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The Conflicting Theologies of the New Testament

We have had a lot of threads nitpicking the various contradictions found in the Bible. But our attention should be focused on the conflicting theologies in the Bible rather than quibbling about how many animals where is the ark or whether Jehoiachin was 8 or 18 when he ascended to the throne.

Christians often views the Bible has theologically consistent not taking into account that the Bible was written and edited by various people at different who held theologies that differed widely from each other. Member of the different sects that developed after the death Jesus all interpreted the teachings, life and death of Jesus in various ways that could be consider at odds with each other. For example the author of the Gospel of John stresses the divinity of Jesus while in the synoptic gospels there is seldom a hint that Jesus is considered divine by those authors.

Because of the various theologies that were mashed together in the Bible various sects of Christianity using the same text have developed conflicting theologies based on the importance and emphasis they place of certain scriptures. You can come up with proof text of the divinity of Christ as well a proof text arguing against the divinity of Christ from the very same source...The New Testament. Not only in regards to the divinity of Christ do we see conflicting theologies but in other doctrines as well such as antinomianism v. legalism (scriptures supporting both exist in the NT), we have conflicting doctrines on sin, redemption, atonement, predestination and others all finding support with in the text because the text is not a whole as widely believed but a cut and paste job that was scrabbled together.

If Jesus was the one true God who created everything and divinely inspired all the writing in the bible like many Christians proclaim it is then there would be no contradictions in the bible. It would be simple and easy to understand, but in reality is quite complicated and convoluted thus we can safely assumed that the Christian God Jesus doesn't exist.
 

leov

Well-Known Member
There is evidence that scripture is an interpolation that counters what Paul really taught. Which brings us to another problem... the editors. Sometimes the scribe who copied the Bible had conflicts with the text they were copying and would insert their own theology into the text if the felt the text contradicted their beliefs. Notice that this text is part of what people consider the misogynistic verses of Paul's letter. Notice it closely it says women are not to speak in church but then when we go further into the epistle 1 Corinthians 11 2-16 we find out they can and did speak in church. Why the contradiction in the same text?

Pastoral interpolation in 1 Corinthians 10-11
If one truly wants to know what Paul talks about, this book is a must read, it opens a different prospective that makes sense .

The Gnostic Paul
 

LightofTruth

Well-Known Member
So do you want to remove all conflicting scripture?
What could be more important to know than if man was created with an immortal soul or not?

Do you want to remove the lie? Learn the truth. Do you want to know the truth, expose the lie.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
What could be more important to know than if man was created with an immortal soul or not?

Do you want to remove the lie? Learn the truth. Do you want to know the truth, expose the lie.
I think you are in over your head. Here is a handy little chart so you may understand what we are doing here:

soT9MiY.png


And maybe this article will help you too:

Christian Tract: What is Biblical Criticism?
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
Apologetics. When you fall down that rabbit hole you have explain the inconsistencies of the explanation with another explanation explaining the inconsistency of the first explanation and so on and so on and so on. This why JW's and other nontrinitarians are able to come up with proof text against trinitarianism, because the proof text that argue against the divinity of Christ actually exist and no amount of apologetics or proof texting is going to make them disappear. And the same with the nontrinitarians when it comes to that doctrine, there are text within the NT that support the doctrine of the divinity of Christ.

Now why do we have these contradictory proof texts support conflicting doctrines?

It "separates the sheep from the goats"...the "wheat from the weeds"....as Jesus said...
"Do not think I came to bring peace to the earth; I came to bring, not peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Indeed, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household." (Matthew 10:34-36)

If division was to come even among family members, then what of the wider community?

"For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart."

It is the power of God's word that creates the division....just as it is meant to. Just by reading it, God can discern the thoughts and intention of the human heart.
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
First one must be convinced that truth can be found in Scripture. And then he must be willing to diligently seek it.
So do you want to remove all conflicting scripture?

I say the text matches the wild forest nicely!!!! OMG LOOK THIS IS SUCH A JUMBED MESS WHERE IS STARBUCKS!!! WE ARE LOST!!!!! SAVE US JEEEESUS.THE DEVILS WORK MESSY!
3890-004-E4910620.jpg
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Your problem is that you are not willing to be convinced by Scripture. I am.
I don't have a superficial understanding of scripture. I put it under the microscope using the various critical techniques describe before. It is not a matter of willing to be convince, it is using discernment and critical thinking that count.
 

Marcion

gopa of humanity's controversial Taraka Brahma
We have had a lot of threads nitpicking the various contradictions found in the Bible. But our attention should be focused on the conflicting theologies in the Bible rather than quibbling about how many animals where is the ark or whether Jehoiachin was 8 or 18 when he ascended to the throne.

Christians often views the Bible has theologically consistent not taking into account that the Bible was written and edited by various people at different who held theologies that differed widely from each other. Member of the different sects that developed after the death Jesus all interpreted the teachings, life and death of Jesus in various ways that could be consider at odds with each other. For example the author of the Gospel of John stresses the divinity of Jesus while in the synoptic gospels there is seldom a hint that Jesus is considered divine by those authors.

Because of the various theologies that were mashed together in the Bible various sects of Christianity using the same text have developed conflicting theologies based on the importance and emphasis they place of certain scriptures. You can come up with proof text of the divinity of Christ as well a proof text arguing against the divinity of Christ from the very same source...The New Testament. Not only in regards to the divinity of Christ do we see conflicting theologies but in other doctrines as well such as antinomianism v. legalism (scriptures supporting both exist in the NT), we have conflicting doctrines on sin, redemption, atonement, predestination and others all finding support with in the text because the text is not a whole as widely believed but a cut and paste job that was scrabbled together.
This problem has arisen because the Church put together as her Scripture the texts of different types of authors who did not agree with each others views (theologically) or would not have agreed had they been able to read each other's texts.
The orthodox part of the Church who was responsible for this, added interpolations to try to counter this serious deficiency but obviously this was only done cosmetically and not at all adequate enough.

The most serious of the contradictions are those between the teachings of Jesus and the theologies of the gospel writers.
But since those teachings were heavily edited and buried in the theologies of narrative gospel writers, people were no longer able to adequately access the real teachings of Jesus.

But in the Church that used the Bible, all this did not matter too much, because only priests would read the Christian scriptures and lay people were kept satisfied with Church ritualism, church dogma's and promises of salvation after a good life in faith of the religion they were brought up in.

In texts that focuss on spiritual philosophy such inconsistencies are not acceptable just like the teachings of Jesus himself are completely consistent. But spiritual philosophy is meant for putting into real spiritual practice in day to day life, whereas Christian theological texts are meant more to inspire to follow the faith and be a passionate member of that faith and follow the instructions of the Church who claims she inherited her tradition from so-called apostles and Jesus himself.

Jesus was still trying to start a mission with a consistent set of spiritual practices. Christianity is something entirely different, the only practice that is required as a Christian is believe what the Church teaches and follow its rituals and instructions for being a good person.
 
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