Thank you for the question on resolving Bible contradictions, “How do you solve Bible contradictions?”
As a Christian, I seek to be objective in looking at someone’s assertion/declaration of a Bible contradiction. In my mind, there are two categories of contradictions: Bible text and Bible and Science.
A. Regarding Biblical text contradictions:
I seek to resolve the Biblical text contradiction by the following methods:
A. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in understanding the contradiction and the text that is cited as a contradiction.
B. Read the stated contradiction by someone several times and what is the contradiction that the person is stating or I am observing in the text.
C. Reading the context and the text of the cited contradiction several times, carefully looking at each word of what is said and not said by the text.
D. Read the text in Hebrew/Greek text or a Parallel Translation of the original language.
E. Reading relevant or complementary text on the contradiction, if there are any.
F. Apply Bible study method on the text of observation and interpretation.
G. What are the options in interpretation of the texts.
H. What is the likely intent/purpose of the author in making that statement.
I. How is my understanding of the text similar or different from the cited contradiction.
J. How do I address or resolve the contradiction? Can I give a reasonable answer to that seemingly contradiction.
One of the cited contradiction is Mark 16 records that the women told no one but in the other accounts the women told the disciples. As I look at the passage, an angel declares to the women that they are to go and tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Now is it reasonable that the women will ignore/disobey the angel by keeping silent.
What are the reasonable possible interpretations to the text:
a. The women kept totally silent and went their separate ways to their home.
b. The women kept totally silent as they went to the house where the disciples were staying at and said nothing to them. They hid the angelic message from the disciples. There would be a direct disobedience to the angelic message.
c. The women as they ran/went to the house where the disciples were staying at without stopping to tell anyone else of their angelic encounter until they reached the place where the disciples were staying and relayed the angelic message to them.
Is alternative three a reasonable interpretation? As one read the complementary accounts, the women ran back home to tell the disciples of their encounter. Peter and John ran to the tomb. It is more likely that the women were so terrified of their experience that they went straight to the disciples without stopping to tell any of their neighbors. The disciples were the first one to hear of the resurrected Lord from the women. That’s how I resolve that contradiction of the resurrection.
b. Resolving Bible and Science.
Geologist and archaeologist quite often contradicts the Bible statement as to Creation, the Flood, the Exodus, King David and King Solomon including the existence of Jesus.
I would be the first to admit there are limited archaeological evidence but the limited or lack of evidence at this time should not be interpreted as conclusive that there was no Exodus or the existence of the First Temple. Archaeology and geologist is a continuing discovery even as it is conceded that there are seashells on the topic of every mountain except for volcano and the recent discovery of an “ocean” in the crust of the earth do give some credence to a world wide flood. Does subduction a sufficient answer to the rise of mountain tops? One would think that there would be mountain without any seashells on it, but as far as I know that is not the case. The crust of the earth was once underneath the water including Mt. Everest,
Since I have written on this topic, one can read my responses or read on the internet for one’s own conclusion. Is one truly open minded or closed minded on the Biblical text, on the questions that is raised on the Biblical text, or even the scientific assertions or conclusions,
SUMMARY: God calls Christians to be honest and truthful in the study of the context and text of Scriptures.
For more perspectives: