CONTRADICTIONS: Three Of The Most Common Mistakes Bible Skeptics Make
(FOUR-MINUTE READ) — Skeptics of the divine origin of the Old and New Testaments that make up the Bible, the most widely read and bought book in human history, share a number of characteristics in addition to their skepticism.
Dr. Norman Geisler is among the theological giants of the day. While he passed away in 2019, his many books, interviews, debates, lectures and sermons remain as a treasure chest of insight into the massive evidence demonstrating why the Bible can be trusted as the inspired Word of God, as well as a comprehensive critique of the logical, exegetical and other errors of the skeptics.
In his landmark work “Are There Any Errors in the Bible?,” Geisler addressed 16 of the errors he most frequently encountered in his dealings with Bible skeptics. Here are three of those 16:
Failure to Understand the Context
“The most common mistake of all Bible interpreters, including some critical scholars, is to read a text outside its proper context. As the adage goes, ‘A text out of context is a pretext.’ One can prove anything from the Bible by this mistaken procedure.
“The Bible says, ‘There is no God’ (Ps. 14:1, NASB). Of course, the context is: ‘The fool has said in his heart There is no God.’ One may claim that Jesus admonished us not to resist evil (see Matt. 5:39), but the anti-retaliatory context in which he cast this statement must not be ignored.
“Many read Jesus’ statement to ‘Give to him who asks you,’ as though one had an obligation to give a gun to a small child. Failure to note that meaning is determined by context is a chief sin of those who find fault with the Bible.”
Assuming Divergent Accounts Are False
“Because two or more accounts of the same event differ, does not mean they are mutually exclusive. Matthew 28:5 says there was one angel at the tomb after the resurrection; whereas John informs us there were two (see 20:12). But these are not contradictory reports.
“An infallible mathematical rule easily explains this problem: Where there are two, there is always one. Matthew did not say there was only one angel. There may also have been one angel at the tomb at one point on this confusing morning and two at another. One has to add the word ‘only’ to Matthew’s account to make it contradict John’s. But if the critic comes to the texts to show they err, then the error is not in the Bible, but in the critic.
“Likewise, Matthew (see 27:5) informs us that Judas hanged himself. But Luke says that ‘he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out’ (Acts 1:18, NASB). Once more, these accounts are not mutually exclusive. If Judas hanged himself from a tree over the edge of a cliff or gully in this rocky area, and his body fell on sharp rocks below, then his entrails would gush out just as Luke vividly describes.”
Assuming the Bible is Guilty of Error Unless Proven Innocent
“Many critics assume the Bible is wrong until something proves it right. However, like an American citizen charged with an offense, the Bible should be read with at least the same presumption of accuracy given to other literature that claims to be nonfiction.
“This is the way we approach all human communications. If we did not, life would not be possible. If we assumed that road signs and traffic signals were not telling the truth, we would probably be dead before we could prove otherwise. If we assumed food packages are mislabeled, we would have to open up all cans and packages before buying.
“Likewise, the Bible, like any other book, should be presumed to be telling us what the authors said, experienced, and heard. But, negative critics begin with just the opposite presumption. Little wonder they conclude the Bible is riddled with error.