# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S26
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

26 Proceedings of the nineteenth convention

[goes on to relate] that from the sixth to the ninth hour, that is from twelve to three o'clock, a darkness came on, after the passing of which Jesus' death soon occurred, while John writes to us that at the sixth hour (which by Mark's reckoning would be noon, twelve o'clock) Pilate first put to the people the question: "Behold your King! Shall I crucify your King?" To all appearances both cannot possibly be true. But if one takes into account that John here counts the hours from the end of the Passover meal, that is, like the Romans, from twelve o'clock on, then the sixth hour is morning early at six o'clock, and then everything agrees quite nicely and well; then, after sunrise, Jesus' condemnation by Pilate took place, and at nine o'clock he was crucified. Of a contradiction there is then no further talk. A contradiction clear as the sun is only present when of the same person or thing, at the same time, in the same place, in the same connection, Yes and No are stated at once; and such contradictions, that we do indeed maintain, cannot exist in Holy Scripture. It is God's Word; the writers were in all cases led by the Holy Spirit into all truth; it is the norm and rule of faith and of life.

The ancient Church too believed that there could be no contradictions in Scripture. Thomasius ("Dogmengeschichte" [History of Doctrine] I, p. 126 f.) cites passages from Irenaeus and Justin, whose content he sums up thus: "As little as the holy Scriptures contain anything erroneous or harmful, so little do they contain anything insignificant or empty, nothing that would be unbecoming to God or unsuited to his nature. Through all their parts the fullness of divine majesty and wisdom pours itself out. They form a grand organism, like the strings of the psaltery, like the voices of a heavenly choir. Where it seems otherwise, where a contradiction seems to exist, the fault lies solely in our deficient understanding, and one must rather seek the solution by allegorical interpretation than admit anything of the kind. For as divine art reveals itself not only in the stars and heavenly bodies but also in earthly and perishable things, so we assume that in every letter of all the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit traces of wisdom have been inserted, as far as possible. Whoever holds the author of the world and of Scripture to be the same Being cannot be in doubt about this." To this we also confess ourselves, only that what is said about allegorical interpretation must be framed more cautiously and protected against misunderstandings and abuse.

From the Debate.

When one speaks of the causes why men find contradictions in Scripture, one must not leave quite unmentioned the first and principal one. In the end it is always the old evil flesh, the