No! Some are quick to claim, “The Bible is filled with contradictions!” This claim, however, has never been proved to be true, and it is a claim that is most often made by those who have little or no knowledge of the Bible. The Bible, as the inspired Word of God, cannot contain any contradictions. What it does contain, however, as might be expected of any literary work, are apparent contradictions, that is, passages that seem to be contradictory, but which are not contradictory at all when properly understood.

There are sometimes differences among Bible passages, but a difference is not the same thing as a contradiction. The Greek philosopher Aristotle defined contradiction: “That the same thing should at the same time both be and not be for the same person and in the same respect is impossible.” A difference would not be a contradiction if the same person was not under consideration, or if the same time period was not used for both, or if the language was not employed in the same sense.

Proverbs 26:4-5 demonstrates the principle. It gives the advice, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Is this a contradiction, since one verse says not to answer a fool, and the very next verse says to answer a fool? Not at all. What Solomon was saying with these verses, in the midst of a series of verses dealing with fools, was that sometimes it is better not to even answer a fool, lest one appear to be just as big a fool for answering. But sometimes the fool must be answered so that he will not think he is so wise that he cannot be answered. Whatever the situation, Solomon was saying it will be difficult to deal with a fool!

Because Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all wrote about the events of the life of Christ, there are differences among their accounts. Differences, not contradictions! For example, Mark says that Jesus was crucified at the “third hour” (Mark 15:25); while John says that Jesus was on trial before Pilate at “the sixth hour” (John 19:14). Thus it would appear that either John or Mark is wrong, because John has Jesus on trial three hours after Mark says He was on the cross! But when one understands that John must have used Roman time, with the “sixth hour” being 6:00 a.m., while Mark used Jewish time, with the “third hour” being 9:00 a.m., then the apparent contradiction disappears.

Many other “alleged discrepancies” can be found, but as long as there is a logical way to explain the differences, then the truthfulness of the Bible stands. If we approach the Bible with an open mind and a willingness to accept its truth, we can understand. Many find “errors” in it because they do not approach it openly and honestly. God has communicated His will to us through the Bible. He expects us to understand and obey what it teaches. We can find the answer to apparent contradictions, if we are just diligent enough in our study. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33).