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Contradictions in the Bible

Windwalker

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Good-Ole-Rebel said:
You can find 'critical reading' and 'critical scholars' in all lines of education and faiths. Just because they are 'critical' doesn't make them right with God. And critical thinking that leads away from the Bible, and Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Saviour, is rejected by me.
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So, education and critical thinking cause people to lose faith? Is that what you are afraid of? BTW, when I'm talking critical thought, I'm talking using the tools of modern research, not just "thinking real hard", or something like that.
 
Good-Ole-Rebel

Good-Ole-Rebel

Well-Known Member
Skwim said:
So it must be good that we're surrounded by evil because god makes it.

Isa 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
​
That about it? Don't fight evil because it's something god wants us to have. Evil is, what, our friend? Praise evil? Work towards doing evil things?

.
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Evil here is in contrast with peace. Not good. Why did you leave that out? Oh, I see, just a typo.

Good-Ole-Rebel
 
Windwalker

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Good-Ole-Rebel said:
Because I believe His Word as given in the Bible.
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But what it means, is revealed to be different to those who use critical tools of modern research at their disposal, rather than what you are reading into it, which is purely a reflection of your own psychological and societal makeup. As mentioned to another, did you come from a home where the father was strict, harsh, and punitive? Or was it an unconditionally loving home where they nurtured instead of lectured? Which God you see, will be a reflection of this.
 
Good-Ole-Rebel

Good-Ole-Rebel

Well-Known Member
Windwalker said:
So, education and critical thinking cause people to lose faith? Is that what you are afraid of? BTW, when I'm talking critical thought, I'm talking using the tools of modern research, not just "thinking real hard", or something like that.
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If education and critical thinking leads one away from God, then it is a lie.

I am not afraid of it. I just recognize it.

Good-Ole-Rebel
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
Good-Ole-Rebel said:
I won't dare to think of anything leading away from my faith in Christ. Exactly right.

Ridgid? Is that a bad thing? To know what you believe is true? Is that a bad thing?

Good-Ole-Rebel
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The pretzel you made with my comments faintly hints at what
you must of did with a whole bible to work on.
 
Good-Ole-Rebel

Good-Ole-Rebel

Well-Known Member
Windwalker said:
But what it means, is revealed to be different to those who use critical tools of modern research at their disposal, rather than what you are reading into it, which is purely a reflection of your own psychological and societal makeup. As mentioned to another, did you come from a home where the father was strict, harsh, and punitive? Or was it an unconditionally loving home where they nurtured instead of lectured? Which God you see, will be a reflection of this.
Click to expand...

If your critical tools of modern research reject God, then I reject your critical thinking.

Good-Ole-Rebel
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
Good-Ole-Rebel said:
You mean because I believe the Bible?

Good-Ole-Rebel
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There you go again. We've seen this
before in others. The mind functions
as a all-purpose converter.

Whatever goes in is turned into something
else and comes back out unrecognizable

Weirdly, the Converters are totally self-unaware
and would never admit they do it.

A "conversation" with ye converster is rather like
"parallel play" seen in babies who've not developed
the social skill of interactive play.
 
savagewind

savagewind

Veteran Member
Premium Member
rrobs said:
Any specifics? Which of the 5 points I brought up amounts to nonsense and why? I was hoping for more of a discussion.
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Why are you resting on the premise that John 17:17 is referencing the written word that is the Bible? Maybe, it just means God's promises.
 
Subduction Zone

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Good-Ole-Rebel said:
No, God is not complicit in evil. He always does the good. If God saves 3000, it is good. If God slays 3000, it is good. The good is what God does. God doesn't do the good.

Good-Ole-Rebel
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I see that you are unfamiliar with the problem of evil:

Problem of evil - Wikipedia

It was the Greek philosopher Epicurus that first wrote of this:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

Your statement about God is of no value without evidence or reason. And it logically follows that he is the source of evil in the world.
 
rrobs

rrobs

Well-Known Member
nPeace said:
I do agree that we have to understand what scripture is saying by using the context, and often when we read of God doing something, it really means he allowed it.

However, I disagree that love and killing are at odds.
Aside from that, God balances all his qualities, so they all work in harmony. So love works with justice, and both work with wisdom, and all together they are in harmony with his use of power.
For example, if God was all powerful, but not wise loving and just, he would not use his power in a good way. He would likely be a tyrant.

Examples...
If you love someone - including yourself - you might kill a scorpion about to strike you or your loved one.
One who is a willful murderer may be considered a threat to the lives of others, and be put to death, in the name of justice.
A suicide bomber or a rampant knife slasher, may be stopped dead in their tracks by a bullet, in order to save lives.

For God, it is the loving thing to do, to remove the wicked. It is the just ting, to punish evil doers (I don't mean by torturing them for a moment, or eternally).
5 This is a proof of the righteous judgment of God, leading to your being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you are indeed suffering. 6 This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you. 7 But you who suffer tribulation will be given relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. 9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10 at the time when he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder among all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among you.

This does not mean, that God is right now killing people.
From what I read and understand in scripture...
He can allow one to be killed, and not intervene, but right now, is not God's time to act against the wicked. He says, he has an appointed time.
(Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:14-2:3)

Right now he is patiently allowing time, for people to know him, and have opportunity to choose his way. 2 Peter 3:9
That's the reason for the preaching of the good news of the kingdom. Matthew 24:14
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Heb 2:14,

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
​
Hebrews says the one with the power of death is the devil. God is certainly not in the business of helping the devil exercise his power.

Death is an enemy (1 Cor 15;26). God on the other hand is love. It was nor ever will be his desire that anybody should die.

Death is in no way God's cup of tea.

Ezek 18:32,

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.​

There must be some other explanation. How about Ezekiel as a starting point?

Ezek 33:11,

Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
​
Could it be my free will decisions throughout life be a factor in my death? I'm thinking it does. But God's will includes a giving me a new body when Jesus comes back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It'll be just like his resurrected body. God would be fine with everybody in the world that ever lived getting a similar new body. But, because of God's gift of free will, some want it and others don't. God can only urge us on, but he won't force anybody to follow His will.
 
F

Faithofchristian

Well-Known Member
rrobs said:
A common conception of the Bible is that it contradicts itself. It sure does look that way. I can't argue that. And yet it claims to be the truth,

John 17:17,

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
​
Well, there is something in the Bible that doesn't even need "interpretation." It's a pretty straight forward declaration. While belief in the statement is optional, it would nonetheless be hard to make it say anything other than that God's word, the Bible, is truth. But how can it be truth if it is full of contradictions?

A more fundamental question though might be, is it really full of contradictions, or do many jump to conclusions before doing any exhaustive study for themselves? I find that question particularly relative considering how many already know it is contradictory without having considered alternatives.

What alternatives?
  • To whom is God speaking in any part of the Bible? We commonly say one thing to one person or group, and something totally different to another.
  • To what time period do the two "contradictions" belong? It's nothing new; times change. We all know that in our daily life. Well, God can do that also.
  • What is the context? You tell your kids not to shout in the restaurant, and then tell them shouting is OK when walking in the forest.
  • Are we sure two different accounts are talking about the same event? There are times when recognizing that what seems to be the same event are actually two, albeit similar, events. Lot's of similar events in the Bible.
  • Are we sure the Bible version we use is true to the original Hebrew and Greek texts? It wouldn't be unusual for a scribe to make an honest mistake. It might just be possible that the scribe interjected their own "view" on doctrinal matters. I know of one "contradiction" that vanishes when a comma is removed. The original texts had no punctuation at all. The comma was added by some scribe and is therefore devoid of any diving authority.
There are other considerations, but I've found that those 5 clear up 99% of the apparent contradictions in the Bible. So now I have no trouble seeing that God's word is truth. It just takes a little bit of "getting under the hood" to see how the engine runs.
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Now that's amazing. How you come up with such things. As there is no contradictions in the Bible. Only you and others taking things out of it's context.

Back during the year 1611. Those men who translated the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts into English.
Did their best with what limited tools they had at that time.
Those people back in the year of 1611,
did not have all the necessary tools nor the technology as we have to day at their disposal to do a proper job of translation of languages into the English language, As we have to day.
So when you say there are contradictions in the Bible. Just remember those people back in the year 1611. did the best they could with what limited tools they had nor did they have the technology as we do to day.
To translate languages into the English language.
 
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