Are You Confused?

“God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…” — 1 Corinthians 14:33

People often misuse this verse, just like they misuse “Judge not” in Matthew 7:1.

When a sinner is confronted with his sin, he says, “The Bible says don’t judge!”

But 1 Corinthians 2:15 says,

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

When someone hears a Bible truth they don’t understand, or they come across what seems like a contradiction in the Bible, or when the Bible doesn’t agree with their fixed opinion, they often say, “God is not the author of confusion!”

But we should never blame God for our confusion. The cure is to study the Bible rightly divided, just as 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to.

Are You Confused About Confusion?

“God is not the author of confusion” does not mean we will understand everything the first time we hear it — or even the second or third time.

If that were true, then God didn’t write the Bible, because the Bible can be confusing at first glance. It isn’t written like a school textbook or a step‑by‑step manual. The sixty-six books of the bible are in the exact order God intended, but they are not in chronological order.

The gospel of salvation isn’t revealed until later. Some passages seem to contradict each other. And what on earth is Song of Solomon about?

If God wanted everything to be instantly clear, He could have written a simple children’s book: “Jesus loves you. Love Him too.”

But that’s not how He chose to reveal truth.

The problem isn’t the Bible — the problem is our own ignorance.

Just because we don’t understand something doesn’t mean the Bible isn’t true. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us,

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Everyone has been confused about spiritual things at some point. Confusion simply means we haven’t learned yet. Our lack of understanding is not God’s fault.

When God Does Cause Confusion

There are times when God intentionally confused people.

At Babel, He confused their languages.

Jesus spoke parables that only those with “ears to hear” could understand.

And Paul says God will send “strong delusion” in the future (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

So what does Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 14:33?

In what way is God not the author of confusion?

Today, God is the author of grace and peace through Jesus Christ and the church, and that is the key.

The Confused Church in Corinth

Corinth was a perfect example of confusion during a change in a dispensation, a time change in which God changed the way he would deal with mankind.

There were Jews there who remembered the strict order of the law — rules for priests, sacrifices, food, marriage, and worship.

But under grace, those laws were no longer binding.

There were also Gentiles there who knew they were free from the law, but they abused their liberty. Their selfish use of spiritual gifts created chaos.

Put Jews and Gentiles together in one body, add spiritual gifts, carnal thinking, and resistance to Paul’s apostleship — and you get confusion.

Paul’s Answer to Their Confusion

Paul rebuked them for speaking in tongues when no one understood, for talking over each other, and for creating noise instead of edification.

He gave clear rules for order:

– One person speaks at a time (1 Corinthians 14:31).

– If there is no interpreter, tongues must not be spoken (14:28).

– When two or three speak, others must judge what is said (14:29).

The goal was simple: that all may learn and be comforted.

Learning requires clear communication, not chaos.

The God of Peace in All Churches

God designed this dispensation of grace to be marked by grace and peace.

He revealed the mystery of Christ.

He established one body, one Spirit, one baptism, one hope, one faith (Ephesians 4:3–5).

He did not design the church to be a place of disorder, division, sin, chaos, or ignorance.

Grace is not permission to run wild — that would be confusion.

He did not mix Israel’s covenants with the church, or prophecy with mystery, or law with grace.

That would be confusion as well.

God revealed His wisdom through Paul so that we would know what He is doing today and how we should respond. We no longer have an excuse to remain ignorant. We can understand what earlier generations could not, if we listen to Paul (Ephesians 3:5–10).

The church should be a place where people learn and where Bible ignorance is cured.

Sadly, people use 1 Corinthians 14:33 to avoid Bible study whenever they hear something difficult (2 Peter 3:15-16).

Who Causes Confusion?

God is not the author of confusion.

People cause confusion when they ignore Paul’s apostleship and instructions. Many people act as if they want to remove Paul’s 13 epistles from the Bible completely, simply becasue the have failed to grasp their reality.

Did God make an error of Judgment in saving Paul, giving him the revelation of a mystery relating to God’s plan that had never been previously revealed?

Did God get it wrong when He inspired Paul to write about 25–26% of the New Testament and about 6–7% of the entire Bible?

Christ did not send Paul to confuse people, but to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery (Ephesians 3:9).

If we refuse to learn the Word of truth rightly divided, we ourselves become the authors of confusion.