Paradoxical Proverbs
1. Look before you leap but remember, he who hesitates is lost.
2. Absense makes the heart grow fonder, but then, out of sight, out of mind.
3. Seeing is believing but don't forget the hand is quicker than the eye.
4. The squeaking wheel gets the grease but silence is golden.
5. Opposites attract but birds of a feather flock together.
6. A picture is worth a thousand words but it took only seven words (and no picture) to express that idea.
7. Two heads are better than one but too many cooks spoil the broth.
| How Can Lame Walk & Blind See? The lame which lacks the means to go is carried on the blind man's back, So mutually between the two The one supplies the other's lack: The blind to lame doth lend his might, The lame to blind doth yield his sight. The Genius "His hair ill cut, his robe, that awkward flows, Or his large shoes, to raillery expose The man you love; yet, is he not possessed Of virtues with which very few are blest? And underneath this rough, uncouth disguise A genius of extensive knowledge lies." |
The Poet |
The Magnet Obscure, unprized, and dark, the magnet lies, Nor lures the search of avaricious eyes, Nor binds the neck, nor sparkles in the hair, Nor dignifies the great, nor decks the fair. But search the wonders of the dusky stone, And own all glories of the mine outdone, Each grace of form, each ornament of state, That decks the fair, or dignifies the great." -- Claudian |
Four Rules of Bible Interpretation
1. Conclusion drawn from a less important premise to a more important premise, or vice versa. (small to large or large to small)
Genesis 44:8 "Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?"
Exodus 6:12 "And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"
Numbers 12:14 "And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again."
Deuteronomy 31:27 "For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?"
1 Samuel 23:3 "And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
Jeremiah 12:5 "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?"
Ezekiel 15:5 "Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?"
Proverbs 11:31 "If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, How much more the ungodly and the sinner."
Esther 9:12 "And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done."
2. The thought expressed clearly in one text can be applied to another less-clear text when similar words are used in both.
Genesis 1:2 says, "The earth was (BECAME) without form [tohu] and void [bohu]" just as Lot's wife "BECAME a pillar of salt" (Gen. 19:26). Same word used in both places.
Genesis 6:1-4 "Sons of God" are defined as ANGELS (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) and we know there were fallen "ANGELS who sinned"
"going after strange flesh" (Jude 6-7; 2 Pet. 2:4-9; 1 Pet. 3:18-22)
Leviticus 23:40 says to "take ... BRANCHES" (Why?) explained by Nehemiah 8:14-15 which tells us "to fetch ... BRANCHES of thick trees, to MAKE BOOTHS as it is written".
Numbers 9:2 Passover offering "IN ITS PROPER TIME" explained by Numbers 28:2 daily offering "IN ITS PROPER TIME" (even on the Sabbath, 28:9)
Deuteronomy 6:8 "BETWEEN YOUR EYES" explained by Deuteronomy 14:1 to be above forehead at HAIR-LINE level in order to not "make any BALDNESS BETWEEN YOUR EYES"
If "NO SERVILE WORK" applies to all holy days except Yom Kippur and the weekly Sabbath (Lev. 23:7-8,21,25,35-36), and if in one instance it means "NO MANNER OF WORK SHALL BE DONE" on first or seventh days of unleavened bread "SAVE THAT WHICH EVERY MAN MUST EAT" (Ex. 12:16 KJV), or "ONLY AS MANY THINGS AS WILL NECESSARILY BE DONE BY EVERY SOUL" (LXX Brenton), then we can apply this same meaning to Feast of Weeks, Rosh HaShanah, Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day. But what about the weekly Sabbath day and the Day of Atonement on which "NO WORK" is to be done since they are each called "a SABBATH of SABBATHS" (Lev. 23:3,27-32)? Exodus 16 teaches cooking on the sixth day in preparation for the Sabbath day. Plus there’s the command to not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day in Ex 35:3. The man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day was stoned for defiling it in Numbers 15. These all seem to support *no cooking* on the Sabbath day. Furthermore, no food is eaten on the Day of Atonement.
3. A comprehensive principle derived from one or two Biblical verses. (If A = B and B = C then A = C).
If a master must COMPENSATE his slave with freedom for a lost eye or tooth, (Ex. 21:26-27), and masters are equivalent to employers, then employers should provide WORKERS' COMPENSATION to employees for job injuries.
If an owner of an ox is LIABLE for damages caused by ox (Ex. 21:28-29), and oxen are equivalent to any hazard, then anybody who puts any hazardous obstacle in public domain that damages another becomes LIABLE as owner or creator. (PRODUCT LIABILITY)
If giving presents "under every green tree" is IDOLATRY (Deut. 12:2; Jer. 44:19) and no IDOLATER will enter the kingdom (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor 6:9-10), then those who celebrate X-mass will not enter the kingdom.
If refusing to TITHE is stealing (Mal. 3:9), and no "thieves ... shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:10), then only those who TITHE will enter the kingdom of God.
If "no UNCLEAN person" will inherit the kingdom of God, (Gal. 5:19-21), and most women refuse to practise NIDDAH and are therefore UNCLEAN (Lev. 15:19-30), then most married men will not inherit the kingdom
If "no UNCLEAN person" will inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21 1 Cor. 6:9-10), and eating pork, ham, bacon, clams, crabs, shrimp, lobster, fat and blood makes a person UNCLEAN (Lev. 11; Deut. 14), then only those who eat KOSHER will be in the kingdom.
If Bible-followers must "make them fringes in the borders of their garments" and "put upon the fringe of the borders, a ribband of blue" (Num. 15:38)
and the groom of a JEWISH WEDDING wears such a TALLIT, then we know that we will be ejected from Christ's wedding if we don't wear this "WEDDING GARMENT" also (Matthew 22:1-14). During the Feast of Trumpets and Atonement, both WEDDING ceremonies, we must wear PRAYER SHAWLS or TALLITS.
If Jesus "as his custom was ... went into the synagogue on the SABBATH day and stood up to read" (Luke 4:16) and Paul "as his manner was" "went in unto" "a synagogue of the Jews" "and three SABBATH days reasoned with them out of the scriptures" (Acts 17:2), and we should follow Paul as he follows Christ (1 Cor. 11:1), then we should also gather together on a SABBATH to read and reason out of scriptures.
If it "dishonors" a man's head (Christ) to pray or prophesy with "HEAD COVERED"(1 Cor. 11:4), and most Jews COVER their HEADS with kippahs, yarmulkas or prayer shawls when they pray, then most Jews dishonor Christ in prayer.
Jesus celebrated the PASSOVER (Luke 22:15) and TABERNACLES (John 7:2,10) and he left us an example "that ye should follow his steps" (1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6). Therefore we should celebrate these festivals.
Jesus "COMMANDED them (the apostles) that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the father, and when the DAY of PENTECOST was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." Therefore, we should "teach all nations ... to observe all things whatsoever I have COMMANDED you" (Matt. 28:19-20) -- to celebrate the DAY of PENTECOST.
4. Since Scripture can't be broken (John 10:35), two seemingly contradictory Bible texts must be harmonized since both are true (thesis, antithesis, synthesis)
For by GRACE are ye saved through faith…NOT OF WORKS. —Ephesians 2:8,9
Ye see then how that BY WORKS a man is justified, and NOT BY FAITH ONLY —James 2:24 Therefore, we're SAVED BY GRACE but rewarded according to our WORKS (Rom. 2:6). Without GOOD WORKS as a prerequisite, we won't be saved by GRACE (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
For I am the Lord; I CHANGE NOT. —Malachi 3:6
and Numbers 23:19 states, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should REPENT: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” And the LORD REPENTED of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. —Exodus 32:14
Therefore, GOD DOESN'T CHANGE unless the circumstances and people change.
NO MAN hath SEEN GOD at any time. —John 1:18
For I have SEEN GOD face to face. —Genesis 32:30
Therefore, no man has seen GOD THE FATHER but many have seen GOD THE SON.
SUBMIT yourself TO EVERY ORDINANCE OF MAN …to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors. —I Peter 2:13
We ought to OBEY GOD rather than men. —Acts 5:29
WHEN THE TWO DISAGREE, OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN.
Let your LIGHT so SHINE BEFORE MEN, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. —Matthew 5:16
Take heed that ye do not your ALMS BEFORE MEN to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. —Matthew 6:1 The RECIPIENT should see your good works toward him, but NOT AN AUDIENCE OF SPECTATORS.
REJOICE NOT when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: —Proverbs 24:17 The righteous shall REJOICE when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. —Psalms 58:1 Bible followers who oppose you versus deliberately wicked.
“The son shall NOT BEAR the INIQUITY of the father…” — Ezekiel 18:20
“I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the INIQUITY of the fathers UPON THE CHILDREN unto the third and fourth generation…” — Exodus 20:5
Isaiah 14:21-22 declares, “Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.22 For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.” However, Deuteronomy 24:16 communicates, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to DEATH FOR HIS OWN SIN.” Sons may suffer PUNISHMENT due to father's sins; but sons are not RESPONSIBLE for father's sins.
“Don’t strengthen the hands of evildoers” (Jer. 23:14) versus “If thine enemy hunger, feed him” (Rom. 12:20; Deut. 22:4; Pr. 25:21-22). Perhaps this refers to a COVENANT KEEPER ENEMY versus a HEATHEN ENEMY.
“You bear with fools gladly” (2 Cor. 11:19) versus “do good to those who hate you” (luke 6:27) perhaps refers to those who have a LEGAL RIGHT to make your life difficult versus those who don't.
“Harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16) versus "David slew Goliath" (1Sam. 17:50) and is "an example unto us” (1 Cor. 10:11). Once again, perhaps refers to those who have a LEGAL RIGHT to make your life difficult versus those who don't.