Posts Tagged ‘apparent contradictions’
How many years of famine did God threaten David with?
Question: How many years of famine did God threaten David with? II Samuel 24:13 and I Chronicles 21:12 have a different number of years. Answer: “So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months…
Read MoreHow many fighting men did Joab count in Israel and Judah?
Question: How many fighting men did Joab count in Israel and Judah? II Samuel 24:9 says 800,000 and 500,000; but I Chronicles 21:5 says 1,100,000 and 470,000. Answer: When dealing with numbers, you must ask yourself two questions: Are the same group of people being counted and could one account or the other be rounding…
Read MoreCan you help harmonize Matthew 10:34 and Matthew 26:52, and also John 3:13 and II Kings 2:11?
Question: I need help harmonizing a few passages. People use them to claim contradictions. I know the problem is not in the Bible but rather in the person’s approach. Please help me learn to soundly harmonize Matthew 10:34 and Matthew 26:52. Matthew 10:34 says Jesus came to bring the sword. This passage seems to bother…
Read MoreDid Ahaziah begin to reign in the eleventh or twelfth year of Joram’s reign?
Question: I have another question regarding a couple of passages in II Kings. II Kings 8:25 and II Kings 9:29 concerning when Ahaziah began to reign as king. One passage says in the twelfth year of Joram and the other passage says in the eleventh year of Joram. This was brought up in our class…
Read MoreIs there a conflict over whether God tries men?
Question: The Bible says God tries men in Hebrews 11:17, but James 1:13 says God does not tempt us. Is there a contradiction? Answer: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son” (Hebrews 11:17). “Let no one say when he…
Read MoreWho was High Priest when David ate the showbread, Abiathar or Ahimelech?
Question: Can you please help me with this supposed contradiction? In Mark 2:23-26, Jesus talks about how David went into the house of God and ate the showbread “in the days/in the time” of Abiathar the high priest. In 1 Samuel 21, it says that David came to Ahimelech, not Abiathar when he eventually ate…
Read MoreWhy does Paul say, “take heed lest you fall” and Peter says “you shall never fall?”
Question: In I Corinthians 10:12 Paul states: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Then in II Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” Can you explain the difference? Answer: In both…
Read MoreIs Enoch included in Hebrews 11:13 when it said all these died in faith?
Question: You said that Enoch did not die. What about Hebrews 11:13 where it says, “These all died in faith….”? Is not Enoch included in that verse? Answer: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers…
Read MoreDid Jesse have seven or eight sons?
Question: A visiting preacher referred to I Chronicles 2:13-15 to show that Eliab was the eldest. In that section, it shows that Jesse had seven sons and that David was the seventh. But I Samuel 17:13 says that Jesse had 8 sons. The reason it caught my attention is that I had just worked up…
Read MoreWho wrote the second set of tablets?
Question: Context: Exodus 31:18 and 32:16 make it clear that God wrote the first set of tablets of the covenant. Moses broke those tablets (Exodus 32:19). Question: In Deuteronomy 10:1-5, Moses (talking about the second set of tablets of the covenant, not the first set that he broke) says God wrote on the tablets. Likewise,…
Read MoreHow did Saul actually die?
Question: I want to know how Saul died. In I Samuel 31:4 the Scripture says that Saul fell upon his own sword and in verse 6 it says Saul, his three sons, and his armorbearer died that same day. Then in II Samuel 1:10. the Scripture says an Amalekite stood upon him and killed him.…
Read MoreDo the gospels contradict each other regarding Jesus’ empty tomb?
Question: I am a Christian but my friend has pointed out several contradictions in the Bible I when the women went to the tomb of Jesus I was hoping you could help me to resolve: Matthew – Earthquake with an angel sitting outside on the recently moved stone; Mark – Stone already moved and a…
Read MoreIs God referred to as Satan?
Question: Is God referred to as Satan in II Samuel 24:1 and I Chronicles 21:1? Also, is Satan referred to as angel in Numbers 22:22, 32? Please help me explain these verses. Answer: “Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and…
Read MoreWhat About All Those Mistakes in the Bible?
by Jon Quinn It is quite amazing to me that a common complaint made about the Bible is that it has so many contradictions and mistakes. It is not surprising that such a charge would be made by some unbelieving scholar who will investigate the Bible’s pages and turn logic on its ear in order…
Read MoreHow can Solomon’s writings be God’s words?
Question: I read what you said about Solomon’s writing being the words of God, but it seems to me that something must have changed. How do you explain Proverbs 10:15 (in light of James 1:9-10), Proverbs 10:27 (in light of Jesus and John the Baptist), Proverbs 12:21 (in light of people like Hugh Heffner), and…
Read MoreHuman Sacrifices?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Judges 11:29-40 I. There are two stories that cause some concern because they involve the concept of sacrificing a human being to God. A. They cause concern because the Bible is very clear about God’s opinion on human sacrifices. B. The slaying of humans invokes a death sentence – Genesis 9:5 C. False…
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