There are times that this would seem to be true, especially from the Jewish perspective. This is illustrated in Revelation 5:1-3, “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals…‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.” 

The scroll represents God’s plan for mankind hidden in the Bible. Until Christ came, this plan was seen only from the Jewish perspective i.e. the outside of the scroll. After Jesus came, the Bible began to be seen from a new perspective. Revelation 5:8-9, “Now when he (Jesus) had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb…And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” The new song represents the message inside the scroll, as opposed to the old song which could be seen written on the outside of the scroll.

Paul explains this same thought in Hebrews 10:1 (ESV), “…the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities…” Again in 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 (NASB), “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received…the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom…But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”

Trying to understand what Paul wrote without the spirit of God in you is like listening to someone explain the structure of a building when you are only able to see its shadow. It may seem contradictory, but it is not. God’s spirit opens our minds to harmonize the truths of the Old and New Testaments, and we can sing the beautiful new song together.

For an in-depth review of specific scriptures that at first glance might seem contradictory, we recommend these Additional Resources: 

Christian Questions Podcast 
Episode #1114: “Did the Apostle Paul Contradict Jesus?” Contradictions Series
Decoding Jesus’ treatment of the Law through the words of Paul
Preview Video  
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #1111: “Does the Apostle Paul Contradict Himself? (Part I)” Contradictions Series
Examining several supposed self-contradicting statements by Paul
Preview Video 
 CQ Rewind Show Notes

Christian Questions Podcast Full Contradiction Series