November 9, 2025

The next of Jack Wilkie’s bad Bible Study practices is pitting the Bible against itself. The way I often see this one expressed is in a questioning sort of manner suggesting since the Bible seems to make two contradictory points we can’t be sure of a position. This is kind of like someone saying they know where London is, and in response someone says “are you sure because there is a London in Ontario and one in England.” The questioner is being purposely obtuse in effort to sound wise or informed. Further they are trying to deconstruct a fairly obvious statement about the world and how it works. 

Jack offers a different kind of example which is still quite helpful.  

“1 Peter 3:21 says baptism now saves you.”

“Oh yeah? Well Ephesians 2:8-9 says we’re saved by grace through faith and not works.”

“But James 2:17 says faith without works is dead.”

“Yeah but Romans 3:28 says we’re saved by faith apart from works.”

See the problem here? The Bible does say all of those things, it’s true. But to engage in what I call “Scripture Wars” like this makes a big implication that I don’t think we want to make – namely, that the Bible contradicts itself. The key is to (you guessed it yet again) put each verse in its proper context.

Ephesians 2 and 1 Peter 3 are both necessary to the plan of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith, which Paul emphasized to show that it is God’s gift we receive by trusting Him rather than working for it. And, we are also saved by baptism, which Peter pointed out to emphasize the washing away of sin that sparks the new life. What does James mean by “works?” Read James 2 and you’ll see he was discussing the kind of actions that will naturally flow from the heart of someone who has faith in God. What did Paul mean by “works” in Romans? He was clearly taking aim at works of merit done to try to earn God’s favour.

Using one verse against the other to score a rhetorical point is shamefully disrespectful to God’s Word. He did not contradict Himself. Our understanding of what He wants must be an understanding that does not depend on making one verse fight another.

Questions: 

What is deductive reasoning? And what is inductive reasoning? What role do these play in our Bible Study?

Do you know of any other examples where people will make an effort to pit the Bible against itself without any context? 

Kevin Cleary