A Potential Explanation for why God might allow initial confusion about certain parts in Scripture.
“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” – Psalms 68:11
Note: when “OCD” is used in this article, it refers to the popular notion/understanding of what the word means, rather than the psychological definition of “OCD”. When I use the word “OCD”, I am
referring to a demand for innate “perfection”.
Christianity is not a religion with an overly pedantic, excessively fastidious, OCD-ridden God. No. God is completely holy, totally good, entirely omnipotent, and He is not contradictory. Any apparent tension within God and His Word does not indicate contradiction, but it rather leads to complementary beauty. For example, God is wholly just, yet He is also completely loving. The Gospel is a true story of how God, through His love, sacrificially created a way to deliver mankind from hell without compromising on His just nature. Christianity is a relationship.
Some may surmise that there are contradictions in the KJV Bible. This article will not investigate all of these contradictions. Rather, the purpose of this article is to provide a potential explanation for why God might allow us to be confused about certain parts in Scripture. (Check out Dr. Kent Hovind’s Creation Seminar 7 if you would like to investigate specific contradictions. https: cx//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xou0JGUYIjg from around 3:04:57 to 3:28:17 talks about supposed “contradictions”.)
God could have easily made His Word to be completely subjected to man’s inadequate logic (by logic, I am referring to what a natural, sinful man would view as rational – i.e. Darwinian logic of “survival of the fittest.”). However, this does not seem to be the case (or at least I definitely do not understand all of Scripture). You see, God is not only logical. God is theological, and this sometimes conflicts with our own logic. For example, if God were logical, then why would He die for our sins? What gain would He get from our salvation? He is intrinsically complete, self-existent, and self-content! Yet He loves every person at the individual level! In fact, Luke 15:10 reads “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luke 15:10) God loves and longs for people to be saved because it would be for their own good interests. God is completely altruistic. He has a selfless care for you!
Logic can still point to God and the theological. For example, there is complete uniformity all through the Scriptures, and this follows the Law of Noncontradiction. God’s Word is also historically accurate (e.g. it refers to real places and real people – real historical events).
Still, there is tension between logic and theology. For example, 98% of scholars agree that Jesus was a real person. Pretty much no informed person believes Jesus was a myth! This is because of the plethora of historical accounts and evidences testifying of His works. Around 75 independent manuscripts testify that Julius Caesar was a real man (according to christies.com). Meanwhile, there are around 25,000 manuscripts containing the New Testament which testifies that Jesus truly lived on this earth. (https://www.icr.org/bible-manuscripts) However, no one has found Jesus’ body. However, no one has found His body! It is a simple fact that ten out of ten people die; therefore, if naturalistic logic were the objective ideal, Jesus’ body should be buried and left somewhere, especially since we have very clear, specific details of where His body was placed. Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-56; and John 19:38-42 all inform us that Jesus was laid in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, which was nearby Golgotha (i.e. Calvary) – “a site immediately outside Jerusalem’s walls” (according to Wikipedia). If naturalistic logic were objectively true, then Jesus’ body should have been located by now, especially since history points to His preeminence (importance). And still, roughly two thousand years after He died for your sins, nobody has found His remains. As so many manuscripts inform us, the reason His body has never been found is because His body is not on this earth: He rose from the dead! Archaeologists who are looking for His physical body are looking for something that isn’t there. Still, while we can’t see Him physically, we can have an individual relationship with Him spiritually. In comparison, Mahatma Gandhi’s body is in Raj Ghat (according to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines); the buddha’s ashes “were buried in stupas built at locations associated with important events in the Buddh’as life” (according to Khan Academy); Muhammad was buried in what is now Saudi Arabia (according to Google); and Charles Darwin is buried at Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom (according to Westminster Abbey). The first law of thermodynamics states that matter (and energy) cannot be created, nor destroyed: therefore Jesus’ body could not have naturally disappeared! The disciples could not have stolen the body – there was a guard stationed at the tomb with a constant watch! Matthew 27:62-66 describes how “62[…] the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” (Matthew 27:62-66) These were militant Roman soldiers! They don’t sleep on the job. Plus, the disciples were way too scared to even think about trying to steal Jesus’ body. They fled when the Roman soldiers came to take Jesus away! (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50) Therefore, simple common sense informs us that Jesus must have risen from the dead! This is not naturalistically logical, but it is theological and historically accurate.
When reading the Bible, it is good for us to remember that the Bible is completely true and contains no contradictions. When reading, we ought to obey 2 Peter 1:20: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20) It is good for us to read Scripture through the lens of other Scripture; clear passages of Scripture could help us understand some of the more unclear passages of Scripture. (This verse also reveals that we do not have to go to some elevated “guru” or “spiritual seer” to understand God’s Word. This is one common trait among cults and false religions. Remember to obey Ephesians 4:14 and be strong minded. “14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:14-16) Therefore, don’t listen to deceptively demonic artifice and do not compromise on what you already know.) Instead of being enticed into a lie, we are to grow to be more like Jesus Christ. An example of an apparent “contradiction” in the KJV Bible is on Ahaziah’s age: in 2 Kings 8:26, it reads that “Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign” (2 Kings 8:26). However, in 2 Chronicles 22:2, Ahaziah is said to have been “Forty and two years old […] when he began to reign” (2 Chronicles 22:2). In truth, there is no contradiction. It is possible that each age is actually referring to a unique nascent (and momentous) event during Ahaziah’s life. I know that this may sound very confusing, so if you have the time, here is a link to a video that elucidates on this “contradiction”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCIg-bAOHEo. On that topic, Dr. Kent Hovind gives a very insightful perspective on why God may have put apparent “contradictions” in the KJV Bible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf5dJEHH49o If God is able to “weed out” skeptics through spurious “contradictions”, then there would be a greater correlation between those who hold to the Bible and those who are truly Christians. (Aside: Of course there are cults, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, WATV, Church of God an Intern Community, etc. who falsely purport, or claim, to hold to the Bible – in truth, they do not. “5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” (2 Timothy 3:7) Many cults claim to be “Christian”, when they reject the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.)
So if God could have easily made all of Scripture to be entirely clear to us, why might there be this initial confusion? Here are some possibilities:
- To demonstrate that God is beyond our comprehension, giving us the opportunity to exercise faith. Isaiah 55:8-9 reads “8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) God may have allowed some initial confusion to demonstrate that our limited approximately 3-5 lb brain cannot fully understand God. If it were otherwise, He would not be worth worshipping. This gives us an opportunity to exercise faith in God (Hebrews 11:6).
- To demonstrate that God is NOT an OCD-ridden. If He were, then we could expect to have immediate, full comprehension of the Scripture.
- To help us foster a greater love relationship with Jesus Christ. Personally, this kind of initial confusion could encourage me to “wrestle” with the Scripture, and, if I still do not understand a verse (or a passage), God could give me the ability to exercise faith in His Word. To understand more of God and to learn more about the correct interpretation of His Word, we might need to spend more time with Him, such as by asking Him about these difficult verses/passages through prayer. This process might reveal other verses/passages for inquiry. And this could lead to more prayer. It’s a positive positive-feedback loop of spending time with God!
- To give us an opportunity to work studiously in studying the Bible. “39Search the scriptures […]” (John 5:39). Also, “15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) At the fall, God rebuked Adam and said to him “[…] cursed is the ground for thy sake; […]” (Genesis 3:17). This is very important: this verse indicates that God pronounces work as good. Simply thinking about how to resolve these apparent “contradictions” gives us the opportunity to engage in God-honoring work.
- Finally, as stated above, God may have wrote the Bible in such a way that would deter skeptics from claiming to hold to it, thus fostering a greater correlation between those who hold to His Holy Word and those who are truly saved from hell.
Even though there may be some persistently difficult passages of Scripture, God is faithful in that it is not necessary for us to understand all of these various verses for us to escape hell. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20).
Praise God that He is not OCD-driven! If He were, then He would probably demand innate purity and the meriting of salvation. No. He does not demand uniformity to His children. Why? Because of Jesus’ cleansing blood! (1 John 1:7; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 8:1; 1 Peter 3:18 et al.). “13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14) Rather than demand that everything immediately go perfect by taking away our free will, God gives everyone the ability to repent and believe the Gospel! (Mark 1:15; 2 Peter 3:9) If He supposedly had OCD, then fatalism (the doctrine that God has preordained every single act to happen) would be true, and how can love exist without any choice to love instead of hate? Clearly, God does not have OCD; neither does He want us to have it (rather man has it because of we live in a sinful, broken world). Now, the question is, are you under this grace? If you died right now, would you go to heaven or hell?
Have you ever looked up at the sky on a beautiful day and noticed how pure and lovely it looks? Something so beautiful demands a Creator – one who is Himself even more beautiful, pure, and holy. Just as a building demands a builder, a watch demands a watch maker, and a painting demands a painter, so creation demands a Creator. This is simple. Psalm 19:1 says “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (The firmament is the sky) You see, it is simply ludicrous for someone to believe that there is no God. I believe I heard someone mention (I think it was one of Joe Kirby’s videos?) that C.S. Lewis, in one of his books, described an event when a demon was asking satan how he could get more people to go to hell. Satan gave three ways to do this: brainwash people into believing that there is no God; tell people that they are “good”; and (this may be the biggest one) tell them that they have more time (to live). You do not know when you will die. For all you know, you could die today – have you seen how some people drive? What you need to know is that when you die, you will immediately be put before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:12) and He will judge you based off of whether or not you meet His standard of complete perfection. This will determine whether you go to heaven or hell forever. Because of His completely holy and just nature, even one sin is unacceptable, and it is enough to damn a person in hell (James 2:10). Now, in Jesus’ authoritative perspective, every time you have looked at a person with lust, you are guilty of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28), and every time you are angry without a cause at someone, you are guilty of murder (Matthew 5:21-22). What’s more, all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone (i.e. hell – Revelation 21:8). You, the reader, just like me the writer, and just like everyone else – you, if judged by your own actions, are sentenced by the holy God to go to hell. Romans 2 says “5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; […] 11For there is no respect of persons with God.” You see, by yourself, all of your past sins are compounded to your sin debt account (Romans 6:23), and, by yourself, you will be paying for them forever. Now, you might be able to get away with some faults in the sight of man because of some expertise or respect that you have acquired. However, in God’s eyes, He has “no respect of persons” after the likeness of man’s respect of persons. It doesn’t matter whether you went to an Ivy-League-tier university, nor if you have exceptional technique (in any area of expertise), nor if you are as smart as Albert Einstein, nor even if you have begun a charity! If you were judged by your own actions, you would be heading to hell!
Hell is a terrible, terrible place. Personally, I become very uncomfortable in temperatures that are around 1000 F (I have lived much of my life in the crisp environment of Washington State). Sulfur, which emits a toxic, putrid odor, has a melting point of around 2390 F. Household stoves typically have flames that range between 9500 F and 2,7000 F. Imagine being stuck in this kind of environment, constantly wailing and gnashing your teeth … I believe that this state would be nothing compared to the true terrors of what hell is actually like. Remember, in hell, there is no love; there is no human interaction except for hearing the wails and cries of the eternally damned. “17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) Bill Wiese said that hell is a place where God revokes all of His attributes. Here is his testimony on his vision of hell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxKRoONrfY Hell is torment, and by your own actions, you are condemned to go there.
There is, however, good news. Jesus Christ, that same holy and righteous Judge, came down to earth around two thousand years ago to live the life that you could never live, and to die the death that you deserve to die. He paid through your sins, not through money, but through His own precious blood! There are so many verses that talk about the beauty of this. 1 John 1:7; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 5:9; 1 Peter 2:24 – and many others – all talk about this greatest act of love ever. This love is incomprehensibly beautiful! I know that I, through His blood, am sealed with the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 4:30) and am going to go to heaven when I die, not because of my own works, but because of His. You see, Jesus Christ not only died on the Cross so that I could go to heaven, but He also lived a beyond-perfect life for me: I am not only saved, by I am also counted as completely righteous (and sinless) through His completed work! That’s why His last words on the Cross were “It is finished” (John 19:30)! Now let me ask you, the reader, a question. I would love it if you would go to heaven also when you die. I hope you would too. Let me quickly explain how to do so. The Ten Commandments are called the Moral Law. You and I broke the Law, but Jesus came to pay the fine for us. That’s what happened on the Cross! He bore your sins in His body on a tree (1 Peter 2:24)! What’s more is that He did this willingly. Salvation (being saved from hell to heaven) is a gift, and Jesus paid for it. All you have to do is accept the simple terms of receipt of this gift – just recognize your need for the gift and put your trust in it instead of in your own sinful works. What you must do is repent of your sins (meaning confessing and forsaking, or turning away from, them) and transfer your trust from your own works into His finished work. “[…] The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) If you are ready, here is a prayer that you could pray. If you pray it in sincerity, then you will be saved. There are no magic words or mystical phrases in this prayer – God is looking at your heart. Just cry out to God for salvation. Romans 10:13 reads “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If you would like, you could simply pray “O God! I am a sinner! I have no means of salvation other than through your finished work on the blessed Cross. Please save me! I believe that You came to earth as fully man and fully God in order to live the life I could never live and to die the death I am so deserving of. I believe that You were tortured and crucified on the cross, dying for all of my sins. I, by my free will, choose to believe that three days after your death, You rose up from the dead and defeated death, thus paying my death wages in full. Please apply your blood to my sin-debt account. I am choosing right now to believe on you, Jesus, rather than on my own works. Please take me to heaven. Thank you Jesus for saving me! Now, I want to please you the rest of my life. Amen.” If this prayer is too psychologically taxing for you, you could simply cry out to Jesus for salvation in your own words. This other approach is what I did years ago.
Now, if you just prayed that prayer and meant it, then you are by a certainty saved. Congratulations! Additionally, if you are saved, you are now sealed with the Holy Spirit “unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30). Mark this day as your spiritual birthday and begin to grow to be a good Christian. Attend a Bible-believing Church, get baptized, read your Bible daily, pray, etc. However, remember that while all of these things are important and good, these aren’t what save you. Jesus’ blood was what saved you. Romans 5:1-2 reads, “1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
In conclusion, I would like to simply recapitulate (or repeat) that there are absolutely no contradictions in the KJV Bible. Rather, any initial confusion might be from the demonic (John 8:44; 1 Corinthians 14:33). In this article, there are a number of potential reasons why there might be apparent “contradictions” in God’s Holy Word. Still, God is omnipotent (meaning He is all-powerful) and omnibenevolent (meaning that He is all-loving/all-kind) and has made the way to salvation clear for us. If there were to be one thing that I would like you to get from this article, it is that you simply must be saved – your eternity depends on it!
**Note: Any (theo)logical error in this article is the fault of the writer. Any truth is from God.
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