Are There Contradictions In Bible? - Religion - Nairaland
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| Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 2:38am On Jul 01, 2016 |
No, the entire Bible is harmonious. While some passages might seem to show the Bible contradicting itself, they can usually be understood correctly by applying one or more of the following principles: 1. Consider the context. Any author can appear to contradict himself if his words are taken out of context. 2. Consider the writer’s viewpoint. Eyewitnesses might describe an event accurately but not use the exact same wording or include the same details. 3. Take into account historical facts and customs. 4. Distinguish between the figurative and the literal uses of a word. 5. Recognize that an action may be attributed to someone—even if he did not personally carry it out. * 6. Use an accurate Bible translation. 7. Avoid trying to reconcile what the Bible says with mistaken religious ideas or dogma. The following examples show how these principles can explain some seeming inconsistencies in the Bible. Principle 1: Context If God rested on the seventh day, how has he continued working? The context of the Genesis creation account shows that the statement that God “began to rest on the seventh day from all his work that he had been doing” refers specifically to his work of physical creation respecting the earth. ( Genesis 2:2-4 ) Jesus did not contradict this, however, when he said that God “has kept working until now,” because he was talking about other works of God. ( John 5:17 ) God’s works include the inspiration of the Bible and his guidance and care of mankind.— Psalm 20:6; 105:5; 2 Peter 1:21 . Principles 2 and 3: Viewpoint and history Where did Jesus heal the blind man? The book of Luke says that Jesus healed a blind man as Jesus “was getting near to Jericho,” while the parallel account in Matthew mentions two blind men and says that the incident occurred when Jesus was “going out of Jericho.” ( Luke 18:35- 43; Matthew 20:29-34 ) These two accounts, written from different viewpoints, actually complement each other. Regarding the number of men, Matthew is more specific as to there being two, while Luke focuses on the one man to whom Jesus directed his remarks. As for the location, archaeologists have found that in Jesus’ time Jericho was a double city, with the old Jewish city situated about one and a half kilometers (1 mi) away from the newer Roman city. Jesus may have been between the two cities when he performed this miracle. Principle 4: Figurative and literal terms Will the earth be destroyed? At Ecclesiastes 1:4 , the Bible says that “the earth remains forever,” which to some apparently conflicts with its statement that “the elements will be destroyed by heat—with the earth.” ( 2 Peter 3:10 , Beck) In the Bible, however, the word “earth” is used both literally, referring to our planet, and figuratively, referring to the people who live on it. ( Genesis 1:1; 11:1 ) The destruction of the “earth” described at 2 Peter 3:10 refers, not to the burning up of our planet, but to the “destruction of the ungodly people.”— 2 Peter 3:7 . Principle 5: Attribution In Capernaum, who brought the centurion’s request to Jesus? Matthew 8:5, 6 says that the centurion (army officer) himself came to Jesus, while Luke 7:3 says that the centurion sent older men of the Jews to make his request. This apparent Bible contradiction can be understood in that the army officer initiated the request, but he sent the older men as his representatives. Principle 6: Accurate translation Do we all sin? The Bible teaches that we all inherit sin from the first man, Adam. ( Romans 5: 12) Some translations seem to contradict this by saying that a good person “does no sin” or “sinneth not.” ( 1 John 3:6 , The Bible in Basic English; King James Version) In the original language, though, the Greek verb for “sin” at 1 John 3:6 is in the present tense, which in that language normally indicates a continuous action. There is a difference between inherited sin, which we cannot avoid, and the deliberate, continuous practice of disobeying God’s laws. Thus, some translations clear up this seeming contradiction by accurately using phrases such as “does not practice sin” or “does not habitually sin.”— New World Translation; Phillips. Principle 7: The Bible, not dogma Is Jesus equal to God or lesser than God? Jesus once said: “I and the Father are one,” which seems to contradict his statement that “the Father is greater than I am.” ( John 10:30; 14:28 ) To understand those verses correctly, we must examine what the Bible really says about Jehovah and Jesus rather than try to harmonize the verses with the Trinity dogma, which is not based on the Bible. The Bible shows that Jehovah is not only Jesus’ Father but also Jesus’ God, the One whom even Jesus worships. ( Matthew 4:10; Mark 15:34; John 17:3; 20:17; 2 Corinthians 1:3 ) Jesus is not equal to God. The context of Jesus’ statement “I and the Father are one” shows that he was talking about the oneness of purpose that he shared with his Father, Jehovah God. Jesus later said: “The Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father.” ( John 10:38 ) Jesus shared this unity of purpose with his followers as well, for he prayed to God about them: “I have given them the glory that you have given me, in order that they may be one just as we are one. I in union with them and you in union with me.”— John 17:22, 23 https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/are-there-contradictions-in-the-bible/ |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by histemple: 2:46am On Jul 01, 2016 |
There are so many clear contradictions in the bible but we just have to understand that it was written by human beings who sometimes used their imagination to make sense of what they were told. It's still not clear if it was actually Moses that wrote the book of Deuteronomy because the same book described how he died and most of the chapters talked about Moses as a third party. There are some accounts that require further clarification and they were not captured. For instance, bible told us that it was on the 4th day that night and day were created, so what has God been using to number the days from day one? Who gave birth to Cain's wife since it was only him, Abel and their parents that existed before he killed Abel? |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by youngest85(m): 2:51am On Jul 01, 2016 |
no o, jst PARADOXATION! |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by youngest85(m): 2:53am On Jul 01, 2016 |
histemple: Are u a seeker or cross bearer? |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by Nobody: 5:04am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Yes.. 1 Like |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 7:34am On Jul 01, 2016 |
histemple: |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 7:38am On Jul 01, 2016 |
histemple: genesis 1:1,2 shows that god created heaven and earth. so heavenly bodies were created before creation of other things in earth. however, the light could not reach surface of the earth until 4th day because of thick cloud. Six Creative Periods Moses wrote his account in Hebrew, and he wrote it from the perspective of a person standing on the surface of the earth. These two facts combined with the knowledge that the universe existed before the beginning of the creative periods, or days, help to defuse much of the controversy surrounding the creation account. How so? A careful consideration of the Genesis account reveals that events starting during one “day” continued into one or more of the following “days.” For example, before the first creative “day” started, light from the already existing sun was somehow prevented from reaching the earth’s surface, possibly by thick clouds. ( ) During the first “day,” this barrier began to clear, allowing diffused light to penetrate the atmosphere. On the second “day,” the atmosphere evidently continued to clear, creating a space between the thick clouds above and the ocean below. On the fourth “day,” the atmosphere gradually cleared to such an extent that the sun and the moon were made to appear “in the expanse of the heavens.” ( ) In other words, from the perspective of a person on earth, the sun and moon began to be discernible. These events happened gradually. The Genesis account also relates that as the atmosphere continued to clear, flying creatures —including insects and membrane-winged creatures—started to appear on the fifth “day.” The Bible’s narrative allows for the possibility that some major events during each day, or creative period, occurred gradually rather than instantly, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102010234 |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 7:42am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Which first--beasts or man? GEN 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. GEN 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. GEN 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. GEN 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 7:43am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Snakes, while built low, do not eat dirt GEN 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 7:44am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Order of creation Here is the order in the first (Genesis 1), the Priestly tradition: Day 1: Sky, Earth, light Day 2: Water, both in ocean basins and above the sky(!) Day 3: Plants Day 4: Sun, Moon, stars (as calendrical and navigational aids) Day 5: Sea monsters (whales), fish, birds, land animals, creepy-crawlies (reptiles, insects, etc.) Day 6: Humans (apparently both sexes at the same time) Day 7: Nothing (the Gods took the first day off anyone ever did) Note that there are "days," "evenings," and "mornings" before the Sun was created. Here, the Deity is referred to as "Elohim," which is a plural, thus the literal translation, "the Gods." The second one (Genesis 2), the Yahwist tradition, goes: Earth and heavens (misty) Adam, the first man (on a desolate Earth) Plants Animals Eve, the first woman (from Adam's rib) |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 7:47am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Jesus' last words MAT 27:46,50: "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, eli, lama sabachthani?" that is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ...Jesus, when he cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." LUK 23:46: "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit:" and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." JOH 19:30: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished:" and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." seems he had three different mouths to speak from |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 10:51am On Jul 01, 2016 |
hopefulLandlord: The claim goes that there are two creation accounts: Genesis 1 and 2 give different accounts. In chapter 1, man and woman are created at the same time after the creation of the animals. In chapter 2, the animals are created after people. This apparent contradiction is best illustrated by looking at Genesis 2:19 . The language appears to suggest that God made the animals after making Adam and then He brought the animals to Adam. However, in Genesis 1, we have an account of God creating animals and then creating men and women. The difficulty with Genesis 2:19 lies with the use of the word formed. The same style is read in the KJV. The NIV has a subtly different rendition. The NIV suggests a different way of viewing the first two chapters of Genesis. Genesis 2 does not suggest a chronology. That is why the NIV suggests using the style “the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the fields.” Therefore, the animals being brought to Adam had already been made and were not being brought to him immediately after their creation. Interestingly, Tyndale agrees with the NIV—and Tyndale’s translation predates the KJV. Tyndale and the NIV are correct on this verse because the verb in the sentence can be translated as pluperfect rather than perfect . The pluperfect tense can be considered as the past of the past—that is to say, in a narration set in the past, the event to which the narration refers is already further in the past. Once the pluperfect is taken into account, the perceived contradiction completely disappears. try to compare translations of Bible |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 10:53am On Jul 01, 2016 |
hopefulLandlord: different eyewitnesses rendering an account in different ways do not mean contradiction. |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 11:00am On Jul 01, 2016 |
hopefulLandlord: snake stands for satan. rev chapter 12. the curse is on satan not on literal snake. |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 11:10am On Jul 01, 2016 |
hopefulLandlord: The plural form, ʼe·limʹ, is used when referring to other gods, such as at (“gods”). It is also used as the plural of majesty and excellence, as in : “Who can resemble Jehovah among the sons of God [ bi·venehʹ ʼE·limʹ ]?” That the plural form is used to denote a single individual here and in a number of other places is supported by the translation of ʼE·limʹ by the singular form The·osʹ in the Greek Septuagint; likewise by Deus in the Latin Vulgate. The Hebrew word ʼelo·himʹ (gods) appears to be from a root meaning “be strong.” ʼElo·himʹ is the plural of ʼelohʹah (god). Sometimes this plural refers to a number of gods ( ), but more often it is used as a plural of majesty, dignity, or excellence. ʼElo·himʹ is used in the Scriptures with reference to Jehovah himself, to angels, to idol gods (singular and plural), and to men. When applying to Jehovah, ʼElo·himʹ is used as a plural of majesty, dignity, or excellence. ( ) Regarding this, Aaron Ember wrote: “That the language of the O[ld] T[estament] has entirely given up the idea of plurality in . . . [ ʼElo·himʹ ] (as applied to the God of Israel) is especially shown by the fact that it is almost invariably construed with a singular verbal predicate, and takes a singular adjectival attribute. . . . [ ʼElo·himʹ ] must rather be explained as an intensive plural, denoting greatness and majesty, being equal to The Great God.”— The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Vol. XXI, 1905, p. 208. The title ʼElo·himʹ draws attention to Jehovah’s strength as the Creator. It appears 35 times by itself in the account of creation, and every time the verb describing what he said and did is in the singular number. ( ) In him resides the sum and substance of infinite forces. At , the angels are also referred to as ʼelo·himʹ, as is confirmed by Paul’s quotation of the passage at . They are called benehʹ ha·ʼElo·himʹ, “sons of God” ( KJ ); “sons of the true God” ( NW ), at . Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, by Koehler and Baumgartner (1958), page 134, says: “(individual) divine beings, gods.” And page 51 says: “the (single) gods,” and it cites . Hence, at ʼelo·himʹ is rendered “angels” ( LXX ); “godlike ones” ( NW ). http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001729 |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 11:14am On Jul 01, 2016 |
hopefulLandlord: How Long Were the Creative Days? What about the length of the creative days? Were they literally 24 hours long? Some claim that because Moses—the writer of Genesis—later referred to the day that followed the six creative days as a model for the weekly Sabbath, each of the creative days must be literally 24 hours long. ( ) Does the wording of Genesis support this conclusion? No, it does not. The fact is that the Hebrew word translated “day” can mean various lengths of time, not just a 24-hour period. For example, when summarizing God’s creative work, Moses refers to all six creative days as one day. ( ) In addition, on the first creative day, “God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night.” ( ) Here, only a portion of a 24-hour period is defined by the term “day.” Certainly, there is no basis in Scripture for arbitrarily stating that each creative day was 24 hours long. How long, then, were the creative days? The Bible does not say; however, the wording of indicates that considerable lengths of time were involved. www.jw.org |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:28am On Jul 01, 2016 |
joyandfaith: oh my! that's not contradiction? what is that I tell you what, only 1 (or none) is correct the others are wrong, that means the bible isn't as accurate |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:30am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Judas died how? "And he (Judas) cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests...bought with them the potter's field." (MAT 27:5) . "Now this man (Judas) purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." (ACT 1:18) |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by Nobody: 11:31am On Jul 01, 2016 |
joyandfaith:DOES Satan Also Crawl On His Belly?? |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:34am On Jul 01, 2016 |
joyandfaith: and you my good sir have seen Satan crawling on his belly and eating dirt I'm sure that's what he was doing when he met your god and they discussed about Job he was crawling and eating heavenly dust |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:36am On Jul 01, 2016 |
joyandfaith: you're seeing right there how genesis one and two contradicts each other . they gave DIFFERENT order of creation and here you are debating days . you're just answering out of context |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by Nobody: 11:46am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Jesus consistently contradicts himself concerning his Godly status. “I and my father are one.” (John 14:28) Also see Philippians 2:5-6 Those verses lead us to believe that he is a part of the trinity and equal to his father being a manifestation of him. Yet, Jesus also made many statements that deny he is the perfect men, much less God incarnate. Take the following for example: “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God” (Matthew 19:17). “My father if greater then I.” (John 14:28) Also see Matthew 24:26 Clearly, Jesus is denouncing the possibility of him being the Messiah in those three verses. |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:46am On Jul 01, 2016 |
What was Jesus' prediction regarding Peter's denial? . Before the cock crow - MAT 26:34 . Before the cock crow twice - MAR 14:30 |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by Nobody: 11:48am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Matthew 15:24 Jesus said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of lsrael,”. This would of course mean that he is here only to save the Jews. The scriptures repeatedly back up this notion that Christ is savior to the Jews and not the gentiles (see Romans 16:17, Revelations 14:3-4 & John 10). The contradiction lies in what Jesus later tells his followers: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:54am On Jul 01, 2016 |
How many times did the cock crow? MAR 14:72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. . MAT 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. MAT 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. . LUK 22:60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. LUK 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. . JOH 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, still thou hast denied me thrice. . JOH 18:27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 11:59am On Jul 01, 2016 |
How many children did Michal, the daughter of Saul, have? 2SA 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. . 2SA 21:8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 12:00pm On Jul 01, 2016 |
How old was Jehoiachin when he began to reign? 2KI 24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. . 2CH 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 12:04pm On Jul 01, 2016 |
What was the color of the robe placed on Jesus during his trial? . MAT 27:28 scarlet . JOH 19:2 purple . . . What did they give him to drink? . MAT 27:34 vinegar . MAR 15:23 wine with myrrh |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by Nobody: 12:22pm On Jul 01, 2016 |
hopefulLandlord:Haha Guy Chill She Is Still Looking For Reference On Their Site!! When She Comes Bk She Will Bring Something Out Of Context With Their Own Logic Out Of The Bible I Call Them Semi-Atheist |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by hopefulLandlord: 12:33pm On Jul 01, 2016 |
Lilbrown007: hahahahahaha, true that let me give her a beather |
| Re: Are There Contradictions In Bible? by joyandfaith: 10:21pm On Jul 01, 2016 |
get a copy of the book Bible- God Word or Man from any of jehovah witnesses or request copies through jw.org. it is free. it is fools that keep debating issues in internet. if we can meet or chat or talk on phone, i can present what i believe. |
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