Contradictions and Paradoxes in 2 Timothy 2:21

Check out Contradictions Catalog of 2 Timothy 2:21 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts 2 Timothy 2:21. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to Paul, if someone removes bad things from their life, they can be like a special, clean cup ready for important use by God and ready to do good things.

2 Timothy 2:21: If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work.

Contradiction with Philippians 2:13

This verse emphasizes that God works in individuals to will and act according to His purpose, whereas 2 Timothy 2:21 emphasizes individual effort for becoming honorable and prepared for good work.

Philippians 2:13: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

Contradiction with James 1:17

This verse states that every good gift comes from God, suggesting that readiness for good work is a gift from God, not solely from human preparation as indicated in 2 Timothy 2:21.

James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Contradiction with Romans 9:16

This verse implies that God's mercy, not human effort or desire, is what determines outcomes, potentially conflicting with 2 Timothy 2:21's focus on personal purity and readiness.

Romans 9:16: So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Contradiction with John 15:5

This verse highlights that apart from Christ, individuals can do nothing, suggesting a dependence on Christ contrary to the personal responsibility emphasized in 2 Timothy 2:21.

John 15:5: I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [without me: or, severed from me]

Contradiction with Isaiah 64:6

This verse suggests that human righteousness is like filthy rags, which may contradict the idea of self-purification in 2 Timothy 2:21 to become honored.

Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Contradiction with Ephesians 2:8-9

These verses state that salvation and readiness for good works are a result of God's grace, not human works, which challenges the emphasis on self-purification in 2 Timothy 2:21.

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

Paradox #1

The contradiction or inconsistency in the verse could be the idea that people must purify themselves to be useful to God, which might conflict with other biblical teachings that emphasize grace and faith over works for being acceptable to God. This could create confusion about whether it is personal effort or divine grace that makes someone worthy or useful in a spiritual sense.

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