Dealing With Biblical Contradictions

[Kenny]

Objective wins out in the reality stakes

Reality can be subjective.

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

You seem to be intimating that i dont know the bible. Sure o haven't studied it to the extent you claim to have done but i have read 3 different versions cover to cover and several books and many verses.

I dont judge a book by its cover but the contents, i cant see any contradictions on the cover, can you? And...does it really matter that translated books are not original, no original of the NT exists anyway. And of course, these myriad new versions are what most of the christian population consider to be the bible.



Considering the OT, where most of the errors are, is more or less a direct (but selective) copy of Hebrew scripture, in which the same contradictions exist i would not agree that we are looking at translation errors.

Nearly all translations are using self made Greek New Testaments. They arent even the one in the Greek Church here in the West. Because of sectarian control, the West and the East have a huge schism. The Western translations have errors. Especially the Greek Nestle Aland, Wescott and Hort and the Erasmus text. They dont want to use the Greek Text found in the Greek Church. They like money and new versions over the Truth.
Btw i disagree with a lot thats being taught in the Greek Church, it differs from the Greek New Testament!


Go learn Greek and Hebrew. Else you dont know whats written in the Holy Scriptures. Dont base your understanding on translations..

If you dont want to learn the languages. Know that the Message is simple. Love God and Love your neighbor, love others like you love yourself, do good, do not sin, do not commit idolatry, serve humanity.

 

[ChristineM]

Reality can be subjective.

You think?

Subjective is subject to opinion. Opinions differ
Objective is not influenced by opinion

The only way subjective can be seen as real is if it is an opinion of the physical

 

[Kenny]

You think?

Subjective is subject to opinion. Opinions differ
Objective is not influenced by opinion

The only way subjective can be seen as real is if it is an opinion of the physical

Exactly.

My wife's reality was that marriages only lasted for 7 years. Here abnormality was normal for her because of where she grew up in and the circumstance that she observed in many. She thought she was being objective but it was objectivity within the context of her reality.

Jesus changed her reality as we celebrated our 44 years of marriage.

What is your objective reality that might be subjective?

 

[ChristineM]

Nearly all translations are using self made Greek New Testaments. They arent even the one in the Greek Church here in the West. Because of sectarian control, the West and the East have a huge schism. The Western translations have errors. Especially the Greek Nestle Aland, Wescott and Hort and the Erasmus text. They dont want to use the Greek Text found in the Greek Church. They like money and new versions over the Truth.
Btw i disagree with a lot thats being taught in the Greek Church, it differs from the Greek New Testament!


Go learn Greek and Hebrew. Else you dont know whats written in the Holy Scriptures. Dont base your understanding on translations..

If you dont want to learn the languages. Know that the Message is simple. Love God and Love your neighbor, love others like you love yourself, do good, do not sin, do not commit idolatry, serve humanity.

Like i said, the vast majority of bible are modern versions. Of them the OT contains the same errors as

Personally i dont care that they are full of errors, i do care when people say they are not but are perfect. It seems on that we can agree.

Sorry, religion is not for me so :-

'Love God' - makes no sense when no gods exist.

'Love your neighbor, love others like you love yourself' - You dont need religion to care for people.

'do good' - see above

'do not sin' - what is sin? Not worshipping your god? Im guilty. Murdering in the name of a god? Im innocent.

'do not commit idolatry', meaningless

'serve humanity' again, no god required.

 

[ChristineM]

Exactly.

My wife's reality was that marriages only lasted for 7 years. Here abnormality was normal for her because of where she grew up in and the circumstance that she observed in many. She thought she was being objective but it was objectivity within the context of her reality.

Jesus changed her reality as we celebrated our 44 years of marriage.

What is your objective reality that might be subjective?

What? Your wifes thought were subjective. The reality is, 44 years later her thoughts were wrong,


I believe (subjective) that my wardrobe is made of wood. On investigation, the reality is that my wardrobe is made of wood.

 

[sealchan]

I wonder if you studied the originals in Greek and Hebrew.

Translations have errors.

No, I am mainly just using the NIV. But I do some additional light research through Wikipedia as I review the text.

Aside from that I have read books about the Old and New Testament written by those who have read the original language.

 

[74x12]

Brother,

An English translation of the Quran - 74:30 Upon it is nineteen.
An English translation of the Quran - 74:31 And We have made the guardians of the Fire to be angels; and We did not make their number except as a test for those who have rejected, so that those who were given the Book would understand, and those who have faith would be increased in faith, and so that those who have been given the Book and the believers do not have doubt, and so that those who have a sickness in their hearts and the rejecters would say: "What did God mean with an example such as this?" It is such that God misguides whom He wishes, and He guides whom He wishes. And none know the soldiers of your Lord except He; and it is but a reminder for human beings.

Nineteen is a reference to the guardians of the Fire. And its number was a test for you guys as well since RK followers rejected 9:128-129.

May God guide you, protect you, increase your knowledge, and grant you Hes understanding.

Sorry, not sure what RK is ...

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

Sorry, not sure what RK is ...

Ah sorry man, i thought you where a Rashad Khalifa follower. Because of your picture 74*12.

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

No, I am mainly just using the NIV. But I do some additional light research through Wikipedia as I review the text.

Aside from that I have read books about the Old and New Testament written by those who have read the original language.

Never trust an interpretation or someone else.

NIV isn't a good translation. And is based on the Nestle Aland instead of the Greek New Testament that can be found in the Greek Church.

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

Like i said, the vast majority of bible are modern versions. Of them the OT contains the same errors as

Personally i dont care that they are full of errors, i do care when people say they are not but are perfect. It seems on that we can agree.

Sorry, religion is not for me so :-

'Love God' - makes no sense when no gods exist.

'Love your neighbor, love others like you love yourself' - You dont need religion to care for people.

'do good' - see above

'do not sin' - what is sin? Not worshipping your god? Im guilty. Murdering in the name of a god? Im innocent.

'do not commit idolatry', meaningless

'serve humanity' again, no god required.

Do you know Greek and Hebrew?

You shouldnt listen to translators and people.

Dont judge the Book by its cover.

 

[Thief]

I just finished watching a video critiquing another video by Kyle Butts who argues that the Bible has no contradictions. At the end of the video I was watching its host observed that Butt's audience is fine with his contention because Butts, having settled the issue in their minds "don't want to look to closely at the Bible anyway." This got me thinking about all the contradictions I've come across in the Bible . Contradictions such as

There were many languages before the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 10:5
5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.​

There was only one language before the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:1
11 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.​

**********************************
8,000 and 500,000 men

2 Samuel 24:9
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.​

1,100,000 and 470,000

1 Chronicles 21:5
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.​

***********************************
Judas throws the money away, and dies by hanging himself

Matthew 27:5
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.​

Judas buys a field with the money, and dies by falling down.

Act 1:18
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.​

***********************************
Jesse has seven sons

1 Chronicles 2:13-15
13 And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,14 Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:​

Jesse has eight sons

1 Samuel 17:12
12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.​

and wondered how Christians here on RF handle Bible contradictions. Do they deny them, ignore them, accept them but dismiss them as irrelevant, or wring out an explanation for them all? So, to all the Christians on board here, just what do you do with the contradictions in your Bible?

Just deny they exist and go on about your day.

Admit they exist, but totally ignore them

Accept them, but go on to dismiss them as irrelevant,

Wring out the best explanation you can, in effect rendering them non-contradictory.

Or_______________________________ .

.​

or......take it in stride

the contradictions I found were weighed against what I was looking for

some call that cherry picking
some call that cheating

ok......

but scripture is for spirit
and history ....though implied.....cannot be ascertained

throw out the whole of it?......because of glitches in the details?

 

[ChristineM]

Do you know Greek and Hebrew?

You shouldnt listen to translators and people.

Dont judge the Book by its cover.

I dont know greek or hebrew but other people do and i can read.

Which book, the several hundred modern translations? Or the original bible?... Oh wait, there are no original bible, the closest is the Vulgate, written some 80 years after the original.

I have already responded to that catch phrase, do you want the same answer again or are you expecting me to change my answer?

 

[Neb]

Judas throws the money away, and dies by hanging himself

Matthew 27:5

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Judas buys a field with the money, and dies by falling down.

Act 1:18

18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

Judas did not die “by falling down”. Judas was dead already before he fell down “headlong” or head first. How did it happen?

In Matt 27:5 it literally says: “hanged himself”. What kind of hanging one could do to oneself? Impaling, i.e., by the waist or “in the midst” so when it falls to the ground the upper body will fall “headlong” separating from the lower body, therefore, the intestines will be all over the place. It’s like when Judas was decomposing his body weight cuts him into two pieces [in the midst] where his upper body fell “headlong” “and all his bowels gushed out”. How could one fall “headlong” “and all his bowels gushed out” if one hanged himself by the neck? Impossible, isn’t it?

Who bought the field? If you read the whole context in Matthew you will find out. The chief priest bought the field [see verses 6 and 7] perhaps in Judas’ name. In Acts 1:18 it says: “Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity”. Was Judas buried in that field?

 

[nPeace]

I just finished watching a video critiquing another video by Kyle Butts who argues that the Bible has no contradictions. At the end of the video I was watching its host observed that Butt's audience is fine with his contention because Butts, having settled the issue in their minds "don't want to look to closely at the Bible anyway." This got me thinking about all the contradictions I've come across in the Bible . Contradictions such as

There were many languages before the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 10:5
5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.​

There was only one language before the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:1
11 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.​

**********************************
8,000 and 500,000 men

2 Samuel 24:9
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.​

1,100,000 and 470,000

1 Chronicles 21:5
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.​

***********************************
Judas throws the money away, and dies by hanging himself

Matthew 27:5
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.​

Judas buys a field with the money, and dies by falling down.

Act 1:18
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.​

***********************************
Jesse has seven sons

1 Chronicles 2:13-15
13 And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,14 Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:​

Jesse has eight sons

1 Samuel 17:12
12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.​

and wondered how Christians here on RF handle Bible contradictions. Do they deny them, ignore them, accept them but dismiss them as irrelevant, or wring out an explanation for them all? So, to all the Christians on board here, just what do you do with the contradictions in your Bible?

Just deny they exist and go on about your day.

Admit they exist, but totally ignore them

Accept them, but go on to dismiss them as irrelevant,

Wring out the best explanation you can, in effect rendering them non-contradictory.

Or_______________________________ .

.​

One who looks for issues in the Bible can certainly find, many, but the many they find, may only be 1% of all they find.
Likewise, the seeming contradictions they find, may not be contradictions at all, but misunderstandings in most cases - about 99.6%.

However, to be fair, let's say they are contradictions, as one who do not deny that a few copyist errors have crept into the translations of the Bible, I do not deny them, but view them as so insignificant in comparison to the harmonious, and error free, beneficial part of the Bible. It's like comparing earth to - I'll go easy on you - Arcturus.

However, if one is on VY Canis Maloris, and they want to see the earth, I don't think that's a bad thing. It's the only known body in the universe to hold intelligent life, and an abundance of beauty.
So maybe insignificance does matter.

From my vantage point though, the Bible has too much value, to be affected by invaluable, and practically invisible

 

[Skwim]

Most translations, if not all, have translation errors, because they don't use the original Greek New Testament which can be found in the Greek Church and the Hebrew Bible that can be found in the Hebrew Synagogue.

If you want the details. Then go learn Greek and Hebrew.

Are you suggesting that the scholars and translators who put together the various translations were so dumb as to not consider all the relevant Greek and Hebrew sources? And that if they had, none of the contradictions we find in English language versions of the Bible would have appeared?

.
.

 

[Skwim]

or......take it in stride

the contradictions I found were weighed against what I was looking for

some call that cherry picking
some call that cheating

ok......

but scripture is for spirit
and history ....though implied.....cannot be ascertained

throw out the whole of it?......because of glitches in the details?

I take it then that you'd put yourself in the "Accept them, but go on to dismiss them as irrelevant," category. Thank you.

.

 

[nPeace]

You're wrong

He's right.
Chapter ten first gives the history, before going into the details.
It starts with "This is the history of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Jaʹpheth".

It tells us what happened after the Tower of Babel too.
Genesis 10:8-12
8 Cush became father to Nimrod. He was the first to become a mighty one on the earth. 9 He became a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah. That is why there is a saying: “Just like Nimrod, a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Acʹcad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Re·hoʹboth-Ir, Calah, 12 and Reʹsen, between Nineveh and Calah: This is the great city.

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

Are you suggesting that the scholars and translators who put together the various translations were so dumb as to not consider all the relevant Greek and Hebrew sources? And that if they had, none of the contradictions we find in English language versions of the Bible would have appeared?

.
.

They are humans as well. Why dont you try to learn Greek and Hebrew and see how hard it is to make a perfect translation?

And also there are a lot who are sectarian and thus make a sectarian translation.

 

[Kenny]

What? Your wifes thought were subjective. The reality is, 44 years later her thoughts were wrong,


I believe (subjective) that my wardrobe is made of wood. On investigation, the reality is that my wardrobe is made of wood.

You make absolutely no sense... but that's OK. We are a free country and not believing in God is a freedom, however much it will violate reality.