Are There Contradictions in the Bible?

Why do some “experts” say the Bible contains contradictions, while others say it does not?

That was the main question on Raymond’s mind after I had given him a quick summary of the Gospel as I talked with him at a McDonald’s. I’m sure he had heard some “expert” state that the Bible does indeed contradict itself; while not hearing from or even ignoring other biblical scholars who state that it does not.

So which is it?

A lot could be said about this, but in general I find that the approach people take depends on the answer they want to find. Those who want to say the Bible can be dismissed out of hand generally don’t read past the shocking headlines and claims made by it’s critics, while those who want it to be shown reliable will generally give it the benefit of the doubt and take the time to look into it further.

This patience in waiting for an explanation doesn’t work both ways, in my opinion. Believers with a deep, abiding faith have learned not to react to the storms of doubt and criticism thrown at them, and they have the desire and ability to listen to long and rather detailed arguments in favor of faith.

But skeptics and doubters are like the waves at the surface of the ocean; “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” as James wrote. They don’t want to hear the truth, so they don’t listen to the long explanations often required for difficult passages. They fall for the quick soundbites that confirm their biases, or dismiss the evidence simply because it comes from a source they don’t agree with.

I’m sure this confirmation bias works both ways but generally I find that, by far, non-believers put a lot more effort into trying to debunk the Bible than believers do in defending it. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s more from a quiet confidence believers have that comes from their lived experiences, rather than the quiet desperation skeptics are feeling that comes from an unresolved conscience.

Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). Paul, who followed Jesus through great tribulation, described it as “the peace of God which passes all understanding”.

The claim of contradictions in the Bible, then, are made by people who can’t experience peace in life without somehow debunking and dismissing it. These claims provide a temporary respite from the uneasy feeling that the Bible contains truths that can’t be ignored.