1. Men have seen God (Genesis 32:30, Numbers 14:14) vs. No man has seen God (John 1:18):
- Genesis 32:30 refers to Jacob saying he had seen God “face to face” after wrestling with a divine being, but this is understood to be either a theophany (an appearance of God in a form or vision) or an angelic representation.
- Numbers 14:14 is referencing the glory and presence of God, not His actual, full essence.
- John 1:18 is talking about seeing God in His full, infinite nature. God’s full essence is beyond human ability to see directly, which is consistent with the idea that no one has seen God in His complete nature, though He reveals Himself in various ways (theophanies, angels, etc.).
2. God doesn’t keep anger forever (Jeremiah 3:12) vs. God keeps anger forever (Jeremiah 17:4):
- In Jeremiah 3:12, God is inviting Israel to repent, promising that His anger will not last if they return to Him. It’s about God’s readiness to forgive.
- Jeremiah 17:4 describes a specific instance of judgment where God’s anger remains due to ongoing unrepentant sin. It’s important to understand context: God’s anger is conditional and depends on repentance and His plan for justice.
3. God creates man, then animals (Genesis 2:7, 19) vs. God creates animals, then man (Genesis 1:24-27):
- Genesis 1 provides an overall chronological order of creation, where animals are created first and man last.
- Genesis 2 focuses more on the relationship between man and his surroundings, with the creation of animals presented in the context of Adam naming them, not necessarily implying a chronological contradiction but focusing on Adam’s role in creation.
4. Man can be righteous (Genesis 7:1, Job 2:3, James 5:16) vs. Man can’t be righteous (Romans 3:10):
- Genesis 7:1, Job 2:3, and James 5:16 refer to righteousness in a relative, earthly sense. Noah, Job, and others are called righteous because they lived faithfully before God compared to their contemporaries.
- Romans 3:10, however, speaks of ultimate righteousness in relation to God’s perfect standard. Paul is making the point that no one is inherently righteous in the absolute, sinless sense — this is why humanity needs a Savior.
5. Two blind men healed on the road (Matthew 20:29) vs. One blind man healed on the road (Mark 10:46-47):
- Matthew provides more details by mentioning two blind men, while Mark focuses on one (Bartimaeus), likely because Bartimaeus was the more vocal or prominent of the two. These are not contradictions but complementary accounts focusing on different aspects of the event.
These examples are not true contradictions but reflect differences in focus, context, or perspective. The Bible is a complex collection of books written in different styles, often providing complementary details to enhance understanding rather than contradict one another.
Remember, if you take the context out of the text, you're left with a CON.
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