How do we approach Bible study? Is the Bible full of contradictions or are they really compliments?
The Bible is God's word and includes many instructions, profound truths, and wisdom that have as many applications today as they did 2,000 years ago. Some believers have said that BIBLE stands for Biblical Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I think that this is a pretty good assessment of part of what the Bible really is, but I think the acronym may not do it justice enough. The Bible is a wealth of knowledge inspired by God, our divine creator, that applies to many of the most important areas of our lives.
We should always remember to heed the instruction of the individuals that genuinely have our best interests at heart when they instruct or correct us. If this is the case, and it really is, then how much more should we listen and pay attention to the word of our creator Himself who loves us more than we can even comprehend? I believe that we need to pay special attention to the context of the verses, the specific meaning implied behind the words that are written, and most importantly prayerfully ask for the wisdom to comprehend it in God's way and in His timing. This is extremely important because sometimes the relevance of a particular verse or passage may not be apparent to us right away, however in due time they always seem to make sense. For example, in Proverbs 27:5 it states: "Open rebuke is better than love that is hidden." (Amplified Bible). This verse implies that criticism is better than a secret love in other words. You may think to yourself, "What could this possibly mean?" Well, I thought the same thing, until I started to apply this wisdom in my life. All those that criticized me, especially when I knew for certain that they had my best interests at heart, I would take extra special consideration of their advice.
I discovered that when you learn from the experiences of others you not only avoid a lot of life's set-backs and disappointments yourself, but you delight God in the process. A lot of the time, depending on the situation and tone of the criticism, we simply disregard really good potential feedback just because it may be disguised from our sight. Proverbs 27:6 goes on to say: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful." (Amplified Bible) I think this verse helps clarify the prior verse (27:5), and it definitely goes along with the idea that it is especially important to listen to those who correct you whom also have your best interests at heart.
What would it profit you to feel good at the moment, and take the compliments of people to heart, when they really have ulterior motives in mind? Friends, family, and most importantly God (through His word and inspiration) who also have your best interests at heart will most certainly guide you in the right direction and most of the time will not compliment you too frequently. It is a shame that a lot of us fall into the trap of flattery simply because it feels better at the moment than to be criticized. Criticism from people of authority in the matters at hand can lead to short-term inconvenience and perhaps even hurt you, but in the long-term we will grow if we apply the wisdom to our personal lives.
When I think of seeming contradictions in the Bible, I think of portions of Matthew. First lets read this verse: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 Amplified Bible) and then proceed to compare it with these two verses: "Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward with and from your Father Who is in heaven. Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already." (Matthew 6:1-2 Amplified Bible) The key message here is that all the honor, glory, acknowledgement, and praise should be to God when we perform good works. Our motives should not be to primarily gain the favor of man, but rather to glorify God. I think the first verse also implies that as Christians we should naturally shine in front of others and bring glory to God, and in the second two verses it seems to mean intentionally performing good deeds, prayers, and so on in public, simply with the intention to gain man's praise for ourselves.
We need to remember that in everything we do, even in our sins, I believe God gives weight to the intentions and motives of our heart. This is stated in Proverbs 21:2 which states: "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs and tries the hearts." (Amplified Bible) This is why we shouldn't worry about others who judge us too harshly, we should simply be concerned with what God thinks of us. I also sincerely believe that part of the reason why God has things in the word that seem contradictory is to lead us who are not too proud to accept Him and His word as they are. We need to humble ourselves and remember that we are far from perfect ourselves and look beyond the obvious. God blessed us with common sense and amazing minds to reason with in a prayerful and godly way. I am confident that if you carefully consider the aforementioned methods of approaching biblical study you will discover the truthfulness and depth of God's word. Try not to look so hard for what seem to be contradictions and have some faith in what you read. You may soon discover that God truly does work in mysterious ways.