Bible contradiction? Should Christians be concerned with material things?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Should Christians be concerned with material things?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

No, they shouldn’t be.

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’” (Matthew 6:31)

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

Yes, they should be.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

1. When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction.  A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time.  To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
2. One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible.  See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions.  Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do.  But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
3. The skeptic tries to pit Matthew 6:31, 34; 1 Timothy 5:8 as affirming the claim “Christians should not be concerned with material things” against 1 Timothy 5:8 as affirming “Christians should be concerned with material things.”
4. Concerning using Matthew 6:31, 34: The passage themselves and the context of the passage does not indicate “Christians should not be concerned with material things.”
   1. Both Matthew 6:31 and 6:34 is from a passage in Matthew 6 where Jesus addresses worries and anxiety that begins in Matthew 6:25 which states ““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?”  What we see here is not that Jesus dismissing the material world (food, clothing, drink, body, etc) as not important; but rather it is about the priority of other things as more important than material things.  To put material the value and concerns for material things in context does not mean its a denial that they are not important, and something one has no concern whatsoever.  The skeptic has a conclusion of Matthew 6:31 and Matthew 6:34 that does follow from a proper interpretation of the verse in the passage’s intent as indicated by the passage’s purpose.
   2. To strengthen my argument note the verse after Matthew 6:31 Jesus states “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32).  Here in Matthew 6:32 it shows that there are such things as physical needs. Furthermore God knows about those physical needs. But believers are not to seek and be concern with those matters in the same way as nonbelieving Gentiles worry about those things.
   3. Further reinforcing my view that Matthew 6:31 and Matthew 6:34 is talking about priority of our concerns rather than a categorical denial about having any concern of the physical note Matthew 6:33 (which is before Matthew 6:34) Jesus said it plainly “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.“
5. Since the skeptics have misinterpreted Matthew 6:31 and Matthew 6:34, thinking the two verses claim “Christians should not be concerned with material things,” the two verses thus do not contradict with 1 Timothy 5:8 which shows “Christians should be concerned with material things.”  Specifically 1 Timothy 5:8 is about being concern of the physical welfare of others, in particular with widows and one’s own family and relatives in need.
6. There is no contradiction here.  Seems the skeptic needs to learn of How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
7. This discussion might raises issue about God’s will and the existence of evil.  Check out our Chuck Norris Apologetics with the Problem of Evil
8. We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity.  The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible.  In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview.  Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”

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