Finding Harmony

We recognize dissonance at our child’s band concert when a clarinet squeaks, a trumpet plays a wrong note, or the timpani is out of tune. The overall sound is no longer pleasant and meaningful. In music, dissonance is the opposite of harmony.

When we sing together, the lead, or melody, is generally sung by soprano voices. Other vocal parts (alto, tenor, and bass) add depth and richness to the melody. Each vocal part may sing a different note, yet the notes are arranged to blend together for a pleasant sound...harmony.

The word harmony has been used to describe relationships beyond that of musical notes, such as people living in harmony with nature. Again, harmony is the idea of different things blending together with a pleasant result.

Some people have rejected the Bible saying that it is full of contradictions, so a lack of harmony. Anyone who has spent time studying the Bible has most likely run into passages that seem to conflict, or facts that seem to contradict. However, one should not be too quick to judge.

For example, the Bible advises, “Answer not a fool according to his folly.” Yet, in the very next verse we read, “Answer a fool according to his folly.” These come from Proverbs 26:4-5 (from the King James Version). Understanding comes by reading both verses in their entirety. The Bible is harmonious by teaching a person to be wise in dealing with a foolish person. There are circumstances that call for a verbal response and other circumstances that call for silence.

Another difficulty is found in 2 Samuel 24:1 where “the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and incited David” to count the army. Yet, in a parallel verse in 1 Chronicles 21:1 we read that it was Satan who stood against Israel.

A footnote in some Bibles explain that “satan” is a Hebrew word that literally meant adversary. So, in 1 Chronicles, it was not the evil one we know as Satan. Rather, God had become an adversary to His own people. So, no contradiction.

Other examples could be presented, but the simple point is that rational explanations exist for alleged Bible difficulties. The Bible IS a harmonious revelation from God.

Let me offer one other example involving statements written by the Apostles Paul and Peter:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

—Ephesians 2:8-9

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

—1 Peter 3:21

Ignoring Peter, you have salvation by an affirmation of belief alone. Ignore Paul and it sounds like salvation by religious ritual. The question is not, “Which is correct,” but “How do we find harmony?” God has not contradicted Himself in His divine revelation to mankind, especially not concerning the salvation of the soul. So, in our Bible study we would be wise to learn the principle taught by the psalmist in Psalm 119:160:

The sum of Your word is truth….

We must not pit one passage against another. We must seek harmony in God’s word by avoiding the mistake of emphasizing one verse or passage of Scripture above another. We must embrace the entirety of God’s revelation. In doing so, we will find harmony.

Mark Stinnett

October 15, 2023