I am currently working on a series of articles right now on what I consider to be flaws in the Bible. These are examples of what I consider to be discrepancies, errors, and failed prophecies. I want to know if anyone is interested in going through them with me. I especially invite anyone who believes that the Bible is divinely inspired, whether just the Hebrew Bible or both the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament. I just want to present examples of what I consider to be flaws and debate with believers over whether or not these flaws are truly flaws. I am not asking for a formal debate; just a dialogue in which I present what I consider to be flaws and believers present their solutions to the problem and I can try to rebut their proposals.
I want to keep this as civil as I can. I realize that in arguments like these, it's easy for people to lose their cool and start posting things that they regret. So, I am hoping for civility even though I expect some discussions to get rather heated. I have no problem acknowledging that I could be wrong and if it's proven to be the case, I will be happy to admit it. I won't be able to post anything right away such as tonight or tomorrow night; the fact of the matter is that I still want to reply to a thread regarding Noam Chomsky in another forum. So, I think I might be able to start posting later this week.
Is anyone interested?
There have been discrepancies by error of translation but that would not mean that the original writings had to be in error. There has also been evidence of additions to certain texts long after the texts were first written. Fortunately, both of these kinds of errors are very few.
But here, as follows, is an example of a kind of error that is by perception only: Romans 7:17 "So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me."
It has been falsely popularized that sin is literally resident in the human body due to failure of men to comprehend what Paul there meant. Jehovah's Witnesses even have fallen prey to this error in thinking. Yet they have far less of an excuse as they understand how God's spirit does not literally take up residence in the human body but rather influences the mind and heart of man from without while dwelling in or amidst the congregation of God's people. And they know that when God's Laws come to be written to a man's heart, then it can be figuratively spoken of as if God is dwelling in the person but that this dwelling is by effect.
Now at least they used to know and teach that in their publications. I cannot say for sure they have not lost that knowledge as I am noticing that something very strange seems to have happened to them in recent times.
Nevertheless, my point is that if they can understand that about the holy spirit of God, then they have little excuse for not seeing that this is the same way Paul's view of sin works. Sin is a spiritual thing. Sin entered the world, just as said at Romans 5:12, where it has the residence among or in the midst of men to influence men, competing with God's holy spirit. And apart from God's holy spirit nothing good can come to dwell in that same sense in our bodies. The spirit of sin would take full control of man's body leading it like it's slave.
To further help in understanding Paul's mindset on this, knowing that Paul represents sin as a cruel taskmaster or slave owner in Romans chapter 6, lets look at sin as though a cruel boss at our place of employment. People would caution us to not let that cruel boss get into us, meaning don't take his cruelties to heart so that they eat away at us. If we have allowed that cruel boss to get into us in that way and are letting his ways torment us we might act that out in various ways that we don't really desire to act, such as grouchiness. And then we could say similar to what Paul said concerning sin at Romans 7:17 ""So now it is no more I that do it, but my boss which dwelleth in me."
Jehovah's Witnesses haven't realized that understanding Paul's view of sin correctly is critical to understanding that Jesus had no sin in him. Yet they will tell you Jesus had no sin in him, and they are right, but can they then also explain Romans 6:10 so as to help people see that when Paul says of Jesus, quote, "he died unto sin once", that this does not mean sin was in him? If they haven't understood Paul's mindset on sin I rather doubt they can explain Paul's comment at Romans 6:17. They are left only to go to places like Hebrews 4:15 and hope others will agree. But others usually will only see, "For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are .." and they conclude that when it says, "yet without sin", that it means only, "without sinning", and not that he did not have sin in him to tempt him. And so Jehovah's Witnesses end up spinning their wheels in the mud with the many rather than making progress helping others see that Jesus had no sin in him.
But when we correctly comprehend Paul's mindset as regards sin we realize that none of us literally have sin dwelling in us, but by effect, as in the case of the holy spirit. Then it becomes easy to see how it is that Jesus had no sin in him and it yet be true that he, quote, "hath been in all points tempted like as we are."
As God reveals these things to me my heart is made to groan for the so many who by buying so tightly into their premature beliefs have locked themselves away from seeing the true picture. But I hold up despite that groaning and keep trying to speak this message God gave to me more clearly each time.
Knowing God's truth is not what saves us. What saves us is applying God's truth to our lives as did Jesus. And just because God granted my pleading with him to give me the wisdom to understand, that in no way means I am guaranteed salvation. It is one thing to speak words of truth and God can raise up stones to do that if he had to, but it is another thing to shape the conduct of one's life after that truth, and that takes practice. It takes practicing what is right as learned through that truth and it takes not excusing ourselves when we mess up. But weaker consciences are often hypercritical in that regard, leading to them being excessively judgmental of others. That too balances out the more we learn truth and practice it, but that is a whole other discussion.
