BSM 2.8
Interpret Harmoniously
This principle recognizes the truthfulness and faithfulness of God, that He is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). In other words there are no real contradictions in the Bible. The Bible is unified, framed and inspired by the Living God, thus all its components are consistent.
Disagreements concerning interpretations of Scripture are human in scope, not Divine. Many people base their emotional security on their own understanding of God’s Word, but Scripture warns us against doing this (John 5:37; Prov 3:5-6; 2 Cor 5:7). We will never understand some things in the Bible clearly or completely until such time as we meet the Lord face to face (1 Cor 13:12). So, the issue for us is always that we walk by faith (Heb 11:6; Col 2:6), trusting God to lead us to our heavenly home.
When we come to understand how two seemingly contradictory verses actually complement one another, we gain wisdom. We are told in the first part of the book of Proverbs that when we learn to understand difficult statements and riddles, we become wise (Prov 1:2-6). This requires diligent study. For example, as we have already discussed, we must consider James 2, and the passage of Romans 3-4 to understand correctly the relationship between faith and works.
When looking for relationships between passages, we should be aware of indicators for time or place, realizing that every small detail may not have been written down, or that a problem may exist in the translation. Regardless, we must keep in mind that there are no true contradictions found in God’s Word.
We should also realize that God’s Word frequently states the same principle in different ways so that what is important might be more fully grasped. For example, Romans 3:23 says, "all have sinned…" likewise, the book of Leviticus commands all to bring sin offerings. Both passages essentially say the same thing.
What also becomes quite clear from the study of the Bible is that God directed the literary structure of His Word and its organization.
FOR PERSONAL STUDY
# Why do we need to recognize the harmony of Scripture?
# Why is it important to find the harmony?
# Do you expect to find any real contradictions in Scripture?