A. A few years ago, someone asked a question about the healing of the blind man in Jericho. One account has it taking place when Jesus enters Jericho, while another one states that Jesus healed the blind man after He left Jericho. Many see this as being an error in Scripture. In this incident, the seeming conflict is in the reporting of factual information. In the question before us, what is in conflict are the words of Jesus. In both cases we have what is called "an apparent contradiction." That is, it appears as if a problem exists, but a closer examination demonstrates that there is no problem at all.

One important principle of understanding God's Word is to examine the actual Bibles verses in their context, which are:

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:34-38).

and,

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you"" (John 20:19-21).

The phrase used above, "in their context," is the important key to understanding this apparent contradiction, or any other so-called contradictions in the Bible. In the verses from Matthew, Jesus is talking about the kind of peace that occurs in social relationships between human beings. In the verses from John, Jesus is talking about the kind of peace that exists between God and an individual human being when forgiveness from Jesus for our sins takes away guilt and the fear which results from that guilt. Because the peace of which Jesus speaks is an entirely different kind of peace in each of these two parts of Scripture, it is perfectly legitimate for Jesus both to forego peace and to give peace.

The whole purpose of Jesus' ministry and His sacrifice on the cross was to make peace between sinful humans and their Holy God (see John 20 and Ephesians 2:11-22). Before His violent death Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). We need not fear because, "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Jesus sent His disciples to proclaim to others the peace for which He died so that they, too, could have peace with God.

However, when we go about proclaiming the peace Jesus has established with God, we might find that it results in a rejection of the message. It may even result in family members differing with one another on what they think the Bible teaches or in their interpretation of what the Scripture is urging them to carry out. Such disagreements may be due to an unwillingness to receive instruction from the clear words of Scripture, or due to not humbly trusting in the truths God has revealed.

Jesus said, "Your Word is truth" (John 17:17). Therefore Scripture has no contradictions or inconsistencies. Those who claim to find them often have ignored the context to determine whether or not two passages are speaking about the same thing.

When Jesus appeared to His disciples saying, "Peace be to you;" He reminds us all that peace with Him is our most important relationship. We should not ignore God's truth and thus break our relationship with Jesus. For peace with God was so important to Jesus that He was willing to die to make it possible. He loved all people so much that He was willing to do all He could to give us peace. Since by His death Jesus has "broken down the middle wall of separation" between people on earth, we should strive with the same diligence Jesus showed. He said "As I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). We strive to live in peace with one anther. If some call this an inconsistency, then thank God for the inconsistency!

Paul Zager is pastor of Holton Lutheran Church in Holton, Michigan and a member of the ELS Doctrine Committee.

Send your questions to: Pastor Paul Zager, P.O. Box 181, Twin Lakes, MI 49457.