This is a rebuttal to the 16th alleged Bible contradiction

Question 16: Is lying wrong?

These are the verses Evans presented to make his claim.

In the 'no' category, we have

1 Kings 22:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:11

and in the 'yes' category, we have

Proverbs 6:16-17, 12:22.

Note: If I find verses to be repetitive, I may decide not to quote them.

My standard prefacing comments:

God's dealing with Mankind has been chopped up into various dispensations,
starting with that of Adam, then to Noah, then to Abraham, then to Moses,
then to Jesus (who gave us the Church Age), then to the Millennial Reign
of Christ, etc. The moral constraints that God places on the people of the
earth are primarily dictated by the dispensation the individuals were born
within and their undefiled consciences.
The Bible reveals the big doctrines of God progressively over time,
such as heaven, hell, angels, devils, salvation, the Messiah, etc. As a
consequence, the verses in the back of the Bible (i.e., the Gospels on)
tend to be more authoritative than those in the beginning of the Bible.
As a corollary to this, often part of the revelation given to the prophet
will not make any sense to the prophet or even to the people of his own
generation. In my novels I refer to these verses as 'praega talleas' or
hidden gems, not capable of being appreciated or even understood until
centuries or even millenia later.
Not all verses are equally authoritative. What Jesus said trumps every
other writing in the Bible.
Not all people are equally equal. Jesus Christ is not just another man
among the billions of people. Jesus, not you or me, is God in the flesh.
In the Church Age, the true followers of Jesus, by the grace of God, are
partakers of the divine nature [2 Peter 1:4], but they are not themselves
divine. See also Galatians 5:16.
Just because a certain action or claim is recorded about someone in the
Bible, doesn't mean that God approved of it. They may even be sincere
and still get it wrong. Remember Job's friends who came to Job to
commiserate with him and later to advise him on righteousness and the
nature of God? They assumed that they were acting as the oracles of God,
but God gave them a stern rebuke for their errors. But even if God did
not approve of some claim or action, that does not mean that the Bible
specifically condemned it in the attending verses.
My favorite way to attempt to resolve controversial doctrines or claims is
to collect all verses on the matter and then consisticize them so as to reduce
the number of apparent contradictions, if there are any. Like it or not, the
Bible has to be interpreted by the Bible.
I am not a Christian apologist. It may take twenty years of hard study
to be good at Christian apologetics, and I'm too old to start education for
that now. I'm just a Christian who has had to deal with some of these
hard questions on my own.

On the No side:

Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of
all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
-- 1 Kings 22:23

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: -- 2 Thessalonians 2:11

I'm now going to add another scripture to help Mr. Evans make his point.

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is
the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and
all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my
word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth
a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as
if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed
an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth
in their abominations. 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will
bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer;
when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and
chose that in which I delighted not. -- Isaiah 66:1-4

On the Yes side:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart
that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
-- Proverbs 6:16-17

*
Again, I'm now going to add another scripture to help Mr. Evans make his point.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death. -- Revelation 21:8

We might as well add the Ninth Commandment:

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. -- Exodus 20:16

My answer

God does not want us to lie. He does not want us to spread around or believe
unsupported conspiracy theories. Those who do so are at risk of hell fire.
God does not want us to listen to false prophets, neither those of today nor
those of three thousand years ago. God does not want us to listen to false
prophets, whether they are religious or secular (conspiracy theorists). So,
I'm not going to further defend the doctrine of being truthful, but I will try to
explain away the seeming incongruity of the verses Mr. Evans presented, for
they are crucial verses for every Christian to know and understand.

Let's begin with this verse:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap. -- Galatians 6:7

God is not mocked. If you consistently turn away from God's light, He will
eventually send you into darkness. If you consistently turn your back on
God's truth, He will eventually send you delusions. Why does God actually
do that? Let's look first at the example of 1 Kings 22:23, but let's add a
few more verses for context.

1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of
Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said
unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still,
and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? 4 And he said unto
Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy
people, my horses as thy horses.
Explanation: Israel is the northen kingdom; Judah is the southern kingdom.
One day, Jehoshaphat went north to visit with the king of Israel. The king of
Israel says, "Hey, Ramoth in Gilead is still in Syrian control and we have done
nothing to rectify this situation, dude!" To which Jehoshaphat replies, "Hey,
if you go up against Syria, my people will go with you." There's only one
problem with this plan: They haven't yet asked God if He thinks they should
try to win back Ramoth at that time.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee,
at the word of the Lord to day. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the
prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I
go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said,
Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 7 And
Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that
we might enquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat,
There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire
of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me,
but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Explanation: Jehoshaphat didn't expect to be challenged to go to war
on his social trip north, so he didn't bring along any of his own prophets
of the Lord. Still, he thought it might be a good idea to get some divine
leading on this proposed battle. So, he recommends that the king of Israel
request to have his prophets prophesy on the matter. The king claims to
have about 400 'prophets' he can ask. Oh, really? Jehoshaphat immediately
knows that they must be false prophets and asks the king of Israel for a
consult with a real prophet of God. He is told that there is one, but that
the king of Israel hates him because this prophet is always contradicting
his plans. Like it or not, both of these kings are under the authority of
Jehovah, the only God they are allowed to serve. They are not allowed
to declare their own prophets; only God can vet a true prophet. By
attempting to obtain prophecies outside of the vetted mean is rebellion
against God and show that they are already deluded. And God will prove
to them that they are deluded.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah
the son of Imlah. 10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of
Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in
the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before
them. 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron:
and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians,
until thou have consumed them. 12 And all the prophets prophesied so,
saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it
into the king's hand. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah
spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare
good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the
word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14 And Micaiah said,
As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak. 15 So
he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go
against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him,
Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that
thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?
Explanation: So, not content to have 400 green lights from the yes-men
false prophets [remind you of the multitude of yes-men and yes-women
false prophets among the 'evangelicals' of today's false church?], the king
of Israel asks Micaiah to get a prophecy of God -- and it had better be
favorable to the king's wishes! Micaiah tells the king that he will inquire
of God and tell him whatsoever God says. So, he leaves and returns and
then tells his king something like, "Sure, King, go up against the city and
you'll no doubt take it easily. Probably won't even break a sweat." It must
have had something sarcastic in its tone, because the king knew
immedialely that he was being mocked. And apparently this is a familiar
pattern this king has put up with with this sarcastic prophet, who refused
to destroy his own integrity by being the king's 401st yes-man.
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that
have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them
return every man to his house in peace. 18 And the king of Israel said
unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good
concerning me, but evil? 19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of
the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven
standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And the Lord said,
Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?
Explanation: Israel being scattered and without a shepard is an image
of the soldiers being driven off from the battle, defeated and without its
leader, the king of Israel, who we now find out is king Ahab. Then God
asks who will go to the false prophets of Ahab to put false prophecies
into their mouths. So what's the point of this? I believe that God is telling,
not only Ahab, but all of us, that if we prefer to listen to the nice lies of
the enemies of God rather than the harsh truths of the oracles of God, then
remember this: God is not mocked. Be careful what you wish for, because
you might get it. In this case, God has made sure that Ahab will receive
the lies he prefers. And it's not just a problem of the distant past.
Paul prophesied to us:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears --- 2 Timothy 4:3
And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And
there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will
persuade him. 22 And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said,
I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his
prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go
forth, and do so. 23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying
spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken
evil concerning thee.
Explanation: In his heavenly vision, Micaiah sees God ask his host to
come up with a plan to put a lie into the mouths of Ahab's false prophets.
A lying spirit approached God and said that he would be glad to do it. So,
who is this lying spirit? A demon, or maybe even Satan himself? There's
another lesson to be learned here. To you would-be spiritualists and
new-agers, if you want to communicate with some spirit, you should know
that there are only two kinds of spirits: godly spirits and ungodly spirits,
and the ungodly spirits are masters of lying and impersonation.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light
--- 2 Corinthians 11:14
Well, did God do wrong to green-light this plan? No. First, because the
false prophets did not themselves care at all about the truth. And, second,
because Micaiah warned Ahab that the advice given him by his horde of
false prophets is a lie and that he should not listen to them. And third,
I think that the larger message here is that if Ahab wants to mock God by
refusing to listen to His prophet Micaiah, then God will mock Ahab and give
him a delusion of God's choosing.
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on
the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to
speak unto thee? 25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day,
when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. 26 And the king
of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor
of the city, and to Joash the king's son; 27 And say, Thus saith the king,
Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with
water of affliction, until I come in peace. 28 And Micaiah said, If thou
return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken,
O people, every one of you. 29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the
king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. 30 And the king of Israel said unto
Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou
on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had
rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only
with the king of Israel.
Explanation: Thus, the Lord's true prophet, Micaiah, said to Ahab, as he
was about to be put into prison, 'If thou return at all in peace, the Lord
hath not spoken by me.' That's putting it on the line, isn't it? How unlike
today's evangelical 'prophets' who constantly get it wrong. I wonder who's
putting the lying spirits in their mouths.
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat,
that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight
against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it came to pass, when the
captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that
they turned back from pursuing him. 34 And a certain man drew a bow at
a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness:
wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry
me out of the host; for I am wounded. 35 And the battle increased that day:
and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at
even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. 36 And
there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun,
saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. 37 So the
king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
-- 1 Kings 22:1-33
Explanation: Way to go, Ahab! Let's get this right people: God plays for keeps.
We get only one shot at life and it behooves us to get it right.

The following is from book 5 of my Ilfinor novels (a conversation between
Ilfinor and Jara), Ilfinor starting it off:
"Closely related to freedom from lust is freedom from lies. In my opinion,
Jesus said that the Devil is the Father of lies. He told us that not all followers
of Satan are hooded practitioners of Satanic rituals. It's more subtle:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of it. -- John 8:44
"Ilfi, when you say that the Devil is the Father of Lies, what does that mean?"
"To me, it means that the first lie that humanity ever encountered was the lie
told to it by the Serpent (the Devil) in the Garden of Eden." [Revelation 20:2]
"What else about captivity to lies, Ilfi?"
"Jesus also said that the truth will set us free [John 8:32]. So, by implication,
lies will set us into captivity. People who tell conspiracy theories and mere
speculations as truth and those who accept them may well end up in the Lake of
Fire, Jara. A righteous man hateth lying (Proverbs 13:6). And, A wicked doer
giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue (Proverbs
17:4). And from Paul, Prove all things; hold fast that which is good
[1 Thessalonians 5:21]."
"And Paul told Timothy, and therefore us as well:
As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia,
that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither
give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions,
rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the
commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and
of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto
vain jangling;
-- 1 Timothy 3:6
"So, you've told me many times, sir. Ilfi, are you saying that there is no such
thing as a small lie?"
"I am indeed telling you that. We must commit ourselves to telling only
the truth, and if the truth is too hard to bear, for yourself or for the listener,
then say nothing at all."
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
-- Proverbs 19:9
"And Jesus, in the Book of Revelation, reiterating once again his hatred of lying,
said:
And there shall in no wise enter into it [New Jerusalem] any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are
written in the Lamb's book of life.
-- Revelation 21:27

Question 17: Is it OK to rejoice in the downfall of your enemy?
For the time being, I will leave this question for the apologists to deal with.
Question 18: Is it possible to never die at all?

Remember this: The righteous are mindful of the poor and help them; the wicked do not! (Proverbs 29:7)
You either get control of your lusts and feelings of entitlements or they will get control of you. -- Ilfinor