There Are No Scriptural Oxymorons
Ralph L. Myers

Recently, I made the correct and wise decision to ask for forgiveness of God, Jesus and the members of Mt Baker Church of Christ for living a life that was not acceptable to the Lord. Jesus crucifixion on the cross at Calvary was the ultimate sacrifice, assuring all people on the earth would be forgiven of their sins and receive the blessing of salvation when they repent, confess their faith and are buried in baptism. During his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter said to those in attendance, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)

Because of my seeking forgiveness, I guess many in a secular world would say that I am a “new old” Christian or (perhaps as they like to refer to those that have sought forgiveness), they would say I am a “born again Christian,” a term which is oxymoronic. The New Edition of the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word oxymoron as meaning a “combination of contradictory words, a phrase such as, alone in a crowd.” However, when I asked for forgiveness for living a sinful life for most of the years I have been alive, I didn’t become a “new old Christian.” Instead, I became a Christian who again was in good standing with God; forgiven of my previous sins. No, I was not a new Christian, nor was I an old or “born again” Christian. I was merely a Christian whose faith and goal to live a life that is acceptable in the eyes of God and Christ according to the scriptures was reestablished.

During a recent bible study of the Book of Acts, brother Joe pointed out as an example of a lie that a “certain man named Ananias along with his wife Sapphira” sold a possession and they kept back (withheld) a part of the proceeds and they laid it at the apostle’s feet (quotation is from Acts 5:1). Both Ananias and his wife knew they had only turned over a portion of their gain. But, they represented or implied that they had in fact given all of the proceeds to the apostles. Rather than being honest and straightforward with the Apostle Peter that they had withheld a portion of their gain, they committed what many in today’s world would consider being simply “a little white lie.” There was no reason to lie, because they were not commanded or expected to give all of their proceeds to the apostles. Due to their lies they were punished by God, suffering a punishment they would not have received (the loss of their lives) if they had only told the truth. What many today would construe as “a little white lie” cost them everything. The oxymoronic or contradictory combination of the words “a little white lie” conflicts with what it was in reality; an egregious lie. A lie is a lie, and as illustrated in Acts 5, there is or was no degree or classification of what they did as being minor - “little white lie.”

Meeting with brothers Joe and Tanner during this past week I was tasked with committing to memory 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth.” Ananias and Sapphira, instead of dividing the word of truth, didn’t even attempt to tell the truth. They paid the ultimate price for not doing so.

In today’s world, life and living are full of oxymoronic examples of the meaning of words and phrases. When we Christians hear them and apply what the scriptures say, there are no oxymoronic or double-entendre meanings, only the truth simply and clearly stated in the words of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The scriptures we are commanded to live by are the truth that sets us free (Jno 8: 31-32).