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Why does the bible passages conflict sometimes?

G

GodLovesUs

Member
Can anyone tell me why there are passages that conflict in the Bible?
Example:

One verse says "An eye for an eye"

One verse would say Love one another as you love yourself


Any other conflicting verses are welcome. Thanks for your opinions

God Bless
 
jewscout

jewscout

Religious Zionist
GodLovesUs said:
Can anyone tell me why there are passages that conflict in the Bible?
Example:

One verse says "An eye for an eye"

One verse would say Love one another as you love yourself


Any other conflicting verses are welcome. Thanks for your opinions

God Bless
Click to expand...
well the verse talking about an eye for an eye really means that the punishment should fit the crime and shouldn't be over the top.
 
G

GodLovesUs

Member
jewscout said:
well the verse talking about an eye for an eye really means that the punishment should fit the crime and shouldn't be over the top.
Click to expand...

If we should love one another shouldn't we just forgive the offender and not retaliate or punish the offender?
 
jewscout

jewscout

Religious Zionist
GodLovesUs said:
If we should love one another shouldn't we just forgive the offender and not retaliate or punish the offender?
Click to expand...
again i think that some of the contradictions are going to come between the Tanach (the Christian OT) and the Gospels and writings of the Apostles (the Christian NT)
The Torah is alot of legal information and the verse dealing w/ "An eye for an eye" is discussing judicial issues of trials and court punishments.
To show respect to your fellow and to care about people is a message found in both scriptures, but the Torah does talk about dealing with those guilty of crimes.

loving and caring for everyone is one thing, but we should establish rule of law which all people should live under, and those who break the law must be tried and, if found guilty, given an appropriate punishment for their crime.
 
S

sushannah

Member
GodLovesUs said:
Can anyone tell me why there are passages that conflict in the Bible?
Example:

One verse says "An eye for an eye"

One verse would say Love one another as you love yourself


Any other conflicting verses are welcome. Thanks for your opinions

God Bless
Click to expand...
The Bible does say an eye for an eye, an also to love one another. These statements do not contradict one another. Ideally, we should all love one another, this is the best way. When people do wrong to others instead, there must be laws that punish the offender. this may not literally mean an eye for an eye, but it may mean that the victims of crime should be recompensated for thier loses, if this is possible.
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
sushannah said:
The Bible does say an eye for an eye, an also to love one another. These statements do not contradict one another. Ideally, we should all love one another, this is the best way. When people do wrong to others instead, there must be laws that punish the offender. this may not literally mean an eye for an eye, but it may mean that the victims of crime should be recompensated for thier loses, if this is possible.
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That is an interpretation I had never thought of. Thanks.:)
 
A

angellous_evangellous

Guest
GodLovesUs said:
Can anyone tell me why there are passages that conflict in the Bible?

God Bless
Click to expand...
E. Earle Ellis told me that the good teacher sensatively balances the conflicting passages to construct a biblical theology (not a systematic theology that forcefully recoinciles the contradictions).
 
Linus

Linus

Well-Known Member
Most of your "contradictions" are merely misunderstandings and misreading of passages that need to be read in their proper context. For example, the "eye for an eye" passages are laws given in the Old Testament by God to the Hebrew people for criminal punishment. Read the sections where it is found (Exodus 21; Leviticus 24; and Deuteronomy 19). You'll see that those statements are made amongst a miriad of other laws and ordinances for those people at that time. They aren't intended for us today.

Jesus Himself even addresses this issue in Matthew 5 in the sermon on the mount.

Context is everything.
 
linwood

linwood

Well-Known Member
The Bible conflicts sometimes because it is not a book.
It`s many many books written by different authors over the span of thousands of years who never planned on their collected works be published as one.

Is it any wonder it gives conflicting messages?
 
s2a

s2a

Heretic and part-time (skinny) Santa impersonator
GodLovesUs said:
Can anyone tell me why there are passages that conflict in the Bible?
Example:

One verse says "An eye for an eye"

One verse would say Love one another as you love yourself


Any other conflicting verses are welcome. Thanks for your opinions

God Bless
Click to expand...
Hello GodLovesUs,

(A belated) welcome to REF.

Apparent or perceived biblical conflicts/contradictions in accountings/teachings are nearly as old as Chrisitianity itself. To deal with (and in attempts to explain/resolve) such questions, some prominent Christians through history have offered their interpretations/explanations of these contradictions/conflicts, and are colloquially known as "apologists". The study or "theological branch" of such endeavors is called "Apologetics".

A brief introduction and overview of the history of Apologetics (and notable apologists) can be read in the Wikipedia entry here.

There are numerous sites on the web that list biblical conflicts/contradictions. A simple Google search will provide many such resources (some with apologist "answers", some with lent refutations of apologist "answers").

If you like, here's one comphrehensive list of the most notable conflicts/contradictions from an "infidel's" perspective:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html

Another comprehensive listing of most of the same, with provided Christian apologist explanations:
http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/bible.htm

Good luck with those, and again, welcome.
 
jeffrey

jeffrey

†ßig Dog†
Christ taught love and was trying to tell people not to seek revenge. He goes on to say later in the passage that instead of love your neighbor, hate your enemy to love your neighbor AND your enemy. It's all about love. There is still not enough of it in this world. :)
 
Terrywoodenpic

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
God never contradicts himself.
Men's understanding of what he reads often leaves much to be desired.

Tho old testament is full of Jewish law, and this is not surprising, but it does not mean it is the word of God.
Both the Catholics and the Church of England Have many books on law, which once had full legal standing .
No one today would confuse these writings with either Gods laws ,or the word of God.

many denominations actually diminish the usefulness of the bible,
by taking passages out of context and ascribing them to the word of God.

To a Christian, Jesus Teachings give a clear picture on how we should conduct our lives.
Our national laws, reflect this to some extent, though imperfectly.

Jewish law never embraced Jesus's teachings and their law naturally did not reflect them.

Terry________________________
Blessed are those who bring peace, they shall be children of God
 
S

sushannah

Member
Terrywoodenpic said:
God never contradicts himself.
Men's understanding of what he reads often leaves much to be desired.

Tho old testament is full of Jewish law, and this is not surprising, but it does not mean it is the word of God.
Both the Catholics and the Church of England Have many books on law, which once had full legal standing .
No one today would confuse these writings with either Gods laws ,or the word of God.

many denominations actually diminish the usefulness of the bible,
by taking passages out of context and ascribing them to the word of God.

To a Christian, Jesus Teachings give a clear picture on how we should conduct our lives.
Our national laws, reflect this to some extent, though imperfectly.

[Jewish law never embraced Jesus's teachings and their law naturally did not reflect them.]

Terry________________________
Blessed are those who bring peace, they shall be children of God
Click to expand...
Jewish law cannot embrace Jesus's teachings as it predates Jesus, and in fact Jesus lived by Jewish law and embraced it!
 
jewscout

jewscout

Religious Zionist
nutshell said:
Jewish Law is God's law, to which Christ fulfilled and added to by giving us the higher law.
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i think, naturally, i'd have to disagree w/ you on that one;)
 
S

sushannah

Member
nutshell said:
Jewish Law is God's law, to which Christ fulfilled and added to by giving us the higher law.
Click to expand...
First, if Jewish law is G-d's law, why do we need a higher law. G-d is the highest authority! Also, where does the notion come from that Jewish is somehow unfulfilling and needed to be fulfilled? Another misconception is that Jewish law is somehow a burden. Ask observant Jewish people what they think of the law. I can tell you it is not unfulfilling or a burden.
 
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