1. Genesis 1:25-26 vs Genesis 2:19
2. Genesis 6:19 vs Genesis 7:2
3. Genesis 32:30 vs Exodus 33:20
4. Genesis 22:2 vs Leviticus 18:21
5. John 12:47 vs John 5:27
6. John 14:27 vs Matthew 10:34-36
7. Luke 1:5-6 vs Romans 3:10
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1. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (Genesis 1:25-26 vs Genesis 2:19)
📗The accusation:
Critics argue that Genesis 1:25-26 says animals were created before humans and believe that Genesis 2:19 says that Adam was created before the animals.
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2. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (Genesis 6:19 vs Genesis 7:2)
📗The accusation:
Critics argue that Genesis 6 says two of every kind, but Genesis 7 says seven pairs of some kinds.
📗Response to the accusation:
Genesis 6 is saying that we should have a male and female for each creature. You cannot have only males or only females of a species if you want the creature to reproduce.
Genesis 7 is providing additional information about the creatures.
There should be seven clean animals of one species that have both genders (male and female). And it should be two unclean animals of one species that have both genders.
Genesis 6 is a general instruction followed by a more specific instruction in Genesis 7, not a numerical contradiction.
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3. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (Genesis 32:30 vs Exodus 33:20)
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4. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (Genesis 22:2 vs Leviticus 18:21)
📗The accusation:
Critics say that God condemns the sacrifice of children in Leviticus, but tells Abraham to sacrifice his son.
📗Response to the accusation:
A. The commands in Leviticus 18:21 forbid parents from sacrificing their children to the false god Molech, not to the true God. Therefore, these passages do not contradict God's command to Abraham to offer Isaac to Him.
B. Abraham trusted God completely and believed that, even if Isaac died, God could bring him back to life (Hebrews 11:17–19). This is seen in Abraham’s words to his servants when he said that both he and Isaac would return after worshiping (Genesis 22:5).
C. God never intended for Isaac to actually be sacrificed. This is clear because the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham before he could harm his son (Genesis 22:12).
D. The incident is a foreshadow of what was going to happen in the New Testament.
D.1. In Genesis, Abraham is told to offer “your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac.” This act can be compared to God offering Jesus, whom the New Testament calls God’s beloved Son (Matthew 3:17)
D.2. Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice (Genesis 22:6)
Isaac carries the wood up the mountain. This connects with Jesus carrying the cross (John 19:17).
D.3. The sacrifice happens in the same region.
The Bible indicates Abraham’s test in the land of Moriah, associated with the area where Jerusalem and later the Temple stood (Genesis 22:2; 2 Chronicles 3:1). Jesus was crucified near Jerusalem (John 19:17–18; Hebrews 13:12).
D.4. Isaac willingly goes with Abraham.
The text does not describe Isaac resisting. This parallels Jesus willingly accepting death (John 10:17–18).
D.5. A substitute is provided.
At the last moment, God provides a ram in place of Isaac (Genesis 22:13). This points to the idea of substitutionary sacrifice — that Jesus dies “in place of” humanity (1 Peter 3:18).
D.6. “God will provide.”
Abraham tells Isaac that “God will provide for himself the lamb.” (Genesis 22:7–8) This symbolically refers to Christ, who is called “the Lamb of God” in the New Testament (John 1:29).
D.7. Isaac is figuratively “received back from death.”
Although Isaac is not actually killed, Abraham fully intends to sacrifice him. The New Testament book of Hebrews says Abraham received Isaac back “figuratively,” which connects to the resurrection (Hebrews 11:17–19).
D.8. Isaac and Jesus were both in their thirties when their sacrifices happened.
Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born (Genesis 17:17).
Sarah died at 127 immediately after Abraham’s test (Genesis 23:1).
Therefore, Isaac would have been approximately 37 years old at the time of Sarah's death.
So if the test happened shortly before her death, Isaac may have been around 37.
Jesus was “about thirty” when He began His ministry (Luke 3:23).
His ministry lasted about 3 years before His death.
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5. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (John 12:47 vs John 5:27)
📗The accusation:
Critics argue that John 5 says that Jesus will judge, but John 12 says that Jesus will not Judge.
📗Response to the accusation:
The verses refer to different aspects of Jesus' mission and different points in God's plan. Jesus had different roles in His first coming compared to His second coming.
When Jesus first arrived on earth, His main mission was salvation, and His mission when He comes back will be judging the world and reigning as a king.
In John 12, Jesus is emphasizing the purpose of His earthly ministry. His first coming was primarily to call people to repentance and die for humanity's sins.
Jesus wasn't saying he would never judge. Rather, He was saying that judgment was not the primary purpose of His first coming.
The very next verse clarifies the point:
John 12:48 says, “He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
So judgment is still coming—it was not the focus of His mission at that moment.Jesus has been given authority to judge according to John 5:27.
Summary:
- His first coming was to save rather than condemn (John 3:17; John 12:47).
- At the last day, He will exercise that authority in judgment (John 5:27; John 12:48).
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6. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (John 14:27 vs Matthew 10:34-36)
📗The accusation:
Critics argue that Jesus said He gives peace and contradicts Himself by saying that Hecame not to send peace, but a sword.
📗Response to the accusation:
Jesus mainly preached a message of peace. He spoke about loving others, including our enemies. He urged that we should forgive everyone who has hurt us and do good for everyone regardless of who they were.
If everyone accepted His message, then peace, harmony and happiness would spread throughout the earth.
Jesus also came to reconcile men to God since sin had separated us from God.
The problem is that most of the world is under the control of Satan, God’s enemy.
Those under the control of God's enemy (2 Corinthians 4:4) reject the gospel. They hate it because it presents to them a life that is against their desires and they want to rebel against it. Jesus told people to stop sinning and many do not want to stop. Because what Jesus preaches brings hatred and conflict, it is reasonable to say that Jesus brings a sword.
The Prince of Peace came to proclaim glad tidings and to create hope and joy in the hearts of people, but at the same time, He caused division.
This conflict and division is not the effect of the gospel, but of opposition to it.
Being hated by your family and friends is one of the biggest persecutions that many people face. Many people who become Christians first get rejected by their family members. Some families even try to kill their children, siblings, wives, or parents who decided to become Christians.
Jesus did warn that anybody who follows Him will be hated.
Luke 21:16 says, “And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.”
John 15:19 says, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
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7. Is this a contradiction in the Bible? (Luke 1:5-6 vs Romans 3:10)
📗The accusation:
Critics argue that the book of Romans contradicts what is written in Luke.
📗Response to the accusation:
The Bible refers to two types of righteousness: Outward righteousness and inward righteousness.
Elizabeth and Zechariah were both descended from priests. As a priest, Zechariah came from the family of Abijah, who was a priest during the time of Zerubbabel. Elizabeth came from Aaron's family.
They did what God told them to do. A Jewish person's primary concept of righteousness is judicial. There was also a works-based view among Jews, who believed that following the laws was how to be righteous.
External vs Complete Righteousness (Internal and External)
God’s commandments are not a comprehensive list for sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states that God’s standard for salvation is actually higher than merely outwardly obeying the Ten Commandments. God judges even the motives of our hearts. Therefore, even if people obeyed the external “commandments and requirements,” they are unrighteous if they disobeyed the internal commandments.
Old Testament figures were considered righteous, as well, but this was a relative expression. For instance, Genesis states that Noah was righteous, but this is quickly qualified by stating that he was “blameless in his time” (Genesis 6:9). In other words, he was relatively righteous compared to his surroundings (Genesis 6:5, 11-12).
In Luke 1, Zachariah and Elizabeth are righteous outwardly compared to those around them. However, they were not righteous inwardly because in the same chapter, Zachariah is rebuked for his unbelief (Luke 1:18-20). Believing in God is also inward righteousness. For example, Abraham believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:16).
The righteousness referred to in Romans 3:10 is complete righteousness, which is both outward and inward. Nobody is both righteous inwardly and outwardly. Zachariah and Elizabeth were only righteous outwardly.
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