Apologetics Sermon Illustration #44: Bible Contradiction and Thanksgiving Story

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Point: Sometimes when one engage in apologetics the issue of alleged Bible contradiction comes up and the example given of a Bible contradiction really isn’t a Bible contradiction but an instance where one account gives lesser detail than another account.  Think for instance of those who raise the question “How many men were possessed with demons at the country of the Gadarenes?”  Are there examples we can give in other areas outside of the Bible of how such a tactic to claim there’s a Bible contradiction is problematic?

Picture: In light of Thanksgiving I read over half a dozen books to my daughters concerning the Pilgrim story.  It also prompted me to read up more about the first Thanksgiving.

One of the things I noticed that each of the book presented the details differently.  Some books talked about Squanto.  At least one book didn’t even mention Squanto.  Other books talked about Squanto and Samoset.  I got one book on Squanto that talked about Squanto being kidnapped at an earlier point of his life, became a slave in Spain, was purchased for his freedom by some Catholics then subsequently went to England and came back to the New World.  These were details that were not in the majority of the other books.

After reading all these books and reading other sources for adults I don’t think anyone would say there’s a contradiction in the books concerning Squanto meeting the Pilgrims.  The books focused on various parts of the truth but together they present a bigger and better picture.  There are not any contradictions.

POSSIBLE SCENARIO FOR EMPLOYING THIS ILLUSTRATION DURING APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM

OPPONENT: I can’t believe in Christianity because of the contradictions in the Bible.  For instance, “How many men were possessed with demons at the country of the Gadarenes?”  Was there one or two?

CHRISTIAN: We don’t have a contradiction here at all.  <Insert response>

OPPONENT: That’s a cop out.  No one does history like that.  Not with secular history.

CHRISTIAN: That is not true.  <Insert Illustration>  When one book mentioned Squanto that does not mean there’s no other native Americans that interacted with the Pilgrims.  Also that does not contradict with the accounts in other books that besides Squanto there was also Samoset a leader of another tribe of native Americans that was the first one who introduced the Pilgrims to Squanto.  Did you ever do any report or assignments on the pilgrims as a kid?

OPPONENT: I did.

CHRISTIAN: I’m sure you and most kids wouldn’t be making a point there’s a contradiction when we read all those books but we are engage in synthesizing the data.  Let us therefore also be consistent with the Bible.

OPPONENT: Good point.  But what about another Bible contradiction in the Bible.  Some stories in the Bible mentioned Jesus going to Egypt while others do not mentioned Jesus escaping to Egypt. That’s also another contradiction.

CHRISTIAN: Did you know that Squanto was at one time living in England?

OPPONENT: What?  No way…

CHRISTIAN: It’s true; how else do you think he was able to talk to the Pilgrims in English.

OPPONENT: You got a point there…

CHRISTIAN: Furthermore here’s a book on Squanto.  Notice these other books focused more on the Pilgrims and therefore didn’t give as much background to Squanto’s life as this one did.  But that doesn’t mean that just because some books didn’t mentioned Squanto being at one time in England that means there’s a contradiction with other books that omit this detail.  Likewise the analogy applies to the Bible contradiction you alleged is the case with Jesus going to Egypt.  There’s a double standard you hold to, you are inconsistent and bias.

 

GO TO PART 45