Logical sinacies and Biblical Proof Texts
Example 1: False Dilemma
- God will accomplish everything he desires. (Isaiah 46:10)
- God desires that all the world be saved. (2 Peter 3:9)
- Therefore God will save everyone.
“And it shall come about that as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you...” (Deut. 28:63)God desired to bless Israel, but also to destroy it in response to their rebellion. The master desired to invite certain people to his banquet, but after they rejected him he desired to exclude them. Clearly, God desires all to be saved, but he also desires to destroy the disobedient and rebellious. So the proper logical construction would be as follows:“Then the master told his servant, ’Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:23-24)
- God will accomplish everything he desires. (Isaiah 46:10)
- God desires that all the world be saved. (2 Peter 3:9)
- God desires to destroy the wicked. (2 Peter 3:9)
- Therefore God will save everyone who does not reject him.
Example 2: Exclusion
- Every tongue that confesses to God will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
- God will make every tongue confess to him. (Rom. 14:11, Philip. 2:10-11)
- Therefore God will save everyone.
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.“ (Romans 10:9-10).The scriptures make it clear that belief is more than simple mental assent. James tells us that ”even the demons believe-- and shudder“(James 2:19). In Hebrews we read that ”without faith it is impossible to please God“ (Hebrews 11:6). Here, then, is the proper logical construction for this example:
- Every tongue that confesses to God out of faith will be saved.
- God will make every tongue confess to him, but not everyone will have faith.
- Therefore God will save everyone who confesses and believes.
Example 3: Equivocation
- ”The Scriptures“ are prophecies.
- Prophecies will cease. (1 Cor. 13:8)
- Therefore scriptures will cease.
- ”The Scriptures" are prophecies.
- The spiritual gift of prophecy will cease. (1 Cor. 13:8)
- Scriptures will never cease. (Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 24:35)