Bible Patterns

Before diving into Scripture we need a basic knowledge of how it is put together.

The Bible is divided into two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament begins with five books written by Moses, the leader of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Many large public miracles attested to God’s leading and inspiration. All the books that follow describe Israel’s history of on again, off again obedience to the laws given through Moses. Moses, and the prophets that followed, make up the Old Testament.

The New Testament is similarly structured with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the subject of the first four books called, Gospels. The apostles he trained then wrote the remainder of the New Testament. The miracles and sacrifice of Christ are its focus.

Both testaments have a leader verified by miracles. That leader’s teachings form the basis of the newly formed organizations that both start fairly strong and true, but then descend into varying degrees of rebellion and apostasy. Old Testament Israel and New Testament Christianity are mirror images of each other in this respect.

OLD TESTAMENT

BOOKS OF MOSES

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

HISTORY OF ISRAEL

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

WISDOM AND POETRY

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

MAJOR PROPHETS

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

MINOR PROPHETS

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT

LIFE OF CHRIST

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

EARLY CHURCH

Acts

PAUL’S LETTERS

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

OTHER APOSTLES

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

REVELATION

Revelation

Miracles, such as walking on water, or walking through water on dry ground, or raising the dead, or multiplying loaves and fishes, is often scoffed at by religious layperson and scholar alike. However, a couple weeks ago we considered an infinite good person, especially the infinite part. We concluded that our existence is inevitably caused by infinity. Once we arrive at infinity, any and all miracles are possible.

Therefore, if you are God and you are trying to establish the credentials of your ambassador, what better way is there than miracles? How else can you back up your spokesperson’s claims? Letters of recommendation can be forged, but major miracles cannot be duplicated.

This is why Moses‘ snake ate the magicians’ snakes. God was demonstrating greater power. When the magicians could not duplicate the lice, they admitted, “This is the finger of God.” When Pharoah’s army was drowned as they chased the Israelites through the Red Sea, final defeat was realized and full proof was given. Those and many other demonstrations established Moses as a genuine, reliable ambassador for God.

Similarly, Jesus raised the dead, fed the multitudes, healed the sick, turned water into wine, and performed countless other miracles. His greatest testimony was His perfect character and should have been enough, but He said, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works‘ sake.” (John 14:11)

Actual creative miracles, not merely advanced technology, are evidence of infinite power. But what if we cannot tell the difference? What if the technology is so advanced that it looks like something is being created out of nothing, or it looks like life is healing death? Through some sort of technology far beyond our current understanding, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)

The only thing we know for sure when we see a miracle is that something supernatural is happening. Whether or not it is from God is not always clear. Character consistent with Scripture is the only sure test.

Both character and miracles were supplied by Moses and Christ. God Himself both publicly spoke and wrote the Ten Commandments. Christ lived a sinless life, was affirmed by the Father three times (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28), and made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross then was resurrected. Both the Old and New Testaments were established on perfect character and undeniable miracles.

So why don’t we see those kinds of miracles today?

Once the ambassador is verified, then we need to live by their messages, not by their miracles. If we expect to constantly be dazzled and supplied by miracles, then we would become spoiled, helpless brats always demanding more of God and less of ourselves. We would become addicted to miracles like drugs. We would demand bigger and bigger miracles.

Miracles are used to start something new, catch our attention, and earn our trust. Then we are to walk by faith, hope, and love.

God never stopped talking, but we stopped listening. Rather than hammer us with truth, God still speaks to us indirectly through nature, experience, and other people. However, the messages we receive often conflict with each other. Therefore, it is important to filter every teaching according to the teachings of His verified ambassadors.

“In the beginning....God said.” The Bible opens with God speaking the world into existence. Each day’s creation is the result of God’s word, “Let there be.” God could have used a machine or a factory to make everything. Instead, “He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." (Psalms 33:9)

When we speak, we talk about things. When God speaks, those very things come into being.

God’s first words to humanity were, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) God spoke to our first parents words of trust and responsibility and caregiving. That message has never changed.

However, there was an enemy in Paradise. (Much more on this soon.) “That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world,” was permitted by the wisdom and freedom of God to speak his message.

God said that eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil would kill Adam and Eve. The puppet serpent said, “You shall not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) Our first parents disbelieved God and trusted the false words.

Therefore, “by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” (Romans 5:12)

And so the mixed messages began and to this day we are subject to confusion.

However, God did not stop speaking truth. He told the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman.” God would plant a desire for truth, a longing for goodness, in every soul born to the woman. Thus, Christ is “the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.” (John 1:9) God, through Christ, bypasses the ear and speaks directly to the heart in the language and feelings of love.

To illustrate this, imagine God is like a great radio tower. He is always broadcasting. We are like radios that sometimes tune into God’s channel. Because of the interference of sin, the visible and audible channels are blocked, but the spiritual channel of the heart is always available.

Yet, there still remains a problem. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Sometimes we think we are hearing God’s inner voice when it is just our own selfishness echoing back to us. At other times we do feel His Spirit, but reject it.

To help solve this problem, God stationed angels at the entrance of Eden so people could still have a line of reliable communication with heaven. But it was rejected and violence became so great that the line of true believers was threatened with extinction. So God preserved Noah and his family through the flood to reset the earth and start over.

Again, the global population rejected God, so God scattered them into languages and nations. Abraham, because of his faithful character, was chosen to start a nation of prophets and priests to become ambassadors to the world.

However, Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, themselves became degenerate. Therefore, God taught them through Moses and gave them His law and established a sanctuary so that He could live in their midst. Through Moses, and the many prophets to follow, “thus saith the Lord” became a common introduction to many divine messages.

For over 1,000 years God proved that He was true to His word and was ready to forgive and to heal. The requirement to reach out to the lost nations never changed, but God’s people rebelled.

Unable to work through His chosen nation, God worked around them. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman.” (Galatians 4:4) That Son was the Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.... He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:1-13)

Through long centuries of rejection and rebellion, God persisted. He communicated through angels and patriarchs. Then He spoke through Moses and the prophets. Finally, He came in human form. He sent His Son so that we might see and hear and believe.

But in our stubborn selfishness we crucified Him.

Where is God? Why do we not hear Him? Why do we not see Him? It is because we are liars and lawbreakers. We want to hear God, but only if He echoes our words. We want to worship God, but only if He worships us.

God will not force us, but neither has He yet given up on us. The Bible is within reach of all. The writings of Moses and the prophets, the words of Jesus and the apostles, are available to all. We can trust them.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add you not unto his words, lest he reprove you and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5-6)

The Son of God said, “The Scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35) Therefore, we test all teachings and teachers by His eternal word.

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:19-20)

The prophets repeated, “Thus saith the Lord.” Jesus repeated, “It is written.” The verified messengers of God keep pointing us to Scripture.

The apostle Peter wrote, “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.” (2 Peter 3:1-2)

Soon, we will no longer need messengers, but we will see and hear God for ourselves.

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:3-5)

God’s word, the Bible, is true and faithful and all who follow it will never be disappointed. Through those sacred pages the voice of God can be clearly heard and the truth of God clearly seen. It is never silent. It’s glory is never dimmed for the light of Christ always shines through it and invites us.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:17-21)

A pattern can be simple repetition, like the tiles on a floor or the dashes on the highway or the seasons every year or the habit of eating three meals per day. A pattern is a relatively simple description that connects a collection of items. Instead of listing all the stuff in the trailer, you might summarize it with, “It’s all junk.” Now I know to take it to the dump, not to your new home.

Now let’s briefly look at progressive patterns, which are complete, ordered, and inspiring patterns.

Completeness takes us from beginning to end, and the end might be infinity. Order is the opposite of random. It is organized, clear to follow, and grows. Inspiration shows beauty, intelligence, power, simplicity. These are the ingredients of progressive patterns.

Let’s look at an example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, …

You might say the pattern of regular counting numbers is so simple that it is not inspiring, but it is complete to infinity, very orderly, and has inspired algebra and calculus which have given us millions of inventions.

Another example: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, …

At first glance, this appears to be a list of random numbers, but look closer at any two consecutive numbers and see how they add up to the next number. This is known as the Fibonacci Sequence. This special progressive pattern of numbers reveals itself in many interesting and inspiring ways. When you count opposite swirls in sunflowers or pine cones, you get Fibonacci numbers. You get a similar curve in snail shells as in the picture above.

One could say that science is the discovery and application of patterns in nature.

Now look at the following table. There is a simple pattern hidden in the different numbers written with different sizes and shadings.

Did you find the pattern in the above table? This hint should help you:

There are all sorts of distractions and disorderliness, but there is a pattern of even numbers as you read left to right and top to bottom. In spite of “errors” in translating, which show up in different sizes and shadings and formats, the message is still clear when you look at every other cell.

Patterns make sense of the data. Patterns organize, connect, and summarize the ideas, events, and things we are considering. When something appears unpatterned, then we say it is random, chaotic, unpredictable, and confusing. Computer experts take advantage of this fact when they design cryptography algorithms. They are based on making something patterned, such as a picture or text file, look random. Randomizing locks and hides information. Patterns unlock it.

When you speak to someone with a language foreign from yours, their speech sounds like random nonsense. However, if you take time to learn their patterns of grammar and pronunciation, then it all begins to make sense. Even when you don’t understand every little nuance of the stranger’s background that imposes slightly different meanings on their words, you can still communicate effectively for all practical purposes. As you become even more familiar with the language you can handle people who talk with lisps, or garble a few words, or speak to on a bad phone connection. Patterns help us cut through the confusion of static and distractions.

How do patterns help us understand the Bible?

Many people say the Bible is ultimately unreliable and we need to trust the scholar’s interpretation. They say there are translation errors and copying mistakes. That accusation is well-founded. However, the errors are like so much static and are minor. They partially obscure the truth, but do not eliminate it. Patterns help us cut through the confusion of static and distractions to see the true meaning of Scripture.

For example, Matthew 8 records the story of Jesus crossing and calming the Sea of Galilee. “When he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils.” The demons were then sent into a herd of pigs. However, Mark 5 records the same sequence of events with only one demoniac.

This example is pointed to as one of many great contradictions, however one of the first rules of interpretation is to consider all reasonable possibilities. 1) One of them is a mistake. 2) Different writers have different points of view. 3) One of the freed men later returned to Satanism or left the area, so only one could later be found for verification, so to be conservative, Mark told about only one.

Whatever the reason was, the teaching that Christ had power over demons remains and fits in with the rest of Scripture. The difference is trivial.

Is progressive patterns a Biblical idea? After all, there is no verse that says, Thou shalt use progressive patterns to understand Scripture.

The term “progressive patterns” does not occur anywhere in Scripture. It is a phrase to describe one method of learning Scripture and a method that God used to organize the Bible.

The Bible can be looked at from a variety of perspectives. Just reading and meditating on a single verse or story can be helpful and encouraging. As the text is carried in the heart during the day, it can spring up at just the right time to provide guidance and comfort. Anyone with the learning spirit of a child can gain from this method, even if reading the Bible in a random, disconnected way.

However, the nation of Israel, the Christian church, or any gospel team cannot be based on such an individualized manner. Groups require common understanding and agreement. Just as they seek connection with each other, they must connect scripture with scripture to form a common belief system. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) Can thousands or even millions worship and work together except they be agreed?

Every Christian organization, big or small, has their list of doctrines and policies that they agree on from Scripture. They do not unite on the 31,102 Bible verses in a random manner. They put them together in much shorter lists. This could not happen without forming patterns that teach common themes.

Prophecies fit together, like the empire timelines in Daniel 2, 7, and 8. Spiritual truths are repeated in many places like salvation only through Christ. The love of God, spiritual gifts, the soon return of Jesus are other examples of repeated patterns. Following one of these themes from Genesis to Revelation almost always results in more information being added to the repetitions, thus, progressive patterns.

Not only by example, but God’s word teaches this also by strong implication and clear reasoning. For example, Solomon said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

For Solomon to be correct, then all 31,102 verses must fit inside the ten boxes of the ten commandments. In other words, the ten commandments are ten categories that the rest of the Bible simply expands and explains without ever inventing an eleventh commandment. Only progressive pattern type of thinking could inspire such a statement or such a Book.

And now let’s look for a repetition of this truth to make sure we are not guilty of a “private interpretation” of Solomon’s words.

“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-41)

Not only did Jesus teach the same truth as Solomon, He took it a step farther. The ten categories could themselves be categorized into just two—love to God and love to people. Of course, we now see that those two can be simplified to just one—love, and God is love. One, two, ten, 31,102. The Bible is not as random and confusing to understand as we once thought!

Again, Jesus used progressive patterns to make this bold statement, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus made this statement at the end of His sermon on the mount. Just understand and practice all of My sermon, He said, and you will be saved. If not, you will be lost.

That can only be true if all the verses of Scripture fit into the sermon like items in boxes and like teachings in categories.

Micah the prophet said the same thing. “He has showed you O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) Justice, mercy, and humility are not additional things outside of the two great commands to love God and love people. They are just different ways of expressing those same truths. This different way that appears new is the progressive part of progressive patterns.

Jesus specifically told His prophets and apostles to do this when He said, “Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52)

On the surface this looks confusing. If a believer just wants to be told what to do so it can be memorized and obeyed, then all the different words, stories, parables, and prophecies are just so many sources of confusion and surface contradiction. However, if the patient student looks just beneath the surface, then connections are found and golden unity is seen. There are just a few “old” truths in the Bible that are repeated over and over again in "new" ways.

If that were not so, then Jesus and the wisest man are contradicting each other, because Solomon said, “The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10)

Obviously, every day was new. It always was and always will be. Yet, God does not keep inventing more rules, more commandments, more methods of salvation. The same old spiritual principles from eternity past just keep repeating in different ways into eternity future. There is always something new and there is never anything new.

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” (Isaiah 28:9-13)

Notice that “here a little there a little” works in both directions. We can compare scripture with scripture finding similarities, or we can keep finding differences. We can put them together or we can take them apart. Looking for similarities and seeing how new words teach old truths is progressive pattern thinking. The other method is surface skimming for contradictions, and anything written with human language will give a lot of those.

The difference between those two methods is declared by Peter, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)

I must interpret a verse according to other verses not according to my private personal opinion. However, I cannot interpret those verses by my own opinion either. This leads to a sort of chicken and egg problem with the only way out being to interpret all the verses at once according to an underlying pattern.

There are sincere Bible readers who cannot reconcile some of the wording. One sentence here seems to contradict one sentence there. A phrase here says the opposite of a phrase there. They cannot see consistency between the passages and so they doubt Scripture. Others criticize and twist with the intent to point out weaknesses and mistakes. The error that both groups make is that they think the words are inspired and therefore infallible.

However, the Bible is the intelligent product of an intelligent God inspiring intelligent men. The language is human and therefore imperfect, but the thoughts, the teachings, are inspired by one God and therefore teach one consistent story from beginning to end. Understanding the principles of that story comes from knowing the patterns of possibilities of every word in every passage. Bringing those principles to bear on difficult words solves the problem and makes the patterns stronger.

Example of “burden"

For example, a criticism is made of an apparent contradiction by the apostle Paul in the way he uses the same word two different ways within 5 verses of each other. Rather than dismissing the passage as a contradiction, wouldn’t it be wiser to entertain the possibility that an intelligent human being was taking advantage of the subtleties of language? Here is the text and notice the word, “burden."

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear you one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:1-5)

The first burden is the burden of guilt resulting from a bad habit. We are to help someone when they are weak rather than abandonding them or criticizing them.

The second burden is the burden of responsibility to serve. Just as we have different personalities and talents, so we have different responsibilities to use them. How and when and if we use them is our personal responsibility. No one can bear the burden of another’s responsibility.

It is my burden alone to help my neighbor with their burden of sin. It is not for you to criticize or blame me when I do my best to help.

Where is the contradiction? Where is the lack of intelligence in the writing of the passage? Could there have been a better way of writing the points? Possibly, but what if those were the best words available in the language of the author? What if the author was running out of time or paper and needed to condense the thoughts, and now 2000 years later, in the arrogance of our new language we mistake condensation for contradiction? We are so quick to assume the ancients were cavemen in their thinking.

Intelligent until proven dumb

Let’s look at a variety of examples that have a variety of explanations. And sometimes the best explanation is that a mistake was made in the translation, but, like the saying goes, innocent until proven guilty. This is a timeless principle of respect which starts us with the assumption of intelligence before concluding no explanation is apparent before concluding outright error.

Jesus dies before and after curtain is torn

“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.” (Matthew 27:50-51) “The veil of the temple was torn in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” (Luke 23:45-46)

Two things happen at the same time. It is the writer’s choice to write one of them first. There are no claims made as to sequence. There is no contradiction.

Jesus carried and did not carry His cross

“And he bearing his cross went forth....” (John 19:17) “And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.” (Matthew 27:31-32)

Did the soldiers find Simon as they left the palace, as they came out of the palace grounds, as they came out of the city? This apparent contradiction can be easily explained by two authors telling the same story from two viewpoints. John describes Jesus starting out with His cross, but chooses to omit the detail of Simon later helping with it.

If we force authors to write their stories with the exact same details under threat of accusing them with contradiction then they need to copy word for word, but then we will accuse them of plagiarism! There are differences between the two accounts, but they are not contradictory.

Jesus went and not went to heaven right after death

“And Jesus said unto him truly I say unto you today you shall be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) “Jesus said unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” (John 20:17)

There is no contradiction between these passages, but there is a translation mistake or theological interpretation injected. Notice that I did not include punctuation in Luke’s account. That is because there was no punctuation in the original Greek manuscripts. To a small degree it is up to the translator to punctuate and/or re-arrange words to make sense in the target language. That is the case here.

Read these snippets with the comma after today. “I say unto you today, you shall be with me in paradise.” Now read this one with the comma before today. “I say unto you, today you shall be with me in paradise.” Makes a big difference, doesn’t it? The first puts today with the speaking, while the second puts today with paradise.

Who is to say which is right? The correct answer is the Bible itself. The prophets and apostles are better interpreters than myself, or you, or theologians. John tells us that Jesus had not yet ascended after the resurrection, which is Sunday. Therefore, the comma goes after today, which means Jesus spoke on Friday and ascended on Sunday. Problem solved!

However, if you believe the words, including the punctuation, are infallible, then you still have a problem. The contradiction is unsolvable.

Jesus was/not the only person to ascend

“And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:13) The contradiction is that Enoch, Moses, and Elijah were already in heaven when Jesus spoke those words.

However, Jesus was not making a physical point here, but a spiritual one. The context shows it.

Jesus was having a private meeting with Nicodemus, one of the Jewish leaders. Nicodemus was not recognizing Christ’s divinity and spiritual qualifications as Messiah. That is when Jesus said, “If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:12-13) Only Jesus has come down from heaven with authority to tell the truth and give the right explanation of spiritual things. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah were just as dependent on the Spirit and Son of God as we are. Just because they physically ascended to heaven does not put them in Christ’s position.

Jesus is speaking a bit in hyperbole, because He described Himself as “the Son of man which is in heaven.” He spoke of Himself as still in heaven, that is, simultaneously in heaven and talking to Nicodemus on earth. Physically, His body was in one place, so that is not the answer, but His divine nature was in heaven and on earth at the same time. Nicodemus needed to exercise his faith and spiritual insight to understand the meaning—exactly the point of the whole conversation!

Another solution is that “no man” applies to the current time of the conversation. In Nicodemus‘ day, no man ascended to heaven then came back down to authoritatively confirm or reject Jesus as the Messiah.

Three reasonable solutions have been proposed to this problem. One is spiritual, one is linguistic, and one is chronological. Accusation of error is a last resort and unnecessary.

One versus two demoniacs

Matthew 8 and Luke 8 both record the same story, except Matthew’s version says one man and Luke’s version says two men. In both stories the demoniac(s) run to Jesus from a cemetery, then Jesus casts the demons into a herd of pigs which then run off a cliff into the sea. It is clearly the same story, but for some reason Matthew left out one of the men or a mistake occured in translation. If a mistake happened, it is not significant because the event and teaching of the story remains the same.

God and Satan moved David

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) “The anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” (2 Samuel 24:1)

In book two, Patterns in Prophecy, we will explore this issue in detail. For now, it is sufficient to point out that there is not a contradiction here. A contradiction would be if one story says Satan provoked David and another passage says Satan did NOT provoke David. The same applies to God. What we have here is one example of several where BOTH God and Satan influence David’s choice. The critics who declare this a contradiction are ignorant of the sequence of steps involved in the making of many evil choices. There is a question that needs to be answered and a problem that needs to be solved, but this is not an obvious, proven contradiction—except to the shallow reader who has not synthesized the whole Bible.

Conclusion

There are many, many more examples of “contradictions” than can be explained or reduced to minor translation errors. With these examples I have tried to touch on the different ways of resolving them. If you are stuck on something you read in Scripture, or something a critic has claimed, please feel free to contact me.

The human qualities of the raw materials show through. Naivety, error, contradiction, even (as in the cursing Psalms) wickedness are not removed. The total result is not “the Word of God” in the sense that every passage in itself, gives impeccable science or history. It carries the Word of God. — C. S. Lewis

Imperfect words can teach perfect truth. Human words can convey divine thoughts.

The mind occupied with commonplace matters only, becomes dwarfed and enfeebled. If never tasked to comprehend grand and far-reaching truths, it after a time loses the power of growth. As a safeguard against this degeneracy, and a stimulus to development, nothing else can equal the study of God’s word. As a means of intellectual training, the Bible is more effective than any other book, or all other books combined. The greatness of its themes, the dignified simplicity of its utterances, the beauty of its imagery, quicken and uplift the thoughts as nothing else can. No other study can impart such mental power as does the effort to grasp the stupendous truths of revelation. The mind thus brought in contact with the thoughts of the Infinite cannot but expand and strengthen. — E. G. White

Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years. — Charles Spurgeon

A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. — Theodore Roosevelt

I am never lonely when I am reading the Bible. Nothing dissolves loneliness like a session with God’s Word. — Billy Graham

All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that’s my job...And I’m prepared to say on that basis if anyone thinks the Gospels are either legends or novels, then that person is simply showing his incompetence as a literary critic. I’ve read a great many novels and I know a fair amount about the legends that grew up among early people, and I know perfectly well the Gospels are not that kind of stuff. — C. S. Lewis

It is impossible to enslave, mentally or socially, a bible-reading people. The principles of the bible are the groundwork of human freedom. — Horace Greeley

I started reading the Bible. All of a sudden the words jumped off the page and became real. — Austin Peck

I believe the fast track to atheism is reading the Bible. I’ve read it three times all the way through. It’s a big part of our culture, a big part of our history. I don’t just read things I agree with. — Penn Jillette

Perhaps Austin and Penn brought different attitudes and backgrounds to their Bible reading?

The illuminated soul sees a spiritual unity, one grand golden thread running through the whole, but it requires patience, thought, and prayer to trace out the precious golden thread. — E. G. White

How much of the Bible have you read?

How much of other sacred texts have you read? How do they compare to the Bible?

Read and discuss the first three vs. the last three chapters of the Bible.

What patterns do you use in your work?

Are users of patterns more mature than those who ignore them?

How many exceptions can a pattern have?