Is the Bible full of contradictions?

The idea that the Bible is full of contradiction stems from erroneous and misguided interpretations from people who have no understanding of its nature or purpose.

I Corinthians 2:14 states, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Anybody who wishes to understand the Scriptures must willfully submit their lives to God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus Christ that a person will receive the Holy Spirit who teaches and unveils the truth of the Scripture to the reader.

The Bible is not a collection of religious writings, songs, myths, or moral stories. It is a historical book describing God's mighty acts on earth (Please see How can anyone trust the Bible today when it has been translated so many times?).

These mighty acts began with creation, and the Bible's testimony concerning it gives witness to three pivotal affirmations: (1) the universe exists because God is and wills the universe to exist; (2) man is unique in the creation, having been made with the capacity for communion with his Maker; (3) all that God made is good, and it is his purpose to redeem it from the evil which was brought by man’s rebellion(1)

The entire book has a common denominator, which is the theme of redemption. The Old Testament records God's promise of redemption through the Messiah but veiled by the future. The New Testament records Christ the Messiah has come and fulfilled the Old Testament. Jesus told two of his disciples on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:27, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself." The messages between the Old and New Testaments are radically different but are dependent on each other. The Old Testament illuminates the New, and the New fulfills the Old.

Josh McDowell, in his book, "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict," gives fifteen principles for understanding apparent discrepancies in the Bible.

Principle #1: The unexplained is not necessarily unexplainable.
It is a mistake to assume that what cannot be explained will never be explained. Instead, the unexplainable ought to motivate a person to find an explanation.

Principle #2: Fallible interpretations do no mean fallible revelation.
Human beings are imperfect and make mistakes in interpretations. Contradictions between popular scientific opinions and widely accepted interpretations of the Bible are to be expected. "But these conflicts fall short of proving there are real contradictions between God's world and God's Word."(2)

Principle #3: Understand the context of the passage.
It is a common mistake to take passages out of context.

Principle #4: Interpret difficult passages in the light of clear ones.
Some passages in Scripture are hard to understand and it is wise to find others passages that will clarify their meaning.

Principle #5: Don't base teaching on obscure passages.
"When we are not sure:
1. We should not build a doctrine on an obscure passage.
2. When a given passage is not clear, never conclude that it means something that opposes another plain teaching of Scripture."(3)

Principle #6: The Bible is a human book with human characteristics.
"The Bible claims that God used human personalities to receive and communicate eternal truths. Therefore, expressions of speech& should not always be taken literally, than pitted against another portion of Scripture."(4)

Principle #7: Just because a report is incomplete does not mean it is false.

Principle #8: New Testament citations of the Old Testament need not always be exact.
Christians today use different translations when quoting Scripture.

Principle #9: The Bible does not necessarily approve of all its records.
The Bible records truthfully and accurately every lie and sin but it does not mean it condones them.

Principle #10: The Bible uses non-technical, everyday language.

Principle #11: The Bible may use round numbers as well as exact numbers.

Principle #12: Note when the Bible uses different literary devices.
The context will usually identify if the term is to be taken literally or figuratively.

Principle #13: An error in a copy does not equate to an error in the original.

Principle #14: General statements don't necessarily mean universal promises.

Principle #15: Later revelation supercedes previous revelation.
God does not reveal everything at once. Some of His revelations were given to a particular group of people at different times in God's overall plan of redemption.

To claim the Bible is full of contradictions is nothing more than foolish ideology promoted by those who choose to reject God.

I Corinthians 1:20-21 states, "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

There is unity in the Bible. God is the Author of the Bible and He inspired different men to write one message; redemption. The Old Testament looks forward to the redemption, fulfilled in Jesus Christ who came in the New Testament, and will be consummated with Jesus' Second Coming at the end of history. A person can only begin to comprehend the nature and purpose of the Scripture by acknowledging he is a sinner who needs Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and to receive the power of the Holy Spirit who unveils the truth of the Scripture to the believer.