NOT ALL STATEMENTS IN THE BIBLE ARE TRUE

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

SEPTEMBER 5, 2022

TOPIC: NOT ALL STATEMENTS IN THE BIBLE ARE TRUE

BY T. O. BANSO

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16a New King James Version).

Many Christians may object to the title of this message, thinking it is heresy. But the truth is that not every statement in the Bible is true. It is true the statements were made but not all of them are true.

2 Timothy 3:16a says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (New King James Version). The Bible is divinely inspired. In other words, it is God-breathed. Therefore, it is trustworthy. Nevertheless, not all the statements by the Bible characters are true. They were truly recorded, but not all are true statements. Therefore, whenever you read your Bible, don’t take every statement as the truth. Find out who made each statement and place it side-by-side with other statements in the Bible to see if it agrees with them. Confirm that each statement agrees with the clear teaching of the Bible.

Everything that God said in the Bible is true, even if it is difficult for human beings to understand. However, God allowed some false statements made by others to be recorded in the Bible. When you read the Bible, identify what is true and what is false based on the general teaching of the Bible. Confirm if a statement agrees with what the Bible says in other books or contradicts them. Don’t just take a verse out of context and begin to say, “The Bible says…” or “God says…” as if it is something that you should believe or act upon.

Would you rely on the words of Satan in the Bible as true when Jesus calls him a liar and the father of it? “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44 New King James Version).  

In Genesis 3:4-5, we see the lies of the serpent to Eve. He said what was not true. It is recorded in the Bible not for us to believe his words but to learn from them. “‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (New International Version). The serpent lied! He contradicted the command of God that Adam and Eve must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that they ate of it they would surely die (Genesis 2:17; 3:11). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). They died spiritually – separated from God. And they died physically afterwards. Adam and Eve didn’t become like God as the serpent had said.

Don’t believe that every statement in the Bible is true. They could be the lies of Satan or the inaccurate statements of certain Bible characters. In John 7:52, the Pharisees said to Nicodemus, a fellow Pharisee, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee” (New King James Version). The Bible does not mention where Nicodemus was from but he was most unlikely from Galilee going by the tone of their question. The Pharisees must have known that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was only brought up in Nazareth located in Galilee. But they made the statement in John 7:52 to despise Nicodemus and discredit Jesus because of the contempt the people of their day had for Galilee.

Nevertheless, their assertion that no prophet had arisen out of Galilee was not true. It’s been said that there were prophets from Galilee, including Elijah, Jonah, and Micah (1 Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 14:25; Micah 1:1). Gilead, Gath Hepher, and Moreshet, the hometowns of Elijah, Jonah, and Micah respectively, are said to be in Galilee. This is in addition to the probability that the Prophets Nahum and Hosea were from Galilee. There could even be other prophets from Galilee whose names are not mentioned in the Bible.

You will also find untrue statements in the book of Job in the conversation between Job and his three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite as well as Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, probably the youngest of Job’s friends who came to comfort him. Not all the statements of these comforters were true as they tried to make Job believe that his sins were responsible for his adversity, which was not true. Many things they said about Job’s character were untrue. Also, while speaking in defence of God, they spoke half-truths about His character. Some of the things Job also said in his criticism of God were not true either. But, surprisingly, God said later that Job’s three friends had not spoken of Him what was right, as His servant, Job had.

After all the conversation between Job and his friends, the LORD, answering Job out of the whirlwind, said: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2 New King James Version). The New International Version puts it this way: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” The New Living Translation renders it thus:  “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?”

In other words, some words spoken in the book of Job were words without knowledge or ignorant words. They were/are not true. Therefore, be careful not to quote the untrue words of Bible characters who might have spoken words without knowledge or ignorant words.

After the LORD had spoken to Job in Job 38-41, asking him series of questions which he couldn’t answer, Job replied, “You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3 New King James Version). The LORD also said to Job’s friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7b New King James Version).  

Therefore, in quoting from the book of Job or other books of the Bible, Christians must be careful and ensure that they compare the verses with other scriptures to confirm their truthfulness. This excludes the words God spoke directly in Job 38-42.

Always identify who spoke the word you are quoting in the Bible and confirm if it is true based on the teaching of the Bible. The Bible is true but not all the statements there are true.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.  I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to be diligent to present myself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). I shall not believe the lies of the devil in the Bible or the untrue words of any Bible character. Satan is a liar and the father of it. I pray that those who are his disciples will know the truth and the truth shall make them free.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org