One of the arguments made by critics of Biblical inerrancy is since the Bible contains so many contradictions, it cannot possibly be inerrant or infallible. Often those critics are hard-pressed to come up with an example when challenged, and are simply parroting what they have heard from other skeptics. Others bring up “contradictions” that have been dealt with both many times and at length by scholars who have studied the Bible, its languages, and its cultural background. I have many volumes on my shelves dealing with difficult passages in Scripture. It is helpful for Christians to read about this subject and to learn how to deal with those challenges.
There are passages in the Bible that appear to be contradictory on a first reading. It requires knowledge of the principles of Biblical hermeneutics (the study of interpretation) and a careful reading of the Word to discover how these may be resolved. This is a very large subject; your pastor likely took an entire graduate-level course in hermeneutics just to learn how it applies to teaching and preaching. It doesn’t take a master’s degree, though, to learn and apply the basic principles to your own personal reading and study.
We have a classic “contradiction” in our reading today. This isn’t one where you have to jump from one book to another or even from one chapter to another. This one occurs in consecutive verses in Proverbs 26:4-5:
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” (ESV)
I quoted it first from the ESV so you can see how many translations express it. We are told to “answer not” a fool, then to “answer a fool” according to his folly. In Proverbs, a “fool” is someone who ignores or opposes the wisdom from the Lord. Are we to answer people like this, or are we to ignore them? The surface meaning could certainly be confusing if we aren’t careful in our study.
The NASB translates these verses to bring their meaning out more clearly:
“Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, or you will also be like him.
Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves, so that he will not be wise in his own eyes.”
The point of the proverb is that getting into a foolish argument just turns us into fools, but an answer may be needed to show the fool his lack of wisdom. The exhortation is not the same in each case, but is dependent on the circumstances of the conversation. Using context, study of the language, and careful consideration of what each phrase is saying, the contradiction disappears and the thrust of the teaching becomes clear.
You can use this principle with other passages, and further study of hermeneutics will help you learn other principles which help to determine the meaning of Biblical passage. These tools aren’t the Bible itself, but they are useful in bringing out the meaning which the Spirit has given to the Word. Understanding Biblical interpretation builds confidence in the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
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