Article Contributed on: 12/28/2006 11:57:15 PM
Among the "modern" and "academic" arguments against the divine nature of the
Bible, one of the first the believer usually encounters is the idea that the text is, "full of contradictions."
Unfortunately for that side of the issue, the idea that the
Bible contradicts itself is almost always promoted by people who are wholly unfamiliar with - or have never actually read - the
Bible.
So when they are challenged to produce even a single one of the contradictions they cite, it's no surprise that they fail miserably and tend to fall back on the old line of, "Well,
everyone knows they're in there..."
In my lifetime I've been seduced by the kiss of "rational secularism" and yet have come to faith in the truth of God's word. I've read the
Bible. I've studied and even taught the
Bible and I still admit to being a complete novice on the subject; I know that I can never learn everything that's contained in the
Bible.
Even given all that, I know beyond all doubt that there are no contradictions contained within the
Bible.
But I'm about to address a contradiction that's
not in the
Bible, but does manifest itself in modern Christian practice...
Throughout the New Testament - and perhaps most notably mentioned in
Matthew (18:4) - we are called as believers to "humble" ourselves to the Lord and even to the powers that be, (Rom 13:1), other believers, (Rom 12:10) and the world in general, (in that, "in but not of" sense).
But humility is not exactly a tenet of modern life, and certainly not a lauded personal characteristic in today's America; the race to get ahead - to earn more, to be more famous, to oversee a larger part of public discourse and to "become" someone - seems to drive all too much of what happens in the public square these days. The idea of being humble flies in the face of ambition, it would seem.
And since we all have some ambition that drives us, where does that leave the idea of humility? Why would anyone abandon their dreams of success in order to live a life of "failure" and poverty?
If God wants His followers to be examples of Himself in this world, why would He require them all to be doormats?
Could it even be possible that the creator of all the universe is calling upon all of His disciples to be wallflowers?
Of course not. Years ago I came to the conclusion that if I don't understand something I read in The Bible it's my own fault, and NOT that of the book's author. So where does that leave us?
Well, the Christian's living example of how we should model our lives - Yeshua ("Jesus") - walked and lived with sinners. He dined with prostitutes and tax collectors and when it became necessary he boldly confronted the religious authorities of the day and outsmarted them at their own games.
He kicked over the tables of the money exchange and freed the doves of those who would sell them as sacrifices - and most often within the walls of the Temple!
He - Yeshua - both ate and healed during Shabbat (Sabbath), both of which were strictly forbidden according to Rabbinical law. And when He was called on it He always had an answer at the ready. He shamed those who tried to 'put him in his place' by constantly outsmarting them in their quest to do so. Sure He wore sandals, but it's only in recent history that they've become synonymous with weakness...
...
So, as believers In Christ, what do we do about this apparent contradiction of being humble in our Lord while also being bold in following His example? I would suggest that like the rest of The Bible, the answer lies in the context of what is happening at the time, as well as a very deeply-felt understanding of what God requires of us. He wants us to be bold and brave and step out in the Spirit of His Son when we see unGodly acts committed in His Name, but He also wants us to remember that WE have had NOTHING to do with our redemption to Him.
Someone died in our stead so that we might have a personal, eternal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and as long as we remember that we're to be more like Him, we're free to be bold in His name.
So there's really no contradiction at all...
Chris Stone attends the First Baptist Church of Evergreen where he is a member of the Media Team. His views are not necessarily those of the Church. He is the learning Father of 3 young children and has not had a good night's sleep since they moved in in August.