Bible Study | Is the Bible Full of Contradictions? The Story of the Bible - Part 3

Springcreek Church - Garland, TX Podcast

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IS THE BIBLE FULL OF CONTRADICTIONS?
The Story of the Bible - Part 3
Pastor Keith Stewart
July 16, 2023
Occasionally, you’ll meet people who will say, “The Bible is filled with hundreds of contradictions.” It’s a common objection that I’ve heard many times over the years. But the vast majority of people who make this allegation can't name a single one. The old adage “many put down the Bible before they even pick it up” is sadly true. Now I would never be dismissive that someone might have some genuine struggles with statements that appear to be contradictory in Scripture. Because in this message, I want to sincerely address those concerns. But when you encounter this objection, you must first ascertain whether you’re dealing with a sincere reason or merely an excuse masquerading as a reason.

SERIES: THE STORY OF THE BIBLE
Throughout history, the Bible has been burned, banned, ridiculed, distorted, outlawed, and abused - but it can’t be ignored. If we listen to its message, it has the power to change not just our lives and our cities but even the entire world.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Have you ever had someone raise the objection to you that the Bible is full of contradictions? If so, did they cite any specific ones that they found troubling and what were they? Did you attempt to answer their objections? If you had the opportunity now, what would you say? If you encountered an objection and wanted to find the answer, where would you begin?

2. Pastor Keith shared the story of his middle school teacher who was openly hostile toward Christianity and Christians. His classroom dynamics in a public school might lead to disciplinary measures today but that wasn’t the case back then. His teacher raised an intellectual objection to Christianity but his overt display of anger spoke another message – that he was likely hurt by the church or Christian people, afraid of something, or frustrated in some way. Anger is a secondary emotion and always a symptom that something else is going on. When you engage with an outsider who is also showing signs of anger and/or rage, you can mark it down, you are not merely dealing with an intellectual issue. How do you shift the conversation in order to talk about what’s really going on? Have you ever had to do this with somebody? What was the result?

3. The benefit of the doubt goes with the Bible, not the critic. It has been proven over and over again in its many historical details (something we learned about in the other messages of this series). At times, you may encounter an objection or argument for which you don’t have an answer. It is not unreasonable to say, “I will suspend judgment on this issue until I have more information.” This is not the same as a person who sticks their head in the sand and pretends like there is no issue at stake. Instead, it’s the position of a thinking person who sees the overwhelming evidence supporting the Bible’s truthfulness and continues to believe and dig into the truth until they find satisfying answers to their questions. Are there any issues that you presently hold in suspension because you don’t have an answer for them but still trust God and His Word? If so, what is it?

4. Sometimes, the issue is not truly that people find the Bible to be self-contradicting but that the Bible convicts themselves. The Bible is like a mirror. It shows us ourselves in ways we don’t like to see or admit. What things have you learned about yourself from Scripture? How had reading the Bible made clear to you where and how you still need to grow?

5. What have been your biggest takeaways from this series on the Bible?

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