Does The Bible Contradict Itself? (Part 3)

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Thursday April 23, 2009

Many believe the following two verses contradict:

Hebrews 2:14 (NIV)
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--

Revelation 1:18 (NIV)
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

In Hebrews, the writer is talking about physical death, and yes, the devil does hold the power of physical death. The Bible tells us that physical death is the last enemy to be destroyed:

1 Corinthians 15:26 (NIV)
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

And death won't be destroyed until we receive our glorified bodies:

1 Corinthians 15:54 (NIV)
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

Revelation 1:18, on the other hand, is talking about SPIRITUAL death:

Revelation 1:18 (NIV)
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

"Hades", or "hell" as the KJV calls it, is not a place for physical bodies, it is eternal death; AFTER the body is dead. Jesus was referring to the fact that He holds the keys of hell and spiritual death, since anyone who believes in Him has eternal life and will not experience hell or spiritual death.

Some believe the following two passages to contradict:

Romans 3:3,4 (NIV)
3. What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? 4. Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."

Colossians 3:9 (NIV)
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

It's true that we should not lie to each other; but if you're standing in faith for something, it looks like you're lying until it actually happens. If that is lying, then God Himself is a liar:

Romans 4:17 (NIV)
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Yes, according to the Bible, God calls things that ARE NOT as though they WERE! Isn't that lying? Nope. It's faith! God is a faith God and to be like Him we should walk in faith ourselves:

Hebrews 11:1,2 (NIV)
1. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2. This is what the ancients were commended for.

According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is being "certain of what we do not see!" Some call that lying, but that's only because they are walking in the flesh and judge things by what they see. God COMMENDED the "ancients" for exercising faith! The writer of Hebrews tells us to hold fast our confession of faith; in other words, to speak forth things that cannot be seen with the eye:

Hebrews 4:14 (KJV)
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

That Greek word translated "profession" is "homologia"; the same word translated "confession" in other places in the New Testament, including 2 Corinthians 9:13:

2 Corinthians 9:13 (NIV)
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your CONFESSION of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

To confess means to SPEAK! So according to the Bible, we should be SPEAKING things that we are certain of that cannot be seen! That begins with salvation. No believer has any physical proof that they are Heaven-bound and are new creations in Christ! We believe that by faith despite the lack of physical proof! Our proof is that the Bible says it's true!

That's how we should treat EVERY truth in the Bible; including Matthew 8:17:

Matthew 8:17 (NIV)
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

If anyone does a thorough study on Isaiah 53:4 and Matthew 8:17, they will find that it is a Biblical fact that Jesus took up OUR infirmities and carried OUR diseases at the cross! That is just as much true as the fact that Jesus took our sin at the cross!

We can therefore truthfully confess (SAY), "Jesus took up my infirmities and carried my diseases!" That's not lying, that's letting God be true, and holding fast our confession of faith in His Word!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your life-giving Word. Thank You for giving me the boldness to speak it forth whether it looks true or not. Thank You for the promise of Heaven, a new glorified body, and being with You forever.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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