concordance Contradiction (3 Occurrences). Hebrews ...
/c/contradiction.htm - 8k

Discrepancies
... may not be real ones; as so often in the past, so again it may come about that the
discovery of further data may resolve many an apparent contradiction. ...
/d/discrepancies.htm - 20k

Gainsay (1 Occurrence)
... antilogia (Jude 1:11, "the gain-saying of Korah"); antilogia is Septuagint for meribhah
(Numbers 20:13); anantirrhetos, "without contradiction" (Acts 10:29 ...
/g/gainsay.htm - 8k

Authority (326 Occurrences)
... This criterion must be in the first place infallible; that is, must be such that
we cannot doubt its validity without falling into a contradiction in our ...
/a/authority.htm - 69k

Hebrews (24 Occurrences)
... 23 (compare Philippians 2:19); and the proof that these professed Pauline phrases
are not really Pauline is found in a supposed contradiction between Hebrews 13 ...
/h/hebrews.htm - 70k

Eschatology
... A contradiction is pointed out between the two representations, that the parousia
will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and that it will come heralded by these ...
/e/eschatology.htm - 70k

Evolution
... L'evolution creatrice. But an examination of Bergson's system shows that
the contradiction is only apparent. Bergson's evolution ...
/e/evolution.htm - 39k

Biblical
... may not be real ones; as so often in the past, so again it may come about that the
discovery of further data may resolve many an apparent contradiction. ...
/b/biblical.htm - 45k

Tabeel (2 Occurrences)
... A contradiction is pointed out between the two representations, that the parousia
will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and that it will come heralded by these ...
/t/tabeel.htm - 101k

Mouth (534 Occurrences)
... A contradiction is pointed out between the two representations, that the parousia
will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and that it will come heralded by these ...
/m/mouth.htm - 91k

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