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Reverend Amy Baumgartner
The Reverend Amy Baumgartner is the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, 525 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS. Amy was ordained at First Presbyterian Church of Wichita, Kansas in June 2008. She earned a Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary. Before attending seminary, Amy graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture and worked several years for an architectural firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. You may contact Rev. Baumgartner by email AssociatePastor@firstpresbywichita.org, or by phone at (316) 263-0248.
Religion
2011-09-26 14:34:35
Contradictions in scripture?
Q: While I understand from time to time there might be a contradiction in the way a Bible passage is interpreted, there is one that is causing me some difficulty....it says in one passage that if you do not acknowledge God before man, Jesus will not acknowledge you before His Father. In another passage it says that one should not boast of doing things in honor of God for if you do, you will have already received your reward. Are these not contradictory?
A: I have heard many times the accusation that the Bible is full of contradictions or contradictory statements. Often these contradictions are, as you noted, based on interpretations. Therefore, it is vital that the whole of scripture must be taken into account when trying to interpret any passage found in the Bible. Another aspect that is important in Bible interpretation is the context of any given passage. Your dilemma could be used as an example of how context plays a role in understanding the potential contradiction. The first passage you cite, from Matthew 10, is a passage on discipleship. Jesus is sending out his disciples to minister in his name. As they are being set out, Jesus gives some guidance. In the particular verses you mention, the test of a disciple’s commitment to Jesus are revealed in how they respond to opposition. If in the midst of their mission, the disciple encountered resistance and denied Jesus Christ, it would indicate he or she was not a true disciple. True disciples acknowledge the Lordship of God no matter what happens. In the second passage, you refer to the passage from Matthew 6 where Jesus is highlighting the behavior of those he calls “hypocrites”. They are the ones who make a show of giving offerings, praying and fasting. The purpose of their religious acts was to bring attention and glory to themselves. Because they are doing their religious activities to look better in the eyes of those around, Jesus indicated they would receive their reward now. Rewards are not necessarily bad (later in Matthew 16, it states individuals will be rewarded when the Son of Man returns); however, working to get rewards in the sight of other people is not right in the eyes of God. Both passages indicate right attitudes before God. We should be willing to stand up in the face of hostile to follow God; however, we should not do “religious” rituals, hoping to win more approval. We are to live before God. Utilizing more of the whole of scripture, we are to boast in the Lord and the cross alone as followers of Jesus Christ (see 1 Cor. 1:31; Gal. 6:4). In interpretation, it is vital not to selectively pick out verses but to read all of the words of God in the Bible including taking note of their context, while being open to the Holy Spirit’s direction, to understand how we are to behave and what we are to believe.
 
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