Dictionary of Bible Themes Dictionary of Bible Themes » 5000 Humanity » 5760 Human attitudes and behaviour » 5815 confusion A state of perplexity, bewilderment or disorder. Confusion may be brought about by God to cause the schemes of the wicked to fail and opposition to his people to prove ineffective. Confusion over spiritual truth is the natural state of humanity; believers, too, may be perplexed by God's purposes or thrown into confusion by false teaching. Examples of people in confusion 2 Samuel 18:29; Esther 3:15; Luke 21:25-26; Acts 17:8; Acts 19:32 God sends confusion as judgment The righteous ask God to confuse their enemies Psalm 35:26 See also Psalm 40:14; Psalm 55:9; Psalm 70:2 God sends confusion on Israel's enemies Exodus 23:27 See also Deuteronomy 7:23; Psalm 71:24 Israel, too, may experience confusion Deuteronomy 28:20 See also Deuteronomy 28:28; 2 Chronicles 15:5-6; Jeremiah 51:34 Examples of God sending confusion Genesis 11:7-9 at the tower of Babel; Joshua 10:10 on the Amorites; 1 Samuel 14:20 on the Philistines; 2 Chronicles 20:22-23 on Jehoshaphat's enemies Spiritual confusion is humanity's natural state Isaiah 57:20-21 See also Isaiah 41:29; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Confusion relating to Jesus Christ Confusion among the Jews John 6:52; Acts 2:6-7 See also Matthew 12:23-24 pp Mark 3:22 pp Luke 11:15; Luke 9:7-9 pp Matthew 14:1-2 pp Mark 6:14-16; John 3:4; Acts 2:12; 2 Corinthians 3:14 Confusion among Jesus Christ's disciples Matthew 8:27 pp Mark 4:41 pp Luke 8:25 See also Mark 9:5-6 pp Matthew 17:4 pp Luke 9:33-34; Mark 16:8; Luke 24:22-25; John 6:60; John 16:17-19 Further examples of believers in confusion Confusion over God's purposes 2 Corinthians 4:8 See also Psalm 73:12-14; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Isaiah 21:3-4; Daniel 4:19; Habakkuk 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 7:5; Galatians 4:19-20 Confusion over doctrine Galatians 1:6-7 See also Galatians 4:9,17; Galatians 5:10 Remedies for confusion Confusion dispelled by asking God for understanding Jeremiah 33:3 See also James 1:5 Confusion dispelled by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit John 14:26 See also John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10,13 Confusion combated by the teaching of wise leaders Acts 20:28-30; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; Timothy 4:2-3; Hebrews 13:17 Confusion dispelled by the instruction of Scripture Psalm 119:103-105; 2 Timothy 3:16 Confusion goes as believers grow to spiritual maturity Ephesians 4:13-14 See also Philippians 1:9-10; Hebrews 5:14 See also
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