Luke 11:10

Contradictions (3)

Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.

• Does God listen to and answer prayers?

  Proverbs 2:3-5, Proverbs 8:17, and Matthew 7:8 / Luke 11:9-10 promise that anyone who seeks God will find him — ask and receive, knock and the door opens. Psalm 18:41, Proverbs 1:28, Lamentations 3:8 and 3:44, and Luke 13:24 directly contradict this: God refuses to answer, shuts out prayer, hides behind a cloud, and tells seekers they will not be able to enter.

  Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.

  Theology

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• Does God give freely or withhold his blessings?

  James 1:5 and Luke 11:10 present God as giving freely and liberally to all who ask. But John 12:40 (quoting Isaiah 6:10) has God blinding eyes and hardening hearts so people cannot be converted; Joshua 11:20 says it was "of the LORD to harden their hearts" so they would fight Israel and be destroyed; and Isaiah 63:17 has the prophet accusing God of making his people "err from thy ways" and hardening their hearts.

  Critical scholarship: Genuinely disputed among scholars.

  Theology

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  The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.

• Is it okay to ask for things while praying?

  The contradiction targets importunity — persistent, repetitive petitioning in prayer. Matthew 6:7-8 directly condemns it, with Jesus telling the disciples not to babble like the Gentiles because the Father already knows what they need before they ask.

  Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.

  Law & ethics

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  The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.

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