Critic Mistakes

The following are the main mistakes I see critics make in claiming contradictions in the Bible. It really is silly some of the mistakes made by critics who accuse the Bible of contradictions. While there are a few cases that require a lot of thought, too many end up being claimed as contradictions because of outright ignorance, carelessness, and generally poor academic ability on the part of the critic.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Misunderstanding Grammar
Unfortunately many critics just don't seem to have a good grasp of basic grammar or decent reading comprehension, and don't read the passages correctly.

Examples:


 * Matthew 2:11: A critic thought a manger was a living area and tried comparing it to a house, to claim a contradiction. A manger is a feeding trough for animals.
 * 1 Kings 16:6: Critic didn't notice the two passages were addressing different kingdoms, one of Judah as opposed to Israel and didn't read carefully enough.

Ignorance of Translation
As strange as it might seem, many critics seem completely unaware the Bible was not written in modern English, but in ancient Hebrew and Greek, then translated by the KJV into 16th century English (which isn't a perfect match for today's English). They make silly mistakes like not realizing different Hebrew words are translated as the same word in English, or not understanding how a 16th century English word in the KJV differs from its modern counterpart.

Examples:


 * 1 Corinthians 2:15: Critics think the Bible contradicts itself on judging, not realizing that 6 different Greek words are all translated by the KJV as judge. The passages are actually using different words and without examining the original text one doesn't realize this.
 * Galatians 6:4: Infidels.org says the Bible contradicts on who should bear burdens, ignorant of the fact that two different Greek words are being translated burden by the KJV.
 * 1 Corinthians 7:1: Critics claim the Bible contradicts itself on marriage, which it would if the Greek word parthenos meant virgin but a reading of the chapter and other Bible passages shows it should have been translated instead as widow, removing any contradiction.

Ignoring Context
Critics just don't bother reading the whole Bible and are quick to claim a contradiction. They don't bother reading the Bible through or researching what the context is, why things occur. In some cases they quote verses so badly out of context, not quoting following verses disproving what they're saying, that it borders on dishonesty.

Examples:


 * Genesis 37:28: TheThinkingAtheist.com did not bother reading the previous verse and wrongly claimed the Midianites sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites. If they'd read the previous verse 27, it would've been very obvious Ishmeelites was just a synonym for Midianites.
 * 1 Corinthians 1:19: Jim Meritt claims the Bible contradicts itself on wisdom, but actually dishonestly omits quoting the following verse 20 which would have shown the Bible was referring to two kinds of wisdom, a good one of God and a bad one of this world.
 * Jeremiah 13:14: Critics claim God is cruel for destroying the nations of Judges, but never bother reading the rest of the Bible to see they were destroyed for child sacrifice.

Poor Logic
To large degree, the ability of a critic to recognize a contradiction rests upon their own ability to read and think logically. When a critic has flawed, illogical thinking they tend to interpret contradictions where none exist, committing fallacies whose logic falls apart when scrutinized.

Examples:


 * Mark 14:30: Jim Meritt claims the Bible contradicts in how many times the rooster crowed because it says once more and twice, when logically it had already crowed once and Peter would deny three times before it crowed the second time, once more.

Misunderstanding What a Contradiction Is
In a surprisingly high number of cases, critics just don't seem to understand the concept of what a "contradiction" is. A contradiction means there are two diametrically opposed, mutually exclusive statements that cannot equally be correct - NOT statements about an event from different perspectives providing additional detail. Sometimes critics just claim two verses are incompatible when they are perfectly compatible, and both statements can be true. It's almost like they think if two passages speaking about the same event don't mention all the details the other passage does, that the passages must be false.

Of course, if the passages were completely identical then the critics would claim they'd colluded/copied from one another, and criticize that! Furthermore, there would be no need for multiple Gospel accounts if they were all identical. That the Gospel writers each mentioned varying levels of detail rather than each mentioning everything that happened is apparent from John 21:25: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." Unless the passage specifically states "ONLY" this happened or was said, and then states something else occurred, there is no reason to assume a contradiction.

Jim Meritt actually exhibits this flawed thinking when he states:

"2. 'There was more there than....' This is used when one verse says 'there was a' and another says 'there was b,' so they decide there was 'a' AND 'b'--which is said nowhere. This makes them happy, since it doesn't say there WASN'T 'a+b.' But it doesn't say there was 'a+b+little green martians.' This is often the same crowd that insists theirs is the ONLY possible interpretation (i.e., only 'a') and the only way. I find it entertaining they they don't mind adding to verses." -Jim Meritt

Notice that Meritt is unable to defend his own flawed reasoning, just makes assumptions about what the "crowd" criticizing his criticisms is like! But regardless of what anyone else is or is not, and the aspersions he may attempt to cast upon them, his reasoning must stand on its own merits, and it evidently cannot. Meritt by saying this shows he fails to understand what a contradiction actually is, in his own list of alleged "contradictions," and makes himself look accordingly ridiculous.

If one wants to claim contradictions exist whenever one can find details mentioned in one Gospel that aren't mentioned in another, one could compile quite a list, as TheThinkingAtheist.com has done. One could easily do the same thing by looking at four science papers on the same subject, find details in each paper that aren't mentioned in the others, and spuriously claim they contradict. One could find words in four dictionaries that aren't mentioned in the others and claim a contradiction in the same manner. Obviously none of these cases involve contradictions, the writers simply relate details they are familiar with from their own experiences, that make their own individual accounts and writing relevant.

Examples:


 * Matthew 2:1: TheThinkingAtheist.com claims a Bible contradiction exists because one Gospel account says there were shepherds and another that there were magi, even though of course there could have been both.
 * Acts 2:30: TheThinkingAtheist.com claims two passages contradict because one says Jesus was born of flesh and the other He was born of the Holy Spirit. Obviously both statements can be true.
 * Matthew 20:29: TheThinkingAtheist.com claims the Bible contradicts because one passage mentions one of the blind men and the other mentions two blind men. Obviously both can be correct, they just mentioned different levels of detail.
 * Luke 23:47: TheThinkingAtheist.com points to different Gospels relating different, perfectly compatible statements by a Roman centurion about Jesus to claim a contradiction.

Misunderstanding Chronology
Sometimes critics just assume something said in the past applies to the future as well, or vice versa. They fail to distinguish between different points in time or recognize how basic chronology works in writing.

Examples:


 * Luke 7:36: Critic accuses the Bible of a contradiction in how Jesus was anointed, while paying no attention to the chronology at all, and ignores that the time frames are entirely different. One event occurs right before Jesus' crucifixion, and the other long before, so that they are obviously different events.
 * Matthew 24:34: Critics claim Jesus said He would return during the lifetime of His apostles but fail to notice the passage shows He was addressing two separate questions, one dealing with the immediate future and one with the distant future; a timeline He says only His Father knows of.
 * 1 John 1:8: Critics claim the Bible contradicts itself on whether all sin, but the passages clearly present a distinction between having sinned (past) and the removing of sinfulness (future) when a Christian's nature is changed.
 * 1 Corinthians 15:5: A critic claimed the phrase "the twelve" shouldn't have been used to refer to an apostle in the past before they became part of "the twelve" but at the time of the writing he was one of "the twelve" and thus the present moniker would apply.

Poor Math Skills
Some of the passages in Samuel/Kings/Chronicles require cross-checking multiple passages and adding up the numbers correctly to figure out what occurred. Critics tend to make mistakes here with their math.

Examples:


 * 1 Kings 9:23: Critic claims the numbers of chief officers contradict but when cross-checking the verses with other passages the math works out exactly showing there were multiple ranks, the top rank of 250, the next of 300, and another of 3300, confusion occurs because the two highest ranks are combined in one passage.

Ignorance of Cartography
In rare cases, critics just don't understand or bother checking maps to see if the Bible is true, and carelessly claim contradictions where none exist.

Examples:


 * John 6:24: Critic claims the Bible contradicts on where Jesus went, Gennesaret or Capernaum, and doesn't bother checking a map to see that as the Bible says in the passage they are on opposite sides of the sea of Galilee.
 * 2 Kings 24:8: Critics claim the passages contradict on whether Jehoiachin ruled 8 or 18 years over Israel and Judah, apparently ignorant of the fact that Israel and Judah were at the time two different nations. Jehoiachin began reigning over one 10 years earlier than the other.
 * Acts 1:12: Critic asserts a contradiction in where the ascension occurred, ignorant of the fact that Bethany and Mount Olivet share the same location.