BIBLICAL CONTRADICTION

Let’s talk about contradictions in the Bible. Actually I only want to talk about the theory of contradiction in the Bible. You’ll see why. You can go anywhere on the Internet and find lists of contradictions in the Bible. These are given as proof that the Bible isn’t true. You can find just as many sites refuting each example thus showing there are no contradictions in the Bible. To my mind, that’s entirely unnecessary. To show you why, I have to demonstrate some logic.

Logic works with propositions, statements that are capable of being true or false. What logic is really interested in is arguments. An argument is a set of propositions of which one (the conclusion) is said to follow from the other propositions (the premises). In other words, the premises give evidence or support the conclusion. In certain types of arguments, logicians (logic geeks) are concerned about whether the argument is valid, that is whether the argument is structured in such a way that if the premises were true, the conclusion would have to be true.

Here’s one valid argument.

If it rains it on Friday we will not have a picnic.
It rained on Friday.
Therefore, we did not have a picnic.

We could use some short hand to say that. R will mean "it rains" and P will mean "we have a picnic." So we could write the argument,

If R, then not P
R
Therefore, not P

Every argument of this form is valid. That is, if the first 2 statements were true, then the conclusion would have to be true.

So here is another argument. We’ll call it the Pro-contradiction argument.

If there are contradictions in the Bible, then the Bible is not true.
There are contradictions in the Bible
Therefore, the Bible is not true.

Same form as the first argument so it must be valid.

Here’s another one. We’ll call it the Anti-contradiction argument

If the Bible is true, then it does not have contradictions.
The Bible is true.
Therefore, the Bible does not have contradictions.

Also a valid argument. And even more intriguing, the first statements or premises in each argument are logically equivalent. I know it looks odd, but under the rules of logic, these two statements say the same thing. “If there are contradictions in the Bible, then the Bible is not true,” and ‘If the Bible is true, then it does not have contradictions.’

Well, this isn’t getting us anywhere. But there is more to an argument than being valid. There is also soundness. An argument is sound when it is valid and the premisses are all true. Since both the Pro and Anti argument are valid, The Antis want to show that one of the premisses of the Pro argument is false. They won’t try to prove the first Premise is false because that would undermine their own argument. Instead they want to show that there are no contradictions in the Bible and thus show that the Pro argument is not sound. So off we go to the races with competing lists, one side saying “this is a contradiction” and the other side saying “oh no it isn’t.”

What’s the big deal about contradictions anyway? It’s another issue of logic. The rules of logical hold that a proposition can’t be true and false at the same time. We might not be able to tell if it is true or false, but it is never true and false. That means a statement and its negation can’t be true at the same time. The statements “This apple is red” and “This apple is not red” cannot both be true at the same time. Contradictions drive logic geeks crazy, so they aren’t allowed in arguments. That adds one more thing to arguments–goodness. An argument is good if it is sound and has no contradictions in its premisses. It’s sort of like when they told you that you can’t divide by zero. Try it on your calculator and it will go nuts. Arguments with contradictions in them make the argument go nuts. You can prove anything with a contradiction so they are against the law. Don’t try using it or the logic police will get you. (I hope all you politicians out there are listening.)

So the battle goes on about contradictions lest the Bible be not good or nuts or something. Except–it’s the wrong battle. What people ought to be looking is the first premise of the argument. “If there are contradictions in the Bible, then the Bible is not true.” Oh yeah? Who says so? I insist it is THIS premise that is false (and for that matter it’s equivalent “If the Bible is true, then it does not have contradictions.”) But didn’t I just say how bad contradictions are? Of course, they are bad in ARGUMENTS, but the Bible isn’t an argument. Furthermore the Bible can’t be true or false in a logical sense at all. It’s not a proposition.

There are all sorts of things we talk about that can’t be dealt with in logic. Commands, for example, can never be propositions because they can’t be true or false. (Try this is the sentence: “Sit down!” True or false?). So the commands in Scripture can't be true or false. Questions can’t be true or false. Exclamations can’t be true or false. And even a whole lot of things that sound like propositions in the Bible aren’t. For example: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.” Is the sentence true or false? It doesn’t make any sense to ask that because it is a parable, a story Jesus tells. Or how about this from the Song of Songs: “Your neck is like the tower of David, built in courses; on it hang a thousand bucklers, all of them shields of warriors.” Is that true or false? It’s metaphor so logical questions don’t apply. (Personally, I think it’s a terrible metaphor. Who would dare to say their girl friend’s neck looks like a tower?)

There are things in Scripture which seem to say opposite things, but if the Scripture isn’t merely a collection of propositions, then we don’t have to worry about logical contradictions. Why should apparently opposing ideas necessarily be incorrect outside of a logical system. Do we expect that God conforms to human logic? If not, why should the revelation of God be subject to logic? In fact, what if the nature of God is such that we can only speak of God in paradoxes? It sort of the thing that exists in physics where light seems to be both a particle and a wave, and yet it can’t be both.

Life is full off things that don’t seem to make sense. Allow me to give you a mathematical one, the birthday paradox. Put 23 people in a room, and the odds are better than 50-50 that two of them will have the same birthday. Put 57 in a room and there is a 99% chance that two will have the same birthday. That can be proved mathematically, yet it astonishes people when you demonstrate it. Why should God be any less astonishing? Why should we be upset when the Word of God leads us to things we can’t wrap out little pea brains around? We mental midgets are going to “explain” contradictions in God’s revelation? Not likely.

I think it is useless to “explain” contradictions in scripture. Rather than trying to show off how clever we are at proving contradictions aren’t really contradictions it would be far more beneficial to meditate on what God might be showing us through the contradictions.

Whew! Got that out of my system for now.

I can say with out contradiction that wherever you go on your pilgrimage, God will be with you. Don’t sweat stuff that doesn’t matter.

May the Lord bless you on your journey and greet you on your arrival.

Wayne












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