Contradiction with Genesis 12:13
Abraham asks Sarah to say she is his sister, which contradicts the command to speak the truth.
Genesis 12:13: Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Contradiction with Genesis 27:19
Jacob deceives his father Isaac by claiming to be Esau, contradicting the truthfulness urged in Ephesians.
Genesis 27:19: And Jacob said unto his father, I [am] Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
Contradiction with 1 Samuel 21:2
David lies to Ahimelech the priest, which opposes the directive to put away lying.
1 Samuel 21:2: And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed [my] servants to such and such a place.
Contradiction with Jeremiah 9:3
Describes people bending their tongues for lies, contrary to speaking truth with neighbors.
Jeremiah 9:3: And they bend their tongues [like] their bow [for] lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
Contradiction with Acts 5:8
Sapphira supports her husband’s lie about the sale price of land, opposing speaking the truth.
Acts 5:8: And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Contradiction with 2 Thessalonians 2:11
Suggests God sends a strong delusion to believe a lie, which then contrasts with the instruction to avoid lies.
2 Thessalonians 2:11: And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
Paradox #1
Ephesians 4:25 encourages people to be truthful with one another. The potential contradiction arises when considering other parts of the Bible where truthfulness might seem to conflict with protecting others' feelings or when it appears God or certain figures in the Bible are not entirely truthful for a greater purpose. Balancing truth with compassion might seem inconsistent in various contexts.
Paradox #2
The contradiction, inconsistency, or conflict in that verse might be seen in how it clashes with situations where lying could be considered morally justifiable, like telling a lie to protect someone from harm. In these scenarios, being truthful might conflict with the higher moral value of protecting someone’s life or wellbeing.