I love "Biblical contradictions"! They used to drive me crazy, but now I love them.

Let me start at the beginning, so you will understand where I am coming from. When I was lost, I dreamed of the day when I would find the ultimate Biblical contradiction. This would be the Biblical contradiction all the scholars of all the ages had missed. I would present my contradiction to my local pastor. This man would have no answer. He, in turn, would present that contradiction to other pastors, who would also not have the answer. Those pastors would present my contradiction to other pastors until all the world knew that the Bible was false. And I was the one who had "busted the code." I would have world wide fame because I had found something everybody else had missed!

I didn't want to find a "little" contradiction, like II Sam. 15:7. That verse states Absalom stayed in Jerusalem 40 years (instead of 4 years) before making his move to remove King David from his throne. Everybody knows David ruled 40 years, so it doesn't make any sense to think that Absalom would wait until his dad was already dead before he tried to remove him from the throne. I wanted a big, a super big, contradiction.

I had a reason for wanting the Bible to contradict itself. I was lost. The Bible stated that I was accountable to God not only for my lost condition, but for each sin I sinned every day. If I could only prove that the Bible was false, then God would be false. If God is false, He could not condemn me for being lost! I would not be accountable to God for anything! I would be free!!

So I searched the Bible for the ultimate Biblical contradiction. The only problem was that I could find one, and I was reading and studying the Bible more and more. I couldn't find a contradiction. Every time I read my Bible I was convicted more and more that it was true. I was lost. I was going to die and spend eternity in hell.

But a really good thing came out of my trying to find Biblical contradictions, and to listening to preachers expound the Word of God. Not only did I not find any Biblical contradictions, the Holy Spirit of God revealed to me that I had no hope for a happy eternity without the forgiveness of Christ, who loved me and shed His own precious blood because of my wickedness. I am so thankful God showed me how lost I really was, although at the time it wasn’t pleasant at all. I am thankful He reached down to this hell-bound, hell-deserving sinner and gave me everlasting life. I could not have gained salvation on my own merit, but now I am assured of heaven by the work Jesus Christ did for me on the cross.

But I still love what some call "Biblical contradictions"!

I have learned that the Bible doesn't contradict itself at all. The Bible is a perfect book, and if there were any contradictions in it, the whole Bible would be false and God would be false and my salvation would be false. And I would be like Paul, "...of all men most miserable." I Cor. 15:19.

I have learned that when I find a seeming Biblical contradiction, if I will just study that contradiction, I will find a very valuable truth, a hidden truth, a glorious truth, a life changing truth.

A "Biblical contradiction" shows me that I don't understand what the Bible is saying. For example: Why does the Bible say that Lazarus was a beggar when Psalms 37:25 states that David had never seen "...the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

Or, why does the Bible teach that sex outside of marriage is a sin if I Cor. 7:36 means that marriage cancels a sex act that occurred before marriage?

Or, why does the Bible say, "Thou shall not kill," Ex. 20:13, and then God, who directed the writing of the Bible, command Israel to go to war and kill their enemies, both men, women and children?

Or, why does the Bible say I am saved by works, James 2:14-26, and also say I am saved by faith, Rom. 4:2-8?

Or, why does the Bible say, "...when I am weak, then am I strong?" II Cor. 12:10?

Or, why does the Bible say, "...the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication," then give the complete story of Lot, who committed incest with his two daughters, yet II Peter 2:8 declares is a righteous man?

Or, why does Samson, who disobeyed every command God gave him, appear in Hebrews 11: 32 as a hero of faith? Why is Barak listed as a hero of faith and Deborah isn't?

Or, why does the Bible say, "...shall we sin, because we are not under the law..." (Rom. 6:15) when "...sin is the transgression of the law." (I John 3:4)

These are just a few "Biblical contradictions," which are not contradictions at all, but misunderstandings on my part. When I find what seems to be a Biblical contradiction, I rejoice! I study that passage because God is about to show me something I have never seen before! I am about to learn a very valuable truth, a hidden truth, a glorious truth, a life changing truth.