If God is not the author of confusion, what about the Tower of Babel?

[Chad]

1. Confused languages (Gen. 11:8-9) - "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth."
   
2. Not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33) - "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints,"

This isn't a difficult issue at all. On one hand, God is not the author of confusion: "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints," (1 Cor. 14:33). The context of this verse is dealing with the gift of tongues as were spoken in Christian churches in its early years. Foreigners would attend these churches and hear their own languages being spoken. There would often be interpretations of these tongues. Also, Christians would be over eager in their use of various tongues and this would often lead to confusion as people did not do things in order. Therefore, in the immediate verses prior to (1 Cor. 14:33), Paul had just given instruction on the proper use of the tongues in the church, a use which stated order and sequence. The goal was not to produce a confusion among the hearers so that they would not understand the gospel. Instead, it was to produce an orderly service of worship.

The context of the Tower of Babel is quite different. The people of the earth were attempting to build a tower that would "...reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11:4). The sin of the people was their great pride. They were seeking to remain one group in one location under their own efforts. Ultimately, this was a defiance of God's proclamation to fill the earth (Gen. 9:1). God wanted them to spread out. "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth," (Gen. 11:8-9). Therefore, there is no contradiction since each is a different context and a different subject.

source: If God is not the author of confusion, what about the Tower of Babel? | CARM

 

[Dovegiven]

1. Confused languages (Gen. 11:8-9) - "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth."
   
2. Not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33) - "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints,"

This isn't a difficult issue at all. On one hand, God is not the author of confusion: "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints," (1 Cor. 14:33). The context of this verse is dealing with the gift of tongues as were spoken in Christian churches in its early years. Foreigners would attend these churches and hear their own languages being spoken. There would often be interpretations of these tongues. Also, Christians would be over eager in their use of various tongues and this would often lead to confusion as people did not do things in order. Therefore, in the immediate verses prior to (1 Cor. 14:33), Paul had just given instruction on the proper use of the tongues in the church, a use which stated order and sequence. The goal was not to produce a confusion among the hearers so that they would not understand the gospel. Instead, it was to produce an orderly service of worship.

The context of the Tower of Babel is quite different. The people of the earth were attempting to build a tower that would "...reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11:4). The sin of the people was their great pride. They were seeking to remain one group in one location under their own efforts. Ultimately, this was a defiance of God's proclamation to fill the earth (Gen. 9:1). God wanted them to spread out. "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth," (Gen. 11:8-9). Therefore, there is no contradiction since each is a different context and a different subject.

source: If God is not the author of confusion, what about the Tower of Babel? | CARM

Yes, and in fact the Hebrew word transliterated "bālal" translated in modern English as "confused" is better translated as "confounded".. The Hebrew word is used frequently as "mingled".
I attended a conference of specialists in New York, attended by many national delegates. I was accustomed to "Texan English". I became confounded by exposure to many unknown-to-me languages.
I couldn't logically regard the existence of so many tongues of earth as evil, but I did assemble entirely with people I could communicate with, i.e. fellow Texans and most other Americans (except perhaps the New Yorkers)

I understand that when God gave men additional languages at Babel, that was an intellectual gift. Not all gifts are for all men. The Lord assigns them as he likes. It was timely for God to give that gift at that moment, not before, not after.