Is the Bible All True? A Deeper Consideration
January 9, 2006
Dear Friends
When we are teaching a young child, we often keep the messages of the Bible simple and direct. “Thou shalt not kill†is put forth as emphatic and simple with no other explanation. However, as that child matures into becoming an adult, we begin to introduce them to the passages where God commands his servants to kill such as in the conquering of the land in the time of Joshua. Now, for the mature person, we see that the simple absolute of truth of youth is replaced with a more refined, subtle understanding of the subject.
The Bible in speaking of itself testifies “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.†However, despite this statement, not all of the Bible is true. The Bible contains passages that are intentionally false. They are inspired (God wants them to be there) and they are profitable (they help us), but they are false.
For example, in 1 Kings 22:11 we read “And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, with these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.†How do we know this verse is not true? Because in a few verses, a true prophet of the Lord, Micaiah, tells the kings of Israel and Judah that what Zedekiah said was not true. We also know because what Zedekiah said did not come to pass.
It is important in “rightly dividing the word of truth†that we are able to make a distinction in those passages that are true and those that are not true. God has graciously given us several keys or pointers to discerning those passages which are intended as a contrast to truth rather than truth itself.
Pointer #1 – The Bible specifically tells us that what is said is not true. The passage we just reviewed in 1 Kings 22 is an excellent example of this. Micaiah comes out and tells that Zedekiah has prophesied falsely. These are by far the easiest to spot.
Pointer #2 – The speaker is rebuked. The book of Job is an interesting book in that most of it is not true. Three of the main characters of the book are Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. Chapter after chapter of Job is dedicated to the musings of these men. This one is also fairly easy to spot since it includes Pointer #1 also. God said “My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.†(Job 42:7)
In some of these cases, the writer actually rebukes himself, as is the case in Psalm 73. The writer wrestles with his issue, puts forth some false statements, issues a rebuke against himself and then issues the correction to what he has said. He says of himself “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.†(v22) Less easy to spot but similar are the rebukes leveled against otherwise good men such as the prophet Habakkuk.
We will pick up here next week with some more pointers.
Have a great week!
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