Paradoxes are two seemingly different things that are put together in a way that teaches a lesson or truth.
Look For: Look for a statement or joining of two things that teach a truth but seem to differ from each other.
Example: Matt. 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it..
(Sometimes the paradox is implied and we need to see how it is a paradox) ex. Jeremiah 23:24 "Can any man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?" The paradox is that men do try hide themselves from God and think they are fine. But the truth is if you try to hide anything from the Lord, you are still obvious to Him.
Discussing a paradox as a group may help students understand a difficult concept better. This is also a poetic form for giving emphasis to a principle. Watch for chiasm, parallelism, repetition, and amplification.
(Adapted from Panning for Gold: Various Methods to Understand and Apply the Scriptures to Ourselves by Eric Bacon, Northwest Area Seminaries)
Great for: Helping students find meaning in the scriptures, Lesson preparation
Class size: Any class size
Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text
Prep Time:
Student Age: Any age
Equipment needed:
