• I Peter 1:22-25
  • Sometimes contradictions are the result of a copyist error.
    • II Samuel 8:3; I Chronicles 18:3 – Hadadezer vs. Hadarezer
    • II Kings 8:26; II Chronicles 22:2 – Ahaziah’s age. See II Kings 8:17. The correct age must be 22.
    • I Samuel 17; II Samuel 21:19; I Chronicles 20:5 – Who killed Goliath? I Chronicles 20:5 is probably the correct reading, rather than II Samuel 21:19.
    • Those errors do not destroy our faith!
      • The Dead Sea Scrolls – date back to the time of Christ or before!
      • Thousands of manuscripts
        • Over 5,000 Greek New Testament manuscripts.
      • Critics inflate the number of errors in manuscripts by counting the same error in each manuscript. In reality, the plurality of manuscripts helps us detect and root out these errors!
    • Many alleged contradictions are not actual contradictions.
      • What about the order of Creation?
        • Genesis 1:24-27 vs. Genesis 2:7-22
        • Genesis 1 is chronological. Genesis 2 just adds more detail.
      • How many times did the rooster crow?
        • Mark 14:30, 68, 72 vs Matthew, Luke, and John
        • Not a contradiction – Mark just added more detail.
      • How did Judas die?
        • Matthew 27:5 vs Acts 1:18-19
        • Acts 1 just adds more detail after Judas’ death.
      • Does God tempt people or not?
        • Genesis 22:1 vs James 1:13
        • In Genesis 22, God was testing Abraham, not tempting him to sin. In James 1, it says God does not tempt people to sin.
      • Points to remember
        • Only the original books of the Bible were inspired, but the thousands of uninspired copies that we have to compare today give us a reliable Biblical text.
        • None of the alleged contradictions involve any critical change in doctrine.
        • Vague attacks are easy. Ask for specifics.
        • Study honestly: are 2 passages talking about the same thing at the same time and in the same sense?