Robert Dick Wilson

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Robert Dick Wilson

• I may add that the result of my forty-five years
  of study of the Bible has led me all the time to
  a firmer faith that in the OT we have a true
  historical account of the history of the
  Israelite people

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Contradict

• To assert the opposite of what some-one else
  says to declare a statement to be false or
  incorrect deny
• Many alleged contradictions are mere difficulties
• E.g. John is rich John is poor
• 1. different Johns
• 2. same John, in different ways
• 3. same John, at different times

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I What Do We Know?

• God breathed the very words of Scripture, 1
  Co.29-13. (Cf. 1437)
• God, being omniscient, cannot contradict Himself.
  Hb.618
• God, being omnipotent, can preserve His word as
  He promised, 1 Pt.125
• Gods word can be understood. Ep.34
• The main things are the plain things, and the
  plain things are the main things

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Two extreme facts

• Since Gods word makes claims that surpass other
  writings, we should not ignore problems
• Gods word has proven itself so many times that
  no one should doubt its veracity
• Like phantoms, they vanish when anyone
  attempts to touch them (Warfield)

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II What About Alleged Contradictions?

• 1. Dont assume that if science dis-agrees w.
  the Bible, science is auto-matically right and
  the Bible is wrong
• There is scarcely a single biblical historian
  who has not been impressed by the rapid
  accumulation of data supporting the substantial
  historicity of patriarchal tradition (Wm. F.
  Albright)

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2. Dont confuse false interpretations w. false
revelations

• Galileo
• 3. Realize that a satisfactory answer exists
• Belshazzar, Dn.51
• Hittites, 47 references (Heth 14x) 1906
• Nineveh, Jon.33
• 1842, megalopolis palace

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4. Make certain the translation is accurate

• Jonahs whale (KJV)
• Everybody knows a whales throat is so narrow
  that no man could go down it
• Word means sea-monster (BDAG) any sea
  monster or huge fish (LSJ)

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5. Study near and remote contexts

• A faulty explanation of the text is the
  interpreters fault, not the Bibles
• Cains wife
• Gn.54

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6. Interpret difficult passages in light of clear
ones

• 1 Co.1529
• Never make an unclear passage mean something
  that opposes another plain teaching

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7. Consult parallel passages

• Two methods of study
• Infidel Harmony
• E.g. Saul
• 1 Sm.286, inquired of Lord
• 1 Chr.1013-14, did not inquire (KJV)
• Two different words
• 1 Sm.286, ask, consult
• 1 Chr.1014, seek, keep (NKJV)

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8. Later revelation replaces earlier revelation

• Bible offers progressive revelation
• Patriarchs Moses Gospel
• Mt.198
• Ga.41-7

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9. Determine the way the writer originally used
the word(s)

• Mk.830, command, order scold, rebuke (also
  Lk.921)
• Mt.1620, command, order, give strict orders
• 10. The Bible does not necessarily approve
  everything it reveals
• Abrahams lies / Rahabs lies
• Davids sins (2 Sm.11)

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11. General statements allow exceptions

• Pro.167
• Jesus . . . Paul?
• The proverb is true
• Pro.1822
• What about Ahab?
• Ruth Boaz

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12. God often expresses Himself in figurative
language

• Revelation
• China?
• Armageddon?
• Rv.11-3

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• Augustine / Lactantius Is there any man so
  silly as to believe that men exist having their
  feet above their heads trees w. their fruit
  hanging up rain, snow, and hail falling
  topsy-turvy? They would answer you, he adds,
  by maintaining that the earth is a globe!
• Ambrose the sun draws water up to itself to
  cool and refresh itself from its heat
• Clement of Rome phoenix

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But . . .

• Moses who learned the wisdom of Egypt did not
  accept their spontaneous generation
• Daniel, skilled in Chaldean science, did not
  repeat their creation fables
• Paul, acquainted w. the best science of his time,
  did not repeat it (1 Tim.620)
• How to account for their rejection of
  contemporary science apart from inspiration of
  God?