Contradictions Doesn’t Diminish the Bible
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. ”
There is no one interpretation of the Bible for all time. Sure, there are specific commandments that transcend time and place, but even commandments like “thou shall not kill” have been reinterpreted when facing immoral dictators. Read a Dietrich Bonhoeffer biography, and you will find an example of questioning the Christian principle of “thou shall not kill” when faced with Adolph Hitler.
Even the ancient Hebrew Bible writers disagreed due to historical and political issues that influenced how they related to God. For example, when you read the first two chapters of the book of Genesis, you realize there are at least two distinct and differentiated Creation stories. Why? Is one wrong? Two writers wrote the stories with different emphases based on their present situations. One writer called “J,” by scholars, describes a God present with Adam and Eve. Meanwhile, the other writer, P (Priestly), provides the cosmic description of Creation with a distant God.
These two writers were influenced by times of war, exile, and reunification of the people. The “P” writer was concerned with the priestly role in the lives of the faithful. God was distant, and this writer does not describe God as merciful but focuses on justice and the need for repentance through priestly care in the Temple. Meanwhile, “J” was less concerned with the “P” writer’s focus on the priests who were descendants of Aaron. For example, the “J” writer emphasizes a God who intimately speaks and shows the divine self to Moses.
In our faith lives and the reading and interpreting of our Bible, we, too, must be careful not to demand one interpretation for the faithful. If the Biblical writers cannot agree on what God’s actions with the faithful mean, how can we? Yet, that does not mean the Bible is without value or understanding. The Bible requires prayer and the movement of the Holy Spirit to guide our interpretation. God blessed us with a complex Bible to address human needs and inspire us in every generation, including today. Rather than dismiss a Bible with multiple understandings, embrace and appreciate a group of writings blessed and inspired by our Triune God. The contradictions continue to bring new life to ancient texts that bring instruction and inspiration to God’s faithful.
