God Applications
Doctrine #15: Non-contradiction
Doctrine #15
Doctrine #15 Read
Have you ever had an argument with anyone in your life? When they stated something wrong, or you stated something wrong, it was contrary to what you knew, or they knew, was right. Both of you were trying to prove your point, and something discussed triggered the argument. What triggered the argument? One, or both parties, had a contradiction! Whoever had the contradiction was wrong, because they were presenting information that was different than reality, and then trying to justify their point.
Imagine the implications of people who wanted to resolve their own contradictions. Imagine what kind of world we would live in...
Overview
Contradictions don't exist, conflicts do. I can be both happy and sad. This is a conflict. I can't be both happy and not happy at all. Non-Contradiction is a God-given principle. Lack of contradiction doesn't prove something is right. However, the presence of a contradiction proves something is not right. Man cannot make both halves of a contradiction right.
Discussion Question
Do you believe you are holding onto any contradictions in your life?
Scripture
Galatians 5:16-17
ChapterRead the ChapterChanges this passage only. Set your default for every passage.
16But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Commentary
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verses 15-16
Doctrine: Walking in the Spirit (living by grace through faith) will stop us from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. We do not have to focus on what not to do, like the Law. We can focus on what to do, which is grace.
Commentary · verse 17
Doctrine: The flesh and the Spirit contradict each other. You cannot walk in the Spirit and the flesh simultaneously.
17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.
17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Commentary
If you have learned wisdom and understanding from the Word of God, God's Thinking, then mark (take heed) those people who cause division and others to stumble. If they teach a different doctrine, whether it be man-made tradition, mysticism, or Gnosticism, this is contrary to God's Doctrine. If someone's doctrine is contrary to the teachings of Jesus it is wrong.
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verses 1-27
This last chapter was Paul greeting specific people within the Roman church.
Commentary · verses 14-17
Doctrine: "Mark" and "turn away" from those that cause divisions and occasions of stumbling that contradict the Apostles' Doctrine.
7For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.
7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Commentary
People who receive from the Lord are people who continue to focus on their HOW/WHY (causes), but someone who tries to live with contradictions, or is double-minded, is unstable in all their ways. Later, James wrote this.
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verses 7-8
James covered a second God-given principle: non-contradiction. A double-minded man (a man with contradictions) is unstable in all his ways.
12But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.
12But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Commentary
Jesus said the same thing in the next passage.
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verse 12
Doctrine: Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no." Do not swear at all (see Matthew 5:33-37). Again, James spoke about profitable words that had weight behind their usage and spoke against vows, words that deceived us into thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought, words that led to pride.
37But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.
37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Commentary
If the words we speak are not what we mean, our words are contrary. We learned in Say vs. Do that believers DO what they SAY: their yes is yes. "Yes" and "no" are the simplest words to understand. A two-year-old knows what "yes" or "no" means. If these two words in our vocabulary are switched, how many other words do we speak in a contrary fashion?
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verses 1-48
This chapter began what was referred to as "The Sermon on the Mount." This was Jesus' premier teaching.
Commentary · verses 35-37
Actions are what matters and that your SAY and DO are the same. Jesus stated not to take an oath. What would Jesus say about today's wedding ceremonies and the vows? For instance, vowing to love your spouse always and forever sounds godly. However, the first time a person does not love their spouse, he has broken his vows...and perhaps let in the evil one.
Matthew 12:33-34
ChapterRead the ChapterChanges this passage only. Set your default for every passage.
33Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.
34Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Commentary
The heart is the cause and our mouth speaks (the effects) what is in our heart. Causality and non-contradiction are connected in these passages. The effects of a good tree are good fruit, and a bad tree would have bad fruit, which is what we learned about the God-given principle of causality. How would the Pharisees be able to speak good things if they were the offspring of vipers and evil? They could not, that would be a contradiction.
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verse 33
Causality: "The tree (cause) is known by its fruit (effect)." Throughout this chapter, Jesus demonstrated the Pharisees were contradictory. In this verse, Jesus wanted the Pharisees to state their will and stop being contradictory.
Commentary · verses 34-37
We will be judged according to our works (including words) and will give an account of our lives in the day of judgment. The word "word" in verse 36 was rhema - "the revelatory and powerful word without precedent that brings salvation when it comes from God." Above, we saw when people speak words without precedent, they are attempting to be the source, to be God. Everyone will have to give an account of the words they speak that do not have a precedent. Again, this was the same application in verse 32 relative to speaking a word against the Holy Spirit. For verse 37, if someone speaks a wrong word based on understanding, this was logos. For example, teaching about the Holy Spirit incorrectly because you have interpreted a Bible passage wrong is not rhema. The source was the Bible and you would have erred in your understanding. However, teaching something wrong about the Holy Spirit based not on the Bible, but on something you believe is rhema. This wrong doing will have to be paid for in the day of judgment, unless the person responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and confessed and repented. Jesus' point here was the Pharisees were not confessing and repenting so they would have to pay for this in the day of judgment.
Matthew 11:16-19
ChapterRead the ChapterChanges this passage only. Set your default for every passage.
16But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows 17and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon.
19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works.
16But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
Commentary
Jesus used an amazing analogy before He exposed the people's contradiction. The people declared both Jesus and John the Baptist bad (same effect) from different causes: one drank and the other did not drink. Our Godly decisions (wisdom) will be justified by our DO. If we are wise our say and do will align. The people were also wrong because they were using their human thinking to rationalize their animal thinking. Supplying a WHY for their contradictory WHAT.
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verses 15-19
This passage showed Jesus using the principle of non-contradiction: John came neither eating nor drinking and he was reviled. Jesus came eating and drinking and He was reviled. It did not matter what John and Jesus did, there was nothing they could do to be accepted because the people of that time contradicted themselves. "Wisdom is justified by her works": "Wisdom" is making profitable decisions. This was a causality verse. Wisdom's works are the effects of profitable decisions.
1 Timothy 4:1-3
ChapterRead the ChapterChanges this passage only. Set your default for every passage.
1But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; 3forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.
1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
Commentary
Hypocrisy is contradictory: the SAY and DO don't match up. In the previous Doctrine, we saw babblings are contradictory: using the same word (effect) but having a meaning different (cause) than God's meaning. Remember that the devil does not have understanding so the doctrine of demons would lack understanding. Even still, people will fall away from the faith because spirits will seduce them. If someone didn't have to explain themselves to anyone (give a WHY) that would be pretty seductive. It would be quite seductive if someone is their own source of "rhema" using their own wisdom to direct their actions in order to remain comfortable. Does this sound like anyone you know?
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verse 1
The Spirit spoke expressly that in the end times, some shall depart from the faith. The falling away will come from within the church, people forfeiting their Salvation. Notice, central to this falling away will be doctrines of demons: doctrines that are not God's non-contradictory Biblical Doctrines.
Commentary · verse 2
If these people state that they are following God's Doctrines, but they cannot support it with the Bible...and they continue to justify themselves instead of considering they are wrong, they will become hypocrites. Jesus said hypocrites go to hell: Matthew 24:51. Notice, continuing to justify one's self in this error while holding others to a higher standard (hypocrisy) would lead to these people having their consciences seared over. These people will eventually be unable to feel guilt or the conviction from the Holy Spirit. People who are unable to feel conviction to the extent they confess and repent are people who have prevented themselves from receiving Salvation.
Commentary · verse 3
These people will place laws on others. Notice the two Doctrines that become corrupted: Marriage and dietary.
Matthew 12:1-8
ChapterRead the ChapterChanges this passage only. Set your default for every passage.
1At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.
2But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.
3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; 4how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?
5Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
6But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.
7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.
1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
4How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Commentary
Every time Jesus debated with the Pharisees, the God-given principle of Non-contradiction was used. The way Jesus exposed the Pharisees' hypocrisy was to give them an opportunity to resolve the contradictions they had. God cares about the HOW and WHY and Jesus did as well. Jesus wanted to see how the Pharisees would handle being exposed. They responded by continually justifying themselves! The Pharisees stated Jesus' disciples contradicted the Law. Jesus showed the Pharisees that David contradicted the Law. Jesus showed that the Pharisees contradicted themselves because they wanted to judge the disciples for doing the same thing as David. King David was someone the Pharisees wouldn't judge.
Swokowski Bible Commentary on this passage
Commentary · verses 1-2
The Pharisees saw Jesus' Disciples plucking and eating corn on the Sabbath and they questioned Him regarding the Sabbath laws.
Commentary · verses 3-5
Jesus asked them if they had read about David and how he and his men ate the priests' showbread (1 Samuel 21) and how the priests themselves "profane the Sabbath" and are guiltless. Jesus made two points:
- First, David did something worse than these Disciples and the Pharisees not only did not declare David a sinner, they glorified David.
- Second, if the definition of "rest" on the Sabbath was to do no work, then the priests would profane the Sabbath.
Actually, the Law stated that for six days people can be the first cause (direct their own actions) as long as they did not break the Law. On the seventh day, they had to rest: cease from their occupation of being a first cause. The people could only do what the Law told them to do. The priests were told to be about God's business, so they were "working" but they were "resting" because they allowed God to direct their actions. So, the Pharisees of Jesus' time did not have the correct Doctrine concerning the Sabbath or what God meant by the term "rest." Do Christians, especially leaders, understand this today?
Commentary · verse 6
Jesus was saying that He was directing the Disciples' actions, so the Disciples were also "resting" and working, because Jesus was the Son of God. Verse 6 was Jesus indirectly stating He was the Son of God.
Commentary · verses 7-8
The Sabbath was for God to direct our actions. This meant the cause behind these actions on the Sabbath were what ought to be the focus. WHY David and Jesus' Disciples collected food on the Sabbath was what mattered.
Closing Thoughts
Matthew 12:33-34 (referenced above) showed how causality and non-contradiction work together. These are two God-given principles that go against the way that man normally thinks. These principles can be unlocked by understanding God's Word. Man focuses on the effects (WHAT) while God focuses on the causes (HOW/WHY). We know that man is hypocritical and contradictory, but God is not. God is non-contradictory.
Why does this information matter? Have you ever gotten into a debate about the existence of God? I have found that it all goes back to causality and non-contradiction. We will find out why in the next Doctrine.
Walking by the Spirit is right, and fulfilling the desires of the flesh is wrong. Both the Spirit and the flesh are opposed to each other, and you cannot do both at the same time. We are either walking in the Spirit or walking in the flesh. The Spirit and the flesh are contrary to each other.