CAN A BIBLE ARGUMENT SOUND RIGHT—AND STILL BE WRONG?

How simple logic can help us recognize the difference between what the Bible says and what someone concludes from it.

TEXT B4 TRADITION — Read First, Conclude Later

INTRODUCTION — HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN A BIBLE CONCLUSION IS CORRECT?

Have you ever listened to someone explain a Bible passage and thought, "That certainly sounds right"?

The verses are quoted correctly. The words are explained. Several passages are connected together, and the conclusion seems reasonable.

But there is an important question we should ask:

Does the conclusion actually follow from what the Bible says?

That question is the reason we developed our series, The Bible and Logic.

Logic helps us examine how we reach conclusions. It helps us recognize when an argument makes sense and when something important has been overlooked.

We don't need to be scholars or know Hebrew and Greek to learn the basics.

In fact, we use logic every day, often without realizing it.

But when we study Scripture, our conclusions matter. We want to know not only what the Bible says, but also whether our understanding of it is correct.

Our Bible and Logic lessons are completely FREE. There are no fees, subscriptions, or charges of any kind. Our purpose is simply to help people learn how to study the Bible and reach conclusions that Scripture actually supports.

Let's examine several examples and see how simple logic can help us.

1. TWO TRUE STATEMENTS CAN LEAD TO A FALSE CONCLUSION

Consider this simple argument:

1. All dogs are animals.

2. All cats are animals.

3. Therefore, all cats are dogs.

Something is obviously wrong!

Both of our first two statements are true.

Dogs are animals. Cats are animals.

But our conclusion is false.

Why?

Because being members of the same larger group does not make dogs and cats the same thing.

Here is our first lesson in logic: Even when the statements we begin with are true, our conclusion may still be false.

We must examine how those statements are connected.

Now let's see why that matters when we study the Bible.

2. CAN TWO DIFFERENT HEBREW WORDS REFER TO THE SAME GOD?

The Old Testament uses several Hebrew words when speaking about God.

Two of them are El and Elohim.

Suppose we make this argument:

1. El is a Hebrew word used for God.

2. Elohim is another Hebrew word used for God.

3. The words are different.

4. Therefore, they must refer to different gods.

Does that conclusion follow?

Not necessarily.

Consider an ordinary example.

One man may be called a father, husband, grandfather, and teacher.

Those are four different words.

Does that mean four different men?

Of course not!

Now examine Genesis 1:1.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

The Hebrew word translated "God" is elohim.

Genesis 1:26–27 uses that same word when describing God creating humanity in His image.

In Genesis 17:1, the LORD identifies Himself as El Shaddai, usually translated "God Almighty."

And in Deuteronomy 10:17, Moses uses God's personal name, forms of elohim, and the word El while describing the same God.

The Bible itself shows that these different terms can refer to the same God.

What did logic help us discover?

The argument contained an assumption:

"Different words must refer to different beings."

But that assumption is false as a general rule.

The words may refer to different beings in some passages, but we cannot decide that simply because the words are different.

We must examine the context to determine who is being described.

That is one of the skills our Bible and Logic series teaches.

3. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE BEGIN WITH AN ASSUMPTION?

Consider another argument.

1. Human beings were created in God's image.

2. Someone created in God's image could never need redemption.

3. Human beings need redemption.

4. Therefore, human beings could not have been created in the image of the true God.

At first, this may sound like a reasonable argument.

But let's examine the second statement.

Where does the Bible say that someone created in God's image could never need redemption?

It doesn't.

That statement is an assumption.

Now read Genesis 1:27.

God created humanity in His image.

Genesis 3 records humanity's disobedience.

Romans 5:12 explains that sin entered the world through one man.

And Genesis 9:6 still speaks of human beings as made in God's image after sin entered the world.

James 3:9 also speaks of human beings as made in God's likeness.

The Bible does not teach that being created in God's image makes someone incapable of sin.

What did logic help us discover?

Our conclusion depended on an assumption that Scripture does not support.

Once we recognize that problem, the argument no longer proves what it claims.

Here is our second lesson: Before accepting a conclusion, examine the statements on which it depends. Are they actually true?

This is why learning about true and false premises is so useful.

A premise is simply a statement used as a reason for reaching a conclusion.

If one of our premises is false, even an argument that sounds convincing may lead us in the wrong direction.

4. CAN WE TAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT ONE PERSON AND APPLY IT TO EVERYONE?

Let's examine Ezekiel 28.

Beginning in verse 12, Ezekiel delivers a message concerning the king of Tyre.

The passage describes beauty, pride, Eden, and a cherub.

Some Christians believe this description also points beyond the king of Tyre to Satan. Others understand the language as a picture of the king's pride and downfall.

Now suppose we use this passage to argue that every human body is actually Lucifer.

What would we need to prove?

We would need to show where Scripture connects the description in Ezekiel 28 with the physical body of every human being.

But the passage does not make that connection.

And consider what Paul says about our bodies.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, Paul tells Christians that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

In Romans 12:1, he urges Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God.

And in 1 Corinthians 15, he teaches the resurrection of the body.

What did logic help us discover?

A statement about one person or situation cannot automatically be applied to everyone.

We must first establish that the wider application is justified.

Here is our third lesson: Do not make a passage apply to more people or situations than Scripture gives us reason to include.

This is especially important when studying prophecy, symbols, and figures of speech.

5. CAN A BIBLE STORY ILLUSTRATE SOMETHING WITHOUT ACTUALLY TEACHING IT?

Consider the story of Barabbas in Matthew 27:15–26.

Barabbas was a prisoner.

Jesus was innocent.

The crowd demanded that Barabbas be released and Jesus be crucified.

We can see a meaningful illustration here.

An innocent man suffered while a guilty man went free.

And the New Testament certainly teaches that Christ died for sinners (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18).

But suppose we go further and claim that every human being literally is Barabbas.

Does Matthew 27 say that?

No.

Barabbas was a particular person involved in a particular event.

We may use his story to illustrate what Christ did for sinners, but we should not turn that illustration into a claim the passage never makes.

What did logic help us discover?

An illustration can help us understand something without proving every conclusion we might draw from it.

Here is our fourth lesson: A Bible story may remind us of another biblical truth, but that does not mean the story teaches everything we see in the comparison.

The story of Barabbas can help us understand what Jesus did for sinners. But we must be careful not to make the story say more than the Bible actually says.

6. DOES THE MEANING OF A WORD DEPEND ON HOW IT IS USED?

Consider the English word "light."

We might say:

• Turn on the light.

• This suitcase is light.

• The morning light appeared.

• Jesus is the light of the world.

The same English word appears in all four sentences.

But it does not mean exactly the same thing in each one.

No one would argue that because a suitcase is light, it must be producing electricity!

We understand what the word means by examining how it is used.

The same principle applies to Hebrew and Greek.

For example, Genesis 1:27 uses the Hebrew word tselem, meaning an image or representation.

In other passages, the word can refer to physical images or idols.

Does that mean human beings are idols because Genesis says they were created in God's image?

Of course not.

The context tells us what kind of image is being discussed.

Consider another Hebrew word, tehom, used in Genesis 1:2 for the deep.

Could we conclude from that word alone that part of every human being is spiritually connected to the abyss?

No.

Genesis 1:2 describes the deep before God brings order to creation. It does not describe the spiritual makeup of human beings.

What did logic help us discover?

A word's meaning in one passage cannot simply be carried into another passage without examining the context.

Here is our fifth lesson: The meaning of a Bible word must be determined by how it is used in the passage we are studying.

A dictionary can help us understand possible meanings, but the passage helps us determine which meaning is intended.

7. CAN WE QUOTE JESUS CORRECTLY AND STILL REACH A WRONG CONCLUSION?

Now let's consider an example that almost everyone can understand.

Have you ever prayed to win the lottery?

How many people have asked God to let them pick the winning numbers?

Now consider two statements from Jesus.

Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it will be given to you."

John 14:13: "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do."

Both statements are true. Jesus said them.

So let's put together an argument.

1. Jesus said to ask, and we will receive.

2. Jesus said He would do whatever we ask in His name.

3. I have asked Jesus to let me win the lottery.

4. Therefore, Jesus must make me a lottery winner!

Sounds logical, doesn't it?

But wait a minute.

Suppose two people pray that their different lottery tickets will each be the only winning ticket.

Both cannot receive exactly what they requested.

Yet both may sincerely believe that Jesus promised to give them whatever they ask.

Have they understood His promise correctly?

Something is wrong with our conclusion.

What have we overlooked?

James 4:3 explains that people sometimes ask and do not receive because they ask with wrong motives.

First John 5:14 says that God hears our requests when we ask according to His will.

Notice those words:

ACCORDING TO HIS WILL.

Not according to our wishes, our desires, or what we think would make our lives better.

HIS will, not ours.

God is not promising to give us everything we want simply because we ask for it in Jesus' name.

Jesus teaches us to seek God's kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).

And remember Jesus' own prayer in Gethsemane:

"Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

If Jesus Himself submitted His desires to the Father's will, shouldn't we do the same?

Of course, God also cares about our physical needs. Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).

But God's purposes must take priority over our material wishes.

What did logic help us discover?

The words of Jesus were true.

But our interpretation of those words was incomplete.

We ignored their context and other passages that explain how prayer works.

We then reached a conclusion Jesus never promised.

Here is our sixth lesson: Even when we quote Scripture correctly, we can reach a false conclusion if we misunderstand what the passages mean.

That is why context matters.

8. HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE A WEAK BIBLE ARGUMENT?

Our Bible and Logic series teaches us to ask five simple questions.

1. Are the statements true?

An argument may sound convincing but depend on an assumption Scripture never teaches.

2. Are the words being used correctly?

The same word can have different meanings, and different words can refer to the same person or thing.

3. Have we examined the context?

Who is speaking? Who is being addressed? What is the passage actually discussing?

4. Have we connected passages that really belong together?

Just because two passages use similar words does not mean they are discussing the same subject.

5. Does the conclusion actually follow?

This is the question that brings everything together.

We may begin with true statements and still reach a false conclusion.

We must examine the reasoning that connects them.

9. WHY DOES THIS MATTER WHEN WE STUDY THE BIBLE?

Think about the number of different religious teachings people encounter today.

Some are supported by Scripture.

Others depend on assumptions, unusual interpretations, or connections between passages that the Bible itself never makes.

How can ordinary Christians recognize the difference?

We cannot examine every claim simply by asking whether someone quoted a Bible verse.

We must learn to ask whether the verse actually supports the conclusion.

That is what makes the study of logic so useful.

We do not have to become experts in philosophy.

We simply need to learn how to recognize sound reasoning.

And we must be willing to examine our own conclusions with the same care we use when examining someone else's.

The Bereans provide a good example.

Acts 17:11 tells us that they examined the Scriptures daily to determine whether what they heard was true.

Even Paul's preaching was examined against Scripture.

Surely we should do the same today.

10. OUR BIBLE AND LOGIC SERIES CAN HELP

We developed our Bible and Logic studies to help ordinary Bible readers understand how conclusions are reached.

The series explains how arguments work, why our starting statements must be true, and how to recognize a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence.

It also shows why context matters and how easy it is to connect true Bible statements incorrectly.

These are skills we can use whenever we read a book, listen to a sermon, watch a religious video, or study Scripture with friends.

And there is another benefit.

Learning to recognize weak arguments in someone else's teaching should also help us recognize weaknesses in our own.

That may be the most valuable lesson of all.

Our purpose is not to win arguments.

Our purpose is to understand what God has actually revealed.

And every lesson in our Bible and Logic series is FREE. No fees. No subscriptions. No charge.

CONCLUSION — LEARN TO EXAMINE THE REASONING

We have examined several examples.

Different Hebrew words do not necessarily refer to different beings.

Being created in God's image does not mean we could never need redemption.

A description of one person does not automatically apply to everyone.

An illustration does not establish everything we might conclude from it.

A word's meaning must be determined by its context.

And even two true statements from Jesus can be misunderstood and used to support a conclusion He never intended.

What do all these examples have in common?

The problem is not necessarily the Bible verses. The problem may be the reasoning used to connect them.

That is why we encourage you to explore our Bible and Logic series.

We are not asking you to accept our conclusions without examination.

We want you to learn how to examine the evidence and reach conclusions that Scripture actually supports.

And we want you to use those same skills when reading our studies.

READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.

CONTINUE EXPLORING SCRIPTURE

START HERE: THE BIBLE AND LOGIC

FREE BIBLE STUDY LESSONS — NO CHARGE!

Learn how to examine Bible arguments, recognize false assumptions, understand the importance of context, and determine whether a conclusion actually follows from Scripture.

Study at your own pace. No fees or subscriptions.

https://text-b4-tradition.com/bible-and-logic

WHEN DOES OUR BIBLE CONCLUSION GO TOO FAR?

How can we recognize the difference between what Scripture actually teaches and what someone has added to it?

Find this study in our Bible and Logic series.

TEXT B4 TRADITION

Read First, Conclude Later.

We encourage every reader to examine the Scriptures, check the context, and test the reasoning—including ours.

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