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Dr. John M. Asquith

Epimenides and Your Bible

Updated: Mar 30, 2020


...and the scripture cannot be broken, John 10:35.



From Gotquestions.org we get this little gem:


Question: "What is the Epimenides Paradox?" Answer: Epimenides was a classical philosopher and poet from Crete. He wrote once that “all Cretans are liars,” a line that Paul quotes in Titus 1:12. The paradox is that Epimenides himself was a Cretan. If all Cretans are liars, then Epimenides is also a liar. If Epimenides is a liar, then the statement that “all Cretans are liars” must be a lie, which would mean all Cretans tell the truth, which means Epimenides tells the truth, which means the statement “all Cretans are liars” is both true and false.

In an earlier post I had brought up this paradox, but it is hidden in a larger essay concerning the word "alway". Would your King James Bible make such an error as making a paradoxical statement? No, it would not, not if you know the English Language.

One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies, Titus 1:12. Switch the word "alway" to "always" as some sloppy editors of the King James Bible have done and you have the Epimenides Paradox. If the Cretians are always liars, than when Epimenides said that, he was lying. But, if you believe Paul Scott's research into Early Modern English (Click Here) you will see that they are two different words with two different meanings. "Alway" means from this time until forever. "Always" means every time.

If the Cretians are liars every time they speak, then we truly have a paradox. If Paul is assenting to the fact that for all time the Cretians will be known properly as liars, we have no paradox. Liars do not always lie. If they did they could be trusted. Is the light red of green? Whatever they say, do the opposite. What makes liars so vexing and untrustworthy is that they mix lies with truth. Paul discerned a truth in what Epimenides said and gave it to us. Your King James translators got it right when they used the word "alway".


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