Different Things

 

Did you know that the bible says a lot of DIFFERENT THINGS? In some cases the bible says things in one place that are a downright contradiction to things it says in another place. Now people who are not familiar with the instructions and the principal of “rightly dividing the word of truth” fall into two categories. The first is the group of people who refuse to believe the bible, claiming it has contradictions in it. The second group of people are those who say the bible HAS NO CONTRADICTIONS and that God don’t ever change and they always like to quote the verse in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”

 

But a bible believer just simply takes the bible at face value, believing that it means EXACTLY what it says, where it says it, as it says it, and also TO WHOM it says it. For instance a bible believer knows that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, Romans 3:20 and that Christ is the end of the law FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, to everyone that believeth, Romans 10:14. But yet, the bible says totally different things to those who were under the law of Moses. Take a look at these two verses:

 

Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

 

Leviticus 11:8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

 

If you read around in Leviticus a little bit you find that the same also holds true for catfish, oysters, shrimp and a lot of other things. But yet, look at this verse:

 

1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

 

Now according to that verse, you can basically eat anything that doesn’t EAT YOU first! So things changed, didn’t they? Those verses are saying different things. When the bible says different things, it is not saying the same thing. Things that are different, cannot be the same. God does not always say the same thing all the time to all people in all ages. Now that is an important principal of bible study. Knowing WHO the verse is about. Let’s look at another example. Look at what Peter told a man in Acts chapter ten:

 

Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

 

Now Peter made a positive statement. He said that a man who feared God AND worked righteousness, was accepted with God. The negative of the verse would be that if he didn’t he wouldn’t. But compare what Paul said:

 

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

 

Now there is absolutely no way you can make what Peter said mean the same thing as what Paul said. You CANNOT work righteousness, in order to be accepted with God, while at the same time NOT WORK righteousness. It cannot be done, it is impossible. Now either Peter lied, or Paul lied, or else there is SOMETHING ELSE we need to be aware of. Paul received revelations from the Lord that Peter didn’t know about in Acts chapter ten.

 

Paul has the message for today. Paul has the message of salvation by grace alone without lifting a finger. Without going anywhere, doing anything, or even saying anything. So the bible says:

 

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.