BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS: THE WISDOM LITERATURE

The following “contradictions” came from an anonymous posting on the internet. Since they involve the Wisdom Literature I must first reiterate that the Book of Proverbs and the comments of Job's friends usually quote common wisdom in terms of general rules. By contrast, Job and the author of Ecclesiastes often point out the limitations of conventional wisdom in applying universally to all situations. But we don't even need to invoke that general principle in order to see through the apparent discrepancies in the pairs of “biblical” statements given below. You will see that the rather underhanded techniques utilized most often in fabricating these are to (1) misstate what the quoted verses actually say and/or (2) completely ignore the context in which the individual verses appear.

Annihilation is the portion of all mankind. (Job 3:11,13-17,19-22; Ecclesiastes 9:5,10; 3:19-20)

Endless misery is the portion of all mankind. (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:10,15; 14:11; Daniel 12:2)

For the general concept of annihilation of the unsaved rather than eternal punishment, see my several posts on Annihilationism. However, that is light years away from saying that either annihilation or endless misery is in store for “all mankind,” as stated above. The first thing to note is that, with the exception of Daniel 12, there is no mention of any sort of afterlife in the OT verses above whereas it is found in the NT as an example of the well-known principle of progressive revelation in the Bible.

In regard to Ecclesiastes 9, the emphasis in that chapter is strictly on life “under the sun” (a phrase found in vv. 3, 6, 9, 11 and 13), meaning this present existence only. What I find most interesting is the purposeful omission of verses associated with those quoted above. For example, right after Eccles. 3:19-20 comes v. 21 in which the author hints that perhaps humans will have a different fate than the animals, but “who knows?”

The same trick is used elsewhere by the author of these contradictions. Thus, it is patently obvious that endless misery is not the fate of all mankind, but only for the unsaved. Just look at Matthew 25:46; Revelation 14:13; and 20:12-13.

Longevity is denied to the wicked. (Ecclesiastes 8:13; Proverbs 10:27; Ecclesiastes 7:17)

Longevity is enjoyed by the wicked. (Job 21:7-9; Psalm 17:14; Ecclesiastes 8:12; Isaiah 65:20)

There are a lot of passages to consider here, but I will try to keep it brief:

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13: Glenn labels this chapter “Man's Ignorance.” He adds, “Failure to punish wickedness [here on earth] is a great enigma...such a contradiction of the doctrine of retributive justice was meaningless or enigmatic.” Of course, it did not remain an enigma with the further revelations given in the NT.

Proverbs 10:27: Buzzell states: “Usually the wicked have none of these [i.e. long life, joy, safety, etc.] when seen from the perspective of eternity.” And even in this life, a wicked lifestyle can have the effect of limiting one's lifetime. As are most proverbs, this one expresses a general rule that may not apply in all cases.

Ecclesiastes 7:17: One must also consider the parallel thought in 7:16. Putting both of them together, they simply state that excessive preoccupation with striving for either absolute righteousness or wickedness will drive you to an early grave. In addition, from a practical point of view, those who lead a reckless and foolish life may not live very long due to drug overdoses, auto accidents, obesity, liver disease, etc.

Job 21:7-9: Job looks in this chapter at examples he has seen of the wicked rich and asks in v. 16 what advantage the righteous have since (v. 26) their common fate is to die. Again, this makes no sense whatsoever if there is no afterlife.

Psalm 17:14: I fail to see what this verse has to say about the subject at hand. It is a wish expressed by the Psalmist to God that He would destroy his enemies as they are trying to destroy him.

Isaiah 65:20: This verse says nothing whatsoever about the wicked or present conditions on earth. This whole chapter is an apocalyptic vision of the new heaven and new earth.

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 is by far the most interesting example that the critic presents since he places these two adjacent verses (which are actually part of the same Hebrew sentence) in different categories. That should immediately give rise to doubts in any reasonable mind whether an author could baldly contradict himself within the same sentence unless the author himself was not in possession of all his mental faculties. Below are some comments on this passage by a variety of scholars:

    The first thing to explain is that there are some serious problems related to the proper translation of these two verse. Whybray notes that the Greek Septuagint translates the Hebrew word “prolong” as its alternative meaning of “postpone.” Thus, “the sinner is able to persist in his wicked deeds only because God in his patience postpones the punishment.” He also points out that “his life” does not even appear in the Hebrew original.

    Seow says that “Qohelet accepts the orthodox doctrine of retribution, but he points to a contradiction of it in reality.” Scholars such as Glenn, Scott, and Longman practically parrot these same thoughts.

    So where does that leave Qohelet? Glenn says that the author concludes that it is an enigma (see vv. 10 and 14 which bracket these two verses). Longman states, “It is difficult to tell whether Qohelet thus exposes his own conflicting thoughts or else is quoting conventional wisdom...” And Ellul says that it expresses Qohelet's faith “in the face of all the evidence to the contrary.” Of course, if the author had had an eternal perspective on the situation in which judgment is reserved for the afterlife, there would be no enigma at all. As Seow puts it: “The wicked may live long, but the human life-span is finally limited.”

Poverty is a blessing. (Luke 6:20,24; James 2:5)

Riches are a blessing. (Proverbs 10:15; Job 22:23-24; Job 42:12)

Neither poverty nor riches are a blessing. (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Let's consider these passages in turn:

Luke 6:20 is parallel to Matthew 5:3, which clarifies that it is the “poor in spirit” being talked about.

Luke 6:24 is a condemnation of the rich who consider themselves self-sufficient because of their riches.

James 2:5 does concern the materially poor, but it doesn't say that poverty itself is a blessing, only that those people are among those who have been chosen to receive riches in heaven as a compensation.

Proverbs 10:15 only states that in this present life, wealth gives certain advantages over poverty.

Job 22:23-24 actually says the opposite of what the Bible critic claims. It states that you should quit thinking about material wealth and God will give you spiritual blessings. And that is exactly what Job receives in 42:12, as well as material ones.

Proverbs 30:8-9 is a good summary of all the above passages: There are pitfalls at both extremes in that riches may cause one to desert God while absolute poverty may drive one to disobey God's commandments.

Wisdom is a source of enjoyment. (Proverbs 3:13,17)

Wisdom is a source of vexation, grief and sorrow. (Ecclesiastes 1:17-18)

In the context of Proverbs 3:13-35, a hymn to wisdom, it is obvious this does not concern earthly wisdom, but the sort of wisdom on how to live your life in the fear of the LORD. By contrast, by concentrating instead on the knowledge of all that is going on in the world (vv. 13-14), one will only become more sorrowful (v. 18).

Concerning Eccles:1:17-18, Kidner says, “If one fate comes to all, and that fate is extinction, it robs every man of his dignity and every project of its point...if death is the end of the road, the contention that there is nothing to choose between them [i.e. good and bad, wise and foolish, etc.] will get the last word.” D.G. Moore adds that “some of the most thoughtful non-Christians...can easily analyze that humanity doesn't get along well without God, yet they struggle to find an antidote.”

A good name is a blessing. (Ecclesiastes 7:1; Proverbs 22:1)

A good name is a curse. (Luke 6:26)

Eaton clarifies Ecclesiastes 7:1 by saying, “In Israel a name was no mere label but intended to express an underlying nature. What is in view is not simply a good name (which may be undeserved), but a reputation which flows from character.” Similarly, Waltke on Proverbs 22:1 says, “In sum, a good name is the outward expression of a person's inner wisdom.”

When we come to the NT text given above, however, the context (see Luke 6:22-23) is the contrast between God's faithful spokespersons who will be condemned by society and lose their public reputation vs. the false prophets who had a good name with the populace since they said what people wanted to hear. This is much like the Prosperity Gospel proponents vs. those who preach the sometimes uncomfortable truth.

Laughter is commended. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4; Ecclesiastes 8:15)

Laughter is condemned. (Luke 6:25; Ecclesiastes 7:3-4)

In the first place, laughter is not commended in Eccles. 3; it merely says that there will be times when laughter may be appropriate. Loader does not even go that far but states that this poem often suffers “from mistaking these pronouncements for prescriptions.” In other words, laughter is not being commended at all. Moving to Eccles. 8:15, it says nothing at all about laughter, but instead commends “enjoyment” since it comes from God and is given to those who please him (Eccles 2:25-25). As Glenn puts it: “Man cannot control or predict adversity or prosperity; however, each day's joys should be received as gifts from God's hand.”

Jesus in Luke 6:25 does not condemn laughter per se but merely warns that there will be surprises and reversals of fortune at the last judgment. And if you consider the whole context of Eccles. 7:3-7, you can see that it is a warning to fools who take no heed for what comes after death. As D.G. Moore says, “It is not that Solomon believes all laughter to be wrong...Here he is speaking of a frivolous laughter that is not anchored to truth.”

The rod of correction is a remedy for foolishness. (Proverbs 22:15)

There is no remedy for foolishness. (Proverbs 27:22)

Waltke: Youth's folly is described in Prov. 22:7-14 bracketed by the necessity of teaching him while still young (vv. 6, 15) before he becomes intractable. That latter condition when he becomes older is described in Prov. 27:22 and just reinforces the necessity of discipline when a person is young and teachable.