Apologetics Sermon Illustration #56: Bible Contradiction and Contronyms

GO TO PART 55

Point: Sometimes when one engage in apologetics the issue of alleged Bible contradiction comes up.  There are times when those who assert that there are contradictory verses in the Bible fail to acknowledge that words can have more than one meaning and thus a word used in one context does not mean the same thing in another context.  But if one fail to recognize there are differences of meaning of the word being used in two separate contexts, a skeptic can easily assume there’s a Bible contradiction when there are none.  Are there any examples of this error to get the point across to a skeptic of their foolish methodology and mistake?

Picture: In the English language some words have more than meaning.  Even more fascinating are words that are contronyms.  What are contronyms?  According to Grammarly it is “a homonym (another word with the same spelling but different meaning) that is also an antonym (a word with the opposite meaning).”  In other words, its a word that has more than one meaning and two of those meanings can be opposites!

But when they are opposite in meaning we know which meaning is meant according to its context.  Again, like how we deal with Bible contradictions and showing there’s not a contradiction, context is key.

Here’s some example from Grammarly:

to buckle

Definition 1: to fasten or secure with a buckle (i.e., a device with a frame, hinged pin, and movable tongue, designed to fasten together two loose ends of a belt or strap). Example 1: Our hiking instructors told us to buckle our backpacks to our bodies during rigorous climbs.

Definition 2: to bend, warp, or collapse under pressure. Example 2: I felt my legs buckle as I hiked up the steep mountain with my heavy backpack.

to cleave

Definition 1: to join or adhere closely; cling. Example 1: The shy baby rabbit cleaved to his mother’s body.

Definition 2: to split or divide, especially by cutting. Example 2: The hunter uses a Swiss Army knife to cleave the rabbit’s meat from the bone.

to overlook

Definition 1: to monitor or inspect. Example 1: Our teachers overlook our academic progress.

Definition 2: to fail to notice or choose not to emphasize. Example 2: Because they are tired, my teachers often overlook the spelling errors in my homework.

to ravel

Definition 1: to tangle. Example 1: When she is bored, my daughter ravels her hair into huge knots with her hands.

Definition 2: to disentangle threads or fibers. Example 2: My daughter uses tweezers to ravel stubborn knots in her hair.

to rent

Definition 1: to sell or lease the use of a commodity. Example 1: The landlord rents her apartment in the city to a young couple.

Definition 2: to buy the use of a commodity. Example 2: Depending on how much money you want to spend, you can rent a room or an entire apartment from the landlord.

to sanction

Definition 1: to permit or grant approval. Example 1: In some countries, the government sanctions the ownership of guns by private citizens.

Definition 2: to condemn or penalize. Example 2: In some states, the government imposes sanctions on the ownership of guns by private citizens.

to screen

Definition 1: to protect or conceal. Example 1: Because he did not have a hat or umbrella, he used a newspaper to screen his face from the sun.

Definition 2: to show or broadcast (a movie or TV show). Example 2: The local movie theater will screen the new horror movie tonight.

 

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, Who was Salah’s father? Was Salah’s father Arphaxad or Cainan?

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

OPPONENT: That’s a cop out.

CHRISTIAN: That is not true.  Word can have more than one meaning; also words can  even have opposite meaning!  <Insert Illustration>  Yet the meaning used is determined by the context!

 

GO TO PART 57