eaders of the Bible deal with supposed “discrepancies” in several ways. They could largely be placed into three generalized groups.  Group One – those who read and move on. They continue by faith, believing the “discrepancy” doesn’t matter. Group Two – those Bible students who try to reconcile the “discrepancy” and, if they are not successful, assume that the Bible has errors. And finally, Group Three, those who study the Bible and try to reconcile the “discrepancy.” If they are not successful, those in Group Three stop short of assuming error in the Bible. They conclude instead that a way must exist to see past the “discrepancy,” yet that knowledge and understanding is still beyond their own grasp, at least for the present. They conclude that the Bible is infallible and that the limitations lie with themselves, not with the text.

I used to be in that first group.

I moved on in faith knowing that God was bigger than I was and any discrepancies simply weren’t relevant. As I continued in my faith walk and as I studied God’s Word with others, I realized that these discrepancies caused some to doubt the accuracy of the Bible and, subsequently, doubt the reality of God.

I now fall into the last group.

I believe this is what Solomon meant when he wrote, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)  If I fear God and accept that the Word of God is absolute truth, this puts my heart in a posture before Him to seek and understand His truth – and this is the beginning of wisdom.

As we read and study and try to understand these supposed “discrepancies,” I am amazed at how many times we uncover new information (new to us) that not only explains the discrepancy, but also increases the depth of what is being communicated through that scripture! The knowledge and understanding is great, but the journey to get there is amazing! Learning in this way is truly an adventure.

In her article from May 3, 2021, Lois Tverberg talks about the scriptures being “sticky.” She says, “Knowledge is ‘sticky’ – the more you know, the more you can learn.” I truly believe this. The more that I learn about the Jewish culture, the language, the Old Testament… the more I understand the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus.

Source: Our Rabbi Jesus