The BIBLE - Book of Contradictions ?

Here are some of the contradictions. What are you're thoughts?

Theological doctrines:

1. God is satisfied with his works
Gen 1:31
God is dissatisfied with his works.
Gen 6:6

2. God dwells in chosen temples
2 Chron 7:12,16
God dwells not in temples
Acts 7:48

3. God dwells in light
Tim 6:16
God dwells in darkness
1 Kings 8:12/ Ps 18:11/ Ps 97:2

4. God is seen and heard
Ex 33:23/ Ex 33:11/ Gen 3:9,10/ Gen 32:30/ Is 6:1/
Ex 24:9-11
God is invisible and cannot be heard
John 1:18/ John 5:37/ Ex 33:20/ 1 Tim 6:16

5. God is tired and rests
Ex 31:17
God is never tired and never rests
Is 40:28

6. God is everywhere present, sees and knows all things
Prov 15:3/ Ps 139:7-10/ Job 34:22,21
God is not everywhere present, neither sees nor knows all
things
Gen 11:5/ Gen 18:20,21/ Gen 3:8

7. God knows the hearts of men
Acts 1:24/ Ps 139:2,3
God tries men to find out what is in their heart
Deut 13:3/ Deut 8:2/ Gen 22:12

8. God is all powerful
Jer 32:27/ Matt 19:26
God is not all powerful
Judg 1:19

9. God is unchangeable
James 1:17/ Mal 3:6/ Ezek 24:14/ Num 23:19
God is changeable
Gen 6:6/ Jonah 3:10/ 1 Sam 2:30,31/ 2 Kings 20:1,4,5,6/
Ex 33:1,3,17,14

10. God is just and impartial
Ps 92:15/ Gen 18:25/ Deut 32:4/ Rom 2:11/ Ezek 18:25
God is unjust and partial
Gen 9:25/ Ex 20:5/ Rom 9:11-13/ Matt 13:12

11. God is the author of evil
Lam 3:38/ Jer 18:11/ Is 45:7/ Amos 3:6/ Ezek 20:25
God is not the author of evil
1 Cor 14:33/ Deut 32:4/ James 1:13

12. God gives freely to those who ask
James 1:5/ Luke 11:10
God withholds his blessings and prevents men from receiving
them
John 12:40/ Josh 11:20/ Is 63:17

13. God is to be found by those who seek him
Matt 7:8/ Prov 8:17
God is not to be found by those who seek him
Prov 1:28

14. God is warlike
Ex 15:3/ Is 51:15
God is peaceful
Rom 15:33/ 1 Cor 14:33

15. God is cruel, unmerciful, destructive, and ferocious
Jer 13:14/ Deut 7:16/ 1 Sam 15:2,3/ 1 Sam 6:19
God is kind, merciful, and good
James 5:11/ Lam 3:33/ 1 Chron 16:34/ Ezek 18:32/ Ps 145:9/
1 Tim 2:4/ 1 John 4:16/ Ps 25:8

16. God's anger is fierce and endures long
Num 32:13/ Num 25:4/ Jer 17:4
God's anger is slow and endures but for a minute
Ps 103:8/ Ps 30:5

17. God commands, approves of, and delights in burnt offerings,
sacrifices ,and holy days
Ex 29:36/ Lev 23:27/ Ex 29:18/ Lev 1:9
God disapproves of and has no pleasure in burnt offerings,
sacrifices, and holy days.
Jer 7:22/ Jer 6:20/ Ps 50:13,4/ Is 1:13,11,12

18. God accepts human sacrifices
2 Sam 21:8,9,14/ Gen 22:2/ Judg 11:30-32,34,38,39
God forbids human sacrifice
Deut 12:30,31

19. God tempts men
Gen 22:1/ 2 Sam 24:1/ Jer 20:7/ Matt 6:13
God tempts no man
James 1:13

20. God cannot lie
Heb 6:18
God lies by proxy; he sends forth lying spirits t deceive
2 Thes 2:11/ 1 Kings 22:23/ Ezek 14:9

21. Because of man's wickedness God destroys him
Gen 6:5,7
Because of man's wickedness God will not destroy him
Gen 8:21

22. God's attributes are revealed in his works.
Rom 1:20
God's attributes cannot be discovered
Job 11:7/ Is 40:28

23. There is but one God
Deut 6:4
There is a plurality of gods
Gen 1:26/ Gen 3:22/ Gen 18:1-3/ 1 John 5:7


Moral Precepts

24. Robbery commanded
Ex 3:21,22/ Ex 12:35,36
Robbery forbidden
Lev 19:13/ Ex 20:15

25. Lying approved and sanctioned
Josh 2:4-6/ James 2:25/ Ex 1:18-20/ 1 Kings 22:21,22
Lying forbidden
Ex 20:16/ Prov 12:22/ Rev 21:8

26. Hatred to the Edomite sanctioned
2 Kings 14:7,3
Hatred to the Edomite forbidden
Deut 23:7

27. Killing commanded
Ex 32:27
Killing forbidden
Ex 20:13

28. The blood-shedder must die
Gen 9:5,6
The blood-shedder must not die
Gen 4:15

29. The making of images forbidden
Ex 20:4
The making of images commanded
Ex 25:18,20

30. Slavery and oppression ordained
Gen 9:25/ Lev 25:45,46/ Joel 3:8
Slavery and oppression forbidden
Is 58:6/ Ex 22:21/ Ex 21:16/ Matt 23:10

31. Improvidence enjoyed
Matt 6:28,31,34/ Luke 6:30,35/ Luke 12:3
Improvidence condemned
1 Tim 5:8/ Prov 13:22

32. Anger approved
Eph 4:26
Anger disapproved
Eccl 7:9/ Prov 22:24/ James 1:20

33. Good works to be seen of men
Matt 5:16
Good works not to be seen of men
Matt 6:1

34. Judging of others forbidden
Matt 7:1,2
Judging of others approved
1 Cor 6:2-4/ 1 Cor 5:12

35. Christ taught non-resistance
Matt 5:39/ Matt 26:52
Christ taught and practiced physical resistance
Luke 22:36/ John 2:15

36. Christ warned his followers not to fear being killed
Luke 12:4
Christ himself avoided the Jews for fear of being killed
John 7:1

37. Public prayer sanctioned
1 Kings 8:22,54, 9:3
Public prayer disapproved
Matt 6:5,6

38. Importunity in prayer commended
Luke 18:5,7
Importunity in prayer condemned
Matt 6:7,8

39. The wearing of long hair by men sanctioned
Judg 13:5/ Num 6:5
The wearing of long hair by men condemned
1 Cor 11:14

40. Circumcision instituted
Gen 17:10
Circumcision condemned
Gal 5:2

41. The Sabbath instituted
Ex 20:8
The Sabbath repudiated
Is 1:13/ Rom 14:5/ Col 2:16

42. The Sabbath instituted because God rested on the seventh day
Ex 20:11
The Sabbath instituted because God brought the Israelites
out of Egypt
Deut 5:15

43. No work to be done on the Sabbath under penalty of death
Ex 31:15/ Num 15:32,36
Jesus Christ broke the Sabbath and justified his disciples in
the same
John 5:16/ Matt 12:1-3,5

44. Baptism commanded
Matt 28:19
Baptism not commanded
1 Cor 1:17,14

45. Every kind of animal allowed for food.
Gen 9:3/ 1 Cor 10:25/ Rom 14:14
Certain kinds of animals prohibited for food.
Deut 14:7,8

46. Taking of oaths sanctioned
Num 30:2/ Gen 21:23-24,31/ Gen 31:53/ Heb 6:13
Taking of oaths forbidden
Matt 5:34

47. Marriage approved
Gen 2:18/ Gen 1:28/ Matt 19:5/ Heb 13:4
Marriage disapproved
1 Cor 7:1/ 1 Cor 7:7,8

48. Freedom of divorce permitted
Deut 24:1/ Deut 21:10,11,14
Divorce restricted
Matt 5:32

49. Adultery forbidden
Ex 20:14/ Heb 13:4
Adultery allowed
Num 31:18/ Hos 1:2; 2:1-3

50. Marriage or cohabitation with a sister denounced
Deut 27:22/ Lev 20:17
Abraham married his sister and God blessed the union
Gen 20:11,12/ Gen 17:16

51. A man may marry his brother's widow
Deut 25:5
A man may not marry his brother's widow
Lev 20:21

52. Hatred to kindred enjoined
Luke 14:26
Hatred to kindred condemned
Eph 6:2/ Eph 5:25,29

53. Intoxicating beverages recommended
Prov 31:6,7/ 1 Tim 5:23/ Ps 104:15
Intoxicating beverages discountenanced
Prov 20:1/ Prov 23:31,32

54. It is our duty to obey our rulers, who are God's ministers
and punish evil doers only
Rom 13:1-3,6
It is not our duty to obey rulers, who sometimes punish the
good and receive unto themselves damnation therefor
Ex 1:17,20/ Dan 3:16,18/ Dan 6:9,7,10/ Acts 4:26,27/
Mark 12:38,39,40/ Luke 23:11,24,33,35

55. Women's rights denied
Gen 3:16/ 1 Tim 2:12/ 1 Cor 14:34/ 1 Pet 3:6
Women's rights affirmed
Judg 4:4,14,15/ Judg 5:7/ Acts 2:18/ Acts 21:9

56. Obedience to masters enjoined
Col 3:22,23/ 1 Pet 2:18
Obedience due to God only
Matt 4:10/ 1 Cor 7:23/ Matt 23:10

57. There is an unpardonable sin
Mark 3:29
There is not unpardonable sin
Acts 13:39


Historical Facts

58. Man was created after the other animals
Gen 1:25,26,27
Man was created before the other animals
Gen 2:18,19

59. Seed time and harvest were never to cease
Gen 8:22
Seed time and harvest did cease for seven years
Gen 41:54,56/ Gen 45:6

60. God hardened Pharaoh's heart
Ex 4:21/ Ed 9:12
Pharaoh hardened his own heart
Ex 8:15

61. All the cattle and horses in Egypt died
Ex 9:3,6/ 14:9
All the horses of Egypt did not die
Ex 14:9

62. Moses feared Pharaoh
Ex 2:14,15,23; 4:19
Moses did not fear Pharaoh
Heb 11:27

63. There died of the plague twenty-four thousand
Num 25:9
There died of the plague but twenty-three thousand
1 Cor 10:8

64. John the Baptist was Elias
Matt 11:14
John the Baptist was not Elias
John 1:21

65. The father of Joseph, Mary's husband was Jacob
Matt 1:16
The father of Mary's husband was Heli
Luke 3:23

66. The father of Salah was Arphaxad
Gen 11:12
The father of Salah was Cainan
Luke 3:35,36

67. There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David
Matt 1:17
There were but thirteen generations from Abraham to David
Matt 1:2-6

68. There were fourteen generations from the Babylonian captivity
to Christ.
Matt 1:17
There were but thirteen generations from the Babylonian
captivity to Christ
Matt 1:12-16

69. The infant Christ was taken into Egypt
Matt 2:14,15,19,21,23
The infant Christ was not taken into Egypt
Luke 2:22, 39

70. Christ was tempted in the wilderness
Mark 1:12,13
Christ was not tempted in the wilderness
John 2:1,2

71. Christ preached his first sermon on the mount
Matt 5:1,2
Christ preached his first sermon on the plain
Luke 6:17,20

72. John was in prison when Jesus went into Galilee
Mark 1:14
John was not in prison when Jesus went into Galilee
John 1:43/ John 3:22-24

73. Christ's disciples were commanded to go forth with a staff
and sandals
Mark 6:8,9
Christ's disciples were commanded to go forth with neither
staffs nor sandals.
Matt 10:9,10

74. A woman of Canaan besought Jesus
Matt 15:22
It was a Greek woman who besought Him
Mark 7:26

75. Two blind men besought Jesus
Matt 20:30
Only one blind man besought Him
Luke 18:35,38

76. Christ was crucified at the third hour
Mark 15:25
Christ was not crucified until the sixth hour
John 19:14,15

77. The two thieves reviled Christ.
Matt 27:44/ Mark 15:32
Only one of the thieves reviled Christ
Luke 23:39,40

78. Satan entered into Judas while at supper
John 13:27
Satan entered into him before the supper
Luke 22:3,4,7

79. Judas committed suicide by hanging
Matt 27:5
Judas did not hang himself, but died another way
Acts 1:18

80. The potter's field was purchased by Judas
Acts 1:18
The potter's field was purchased by the Chief Priests
Matt 27:6,7

81. There was but one woman who came to the sepulchre
John 20:1
There were two women who came to the sepulchre
Matt 28:1

82. There were three women who came to the sepulchre
Mark 16:1
There were more than three women who came to the sepulchre
Luke 24:10

83. It was at sunrise when they came to the sepulchre
Mark 16:2
It was some time before sunrise when they came.
John 20:1

84. There were two angels seen by the women at the sepulchre, and
they were standing up.
Luke 24:4
There was but one angel seen, and he was sitting down.
Matt 28:2,5

85. There were two angels seen within the sepulchre.
John 20:11,12
There was but one angel seen within the sepulchre
Mark 16:5

86. Christ was to be three days and three nights in the grave
Matt 12:40
Christ was but two days and two nights in the grave
Mark 15:25,42,44,45,46; 16:9>

87. Holy ghost bestowed at pentecost
Acts 1:8,5
Holy ghost bestowed before pentecost
John 20:22

88. The disciples were commanded immediately after the &nbs...
resurrection to go into Galilee
Matt 28:10
The disciples were commanded immediately after the &nbs...
resurrection to go tarry at Jerusalem
Luke 24:49

89. Jesus first appeared to the eleven disciples in a room at
Jerusalem
Luke 24:33,36,37/ John 20:19
Jesus first appeared to the eleven on a mountain in Galilee
Matt 28:16,17

90. Christ ascended from Mount Olivet
Acts 1:9,12
Christ ascended from Bethany
Luke 24:50,51

91. Paul's attendants heard the miraculous voice, and stood
speechless
Acts 9:7
Paul's attendants heard not the voice and were prostrate
Acts 26:14

92. Abraham departed to go into Canaan
Gen 12:5
Abraham went not knowing where
Heb 11:8

93. Abraham had two sons
Gal 4:22
Abraham had but one son
Heb 11:17

94. Keturah was Abraham's wife
Gen 25:1
Keturah was Abraham's concubine
1 Chron 1:32

95. Abraham begat a son when he was a hundred years old, by the
interposition of Providence
Gen 21:2/ Rom 4:19/ Heb 11:12
Abraham begat six children more after he was a hundred years
old without any interposition of providence
Gen 25:1,2

96. Jacob bought a sepulchre from Hamor
Josh 24:32
Abraham bought it of Hamor
Acts 7:16

97. God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed
forever
Gen 13:14,15,17; 17:8
Abraham and his seed never received the promised land
Acts 7:5/ Heb 11:9,13

98. Goliath was slain by Elhanan
2 Sam 21:19 *note, was changed in translation to be
correct. Original manuscript was incorrect>
The brother of Goliath was slain by Elhanan
1 Chron 20:5

99. Ahaziah began to reign in the twelfth year of Joram
2 Kings 8:25
Ahaziah began to reign in the eleventh year of Joram
2 Kings 9:29

100. Michal had no child
2 Sam 6:23
Michal had five children
2 Sam 21:8

101. David was tempted by the Lord to number Israel
2 Sam 24:1
David was tempted by Satan to number the people
1 Chron 21:1

102. The number of fighting men of Israel was 800,000; and of
Judah 500,000
2 Sam 24:9
The number of fighting men of Israel was 1,100,000; and of
Judah 470,000
1 Chron 21:5

103. David sinned in numbering the people
2 Sam 24:10
David never sinned, except in the matter of Uriah
1 Kings 15:5

104. One of the penalties of David's sin was seven years of
famine.
2 Sam 24:13
It was not seven years, but three years of famine
1 Chron 21:11,12

105. David took seven hundred horsemen
2 Sam 8:4
David took seven thousand horsemen
1 Chron 18:4

106. David bought a threshing floor for fifty shekels of silver
2 Sam 24:24
David bought the threshing floor for six hundred shekels of
gold
1 Chron 21:25

107. David's throne was to endure forever.
Ps 89:35-37
David's throne was cast down
Ps 89:44


Speculative Doctrines

108. Christ is equal with God
John 10:30/ Phil 2:5
Christ is not equal with God
John 14:28/ Matt 24:36

109. Jesus was all-powerful
Matt 28:18/ John 3:35
Jesus was not all-powerful
Mark 6:5

110. The law was superseded by the Christian dispensation
Luke 16:16/ Eph 2:15/ Rom 7:6
The law was not superseded by the Christian dispensation
Matt 5:17-19

111. Christ's mission was peace
Luke 2:13,14
Christ's mission was not peace
Matt 10:34

112. Christ received not testimony from man
John 5:33,34
Christ did receive testimony from man
John 15:27

113. Christ's witness of himself is true.
John 8:18,14
Christ's witness of himself is not true.
John 5:31

114. Christ laid down his life for his friends
John 15:13/ John 10:11
Christ laid down his life for his enemies
Rom 5:10

115. It was lawful for the Jews to put Christ to death
John 19:7
It was not lawful for the Jews to put Christ to death
John 18:31

116. Children are punished for the sins of the parents
Ex 20:5
Children are not punished for the sins of the parents
Ezek 18:20

117. Man is justified by faith alone
Rom 3:20/ Gal 2:16/ Gal 3:11,12/ Rom 4:2
Man is not justified by faith alone
James 2:21,24/ Rom 2:13

118. It is impossible to fall from grace
John 10:28/ Rom 8:38,39
It is possible to fall from grace
Ezek 18:24/ Heb 6:4-6, 2 Pet 2:20,21

119. No man is without sin
1 Kings 8:46/ Prov 20:9/ Eccl 7:20/ Rom 3:10
Christians are sinless
1 John 3: 9,6,8

120. There is to be a resurrection of the dead
1 Cor 15:52/ Rev 20:12,13/ Luke 20:37/ 1 Cor 15:16
There is to be no resurrection of the dead
Job 7:9/ Eccl 9:5/ Is 26:14

121. Reward and punishment to be bestowed in this world
Prov 11:31
Reward and punishment to be bestowed in the next world
Rev 20:12/ Matt 16:27/ 2 Cor 5:10

122. Annihilation the portion of all mankind
Job 3: 11,13-17,19-22/ Eccl 9:5,10/ Eccl 3:19,20
Endless misery the portion of all mankind
Matt 25:46/ Rev 20:10,15/ Rev 14:11/ Dan 12:2

123. The Earth is to be destroyed
2 Pet 3:10/ Heb 1:11/ Rev 20:11
The Earth is never to be destroyed
Ps 104:5/ Eccl 1:4

124. No evil shall happen to the godly
Prov 12:21/ 1 Pet 3:13
Evil does happen to the godly
Heb 12:6/ Job 2:3,7

125. Worldly good and prosperity are the lot of the godly
Prov 12:21/ Ps 37:28,32,33,37/ Ps 1:1,3/ Gen 39:2/
&... Job 42:12
Worldly misery and destitution the lot of the godly
Heb 11:37,38/ Rev 7:14/ 2 Tim 3:12/ Luke 21:17

126. Worldly prosperity a reward of righteousness and a blessing
Mark 10:29,30/ Ps 37:25/ Ps 112:1,3/ Job 22:23,24/
&... Prov 15:6
Worldly prosperity a curse and a bar to future reward
Luke 6:20,24/ Matt 6:19,21/ Luke 16:22/ Matt 19:24/
&... Luke 6:24

127. The Christian yoke is easy
Matt 11:28,29,30
The Christian yoke is not easy
John 16:33/ 2 Tim 3:12/ Heb 12:6,8

128. The fruit of God's spirit is love and gentleness
Gal 5:22
The fruit of God's spirit is vengeance and fury
Judg 15:14/ 1 Sam 18:10,11

129. Longevity enjoyed by the wicked
Job 21:7,8/ Ps 17:14/ Eccl 8:12/ Is 65:20
Longevity denied to the wicked
Eccl 8:13/ Ps 55:23/ Prov 10:27/ Job 36:14/ Eccl 7:17

130. Poverty a blessing
Luke 6:20,24/ Jams 2:5
Riches a blessing
Prov 10:15/ Job 22:23,24/ Job 42:12
Neither poverty nor riches a blessing
Prov 30:8,9

131. Wisdom a source of enjoyment
Prov 3:13,17
Wisdom a source of vexation, grief and sorrow
Eccl 1:17,18

132. A good name is a blessing
Eccl 7:1/ Prov 22:1
A good name is a curse
Luke 6:26

133. Laughter commended
Eccl 3:1,4/ Eccl 8:15
Laughter condemned
Luke 6:25/ Eccl 7:3,4

134. The rod of correction a remedy for foolishness
Prov 22:15
There is no remedy for foolishness
Prov 27:22

135. A fool should be answered according to his folly
Prov 26:5
A fool should not be answered according to his folly
Prov 26:4

136. Temptation to be desired
James 1:2
Temptation not to be desired
Matt 6:13

137. Prophecy is sure
2 Pet 1:19
Prophecy is not sure
Jer 18:7-10

138. Man's life was to be one hundred and twenty years
Gen 6:3/ Ps 90:10
Man's life is but seventy years
Ps 90:10

139. The fear of man was to be upon every beast
Gen 9:2
The fear of man is not upon the lion
Prov 30:30

140. Miracles a proof of divine mission
Matt 11:2-5/ John 3:2/ Ex 14:31
Miracles not a proof of divine mission
Ex 7:10-12/ Deut 13:1-3/ Luke 11:19

141. Moses was a very meek man
&... Num 12:3
Moses was a very cruel man
Num 31:15,17

142. Elijah went up to heaven
2 Kings 2:11
None but Christ ever ascended into heaven
John 3:13

143. All scripture is inspired
2 Tim 3:16
Some scripture is not inspired
1 Cor 7:6/ 1 Cor 7:12/ 2 Cor 11:17


More:
http://www.evilbible.com/Biblical%20Contradictions.htm

The bible is a book of mind control and contradiction is just part of the game.

Any well studied theologian can easily refute the apparent contradictions the websites like the one Impact got these from "discover."

Of course, out of context, it's easy to find contradictions. Especially when you isolate the verses. That's why I am against quoting verses for everything because it DOES lead to apparent contradictions that proper reading of Scripture won't find.

The Bible has no contradictions unless you are looking to find them.

Although I find it almost impossible to agree with Forgiveness Man on just about any subject, this is one where I have to concur with him (for the most part). It's interesting that you bring this up because I just happened to write a blog entry on my facebook the other day about this very topic. And it seems to perfectly answer the question you present. Below is a copy and paste from what I wrote 3 days ago (from a Christian perspective).


Long story short: The bible is NOT a book. Anyone who says something like “I don’t believe in that book” or “I believe every word of that book”, has already demonstrated their ignorance of what the bible actually is. It is in fact a collection of 66 books, written by about 40 different authors, in three different languages, over a period of 1600 years, representing about 40 generations, all bound together under ONE cover. It was “started” sometime between 1280 BC and 1450 BC and “concluded” at sometime between 70 AD and 95 AD. I use the terms “started” and “concluded” because that doesn’t indicate when the stories were actually “written” (exact dates are unknown) or “published” (different versions were published many times throughout the centuries), it simply means that’s the time frame in which the stories take place.

Short story long: Depending on who you talk to, the bible was either “authored” by God (also known as “YHVH” [Yahweh/Jehovah], the one “true” God of Abraham and creator of the universe) through men who directly spoke to God (inspired by God) to record the works, meaning it’s the written word of God, word-for-word. On the other hand (and much more likely) the bible was actually a collection of stories passed down through oral tradition, from one generation to the next, then eventually recorded onto scrolls by scribes, then translated by scholars, then interpreted by priests, then compiled by kings into one “authorized”, canonized "book" that we call “the bible”. Now, that doesn’t mean that these scribes, scholars, priests and kings weren’t also “inspired by God” in some way (I'm sure most of them were), it just means that there were a lot more hands in “dirtying up” the bible as we know it today. It means that anyone who thinks that God wrote the bible or that it is the literal word-for-word works of God is a complete moron! Christian or not, such a position not only defies all logic and reasoning but it also defies what most biblical scholars themselves actually claim about biblical history.

Does the bible contradict itself? The answer is YES and NO. It depends on your perspective (and level of biblical expertise). A lot of people make the claim that the bible can’t be “true” because it contradicts itself. I’ll be the first to acknowledge that there are plenty of inconsistencies and discrepancies that can be noted when reading it (probably why most people think it’s so hard to understand), but this claim of “contradiction” is often made in ignorance. The classic example of a biblical contradiction is the fact that “the bible” says “eye for an eye” and yet also says “turn the other cheek” at the same time. On the surface this is a contradition. In reality such an assumption is 100% WRONG! There is no contradiction there. It’s only a contradiction if you completely ignore WHERE in the bible it says those things, WHO is saying them, WHO its being said to, and THE CONTEXT in which it’s being said. Only if you do ALL of those things, do those scriptures become contradictions. But if you actually know what the hell you’re doing when you read it, it makes perfect sense. One part of the bible often says something completely different than another part of the bible. That in itself is not a contradiction, it simply means that what has been said and directed to a certain group of people at a certain time, for a specific reason, no longer applies when the “contradictory” statement is said somewhere else in the bible.

The true inconsistencies and discrepancies in the bible have more to do with the technical aspects of how the bible was compiled and translated more so that what it actually says or the intent of the message. For instance, WHO decided which books would be included into the bible and which books would be excluded? The answer is people did. Corrupt people who made decisions in their own best interests without any regard for the total truth. People who wanted only their intepretation and their views of Christianity to survive. Also, why are there different translations of the bible? What should be taken LITERALLY verses what should be taken as a figurative analogy? Can something be translated from ancient languages into modern English and still be 100% accurate? Has the context and meaning of certain words and phrases changed over the course of the last 4,000 years? Things like that…

If you read the bible without taking any of those things into consideration, you’ll likely come away with nothing useful (whether you believe what it says or not). It will either seem like a complete and utter work of fiction that doesn’t make any sense at all (in which case you’ll probably dismiss all of the wisdom it actually has to offer), or you will be so blinded by “faith” that you’ll take whatever it says literally, try to apply it to your life today and wonder why people think you are crazy! Basically, the only way one can really make good use of the bible is to take it with a grain of salt. If you learn ABOUT the bible first, then learn THE BIBLE second, it’s much easier to comprehend (that is if you actually give a shit).

The bible has these things called “Mosaic Laws” (laws written by Moses for the Israelites in the time before the Messiah). These laws are recorded in the Old Testament and seem odd to us today (and they are), but they reflect what was considered fair, true and just in that society at that point in history. “Justice” was quicker and harsher back then because men had no path to salvation (before Christ) and their hearts was “hardened”. It was also a time when only the Israelites (God’s chosen people) were aware of the true nature of “God” and when everyone else practiced “false religion” or “paganism”. Those laws were necessary to preserve the “true religion” of Abraham, until the messiah could arrive to bring the truth to all people. The Old Testament is basically an early “loose” description of creation (Genesis), the Jews exodus from Egypt, the revelation of the Ten Commandments (Exodus, Deuteronomy), the various histories of the OT (Judges, Kings, etc), prophecies of the future (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc), and general wisdom to prosperous living at the time (Psalms, Proverbs, etc).

The New Testament records the life and times of Christ, his message of salvation and the messages passed down by his followers (disciples and Apostles), ie: the rules are “different”. Some of the Old Testament laws still apply (because they are repeated in the NT), some of them are expanded upon or clarified by Jesus (since he is the better “interpreter” for God than other men) and others are done away with altogether because the purpose for them no longer applies and certain requirements have been met through the fulfilling of prophecy. Basically, parts of the NT contradict parts of the OT because IT’S ALLOWED TO! Other parts of scripture only “seems” to contradict certain other parts because they are A) translated badly, B) interpreted incorrectly or C) a combination of both. So ultimately, who’s interpretation of the bible really counts? The answer is YOURS, as in the individual. Not a particular denomination, not “the church”, not “your family”, not “the majority”, but yours alone!

So just try to remember that the bible is not “a book” written by “God” or “a church”. It’s a collection of works that is neither completely fictional, nor completely accurate. It contains numerous historical facts as well as many embellished stories. Some of it is literal, some of it is figurative. God had a major hand in it and so did the devil (aka MAN). The bible is a “tool” which has been utilized for both good and evil at various points in history. If people only kept things like this in mind when attempting to read the bible, it would make a lot more sense and you'd be able to gain a wealth of useful information from it. And it’d be much more difficult to “criticize” it as far as having a plethora of "contradictions". The biggest obstacle to the secular world embracing the bible as truth is CHRISTIANS! If only they could actually read the bible properly and follow the examples of Christ in it, it’d be much easier to convince the atheists to see it in a more positive light than they generally do! The true reason why the bible seems like a contradiction is because most so-called "Christians" don't actually follow it, they only pretend to. And that's the biggest contradiction of all!

captainbryce wrote:Although I find it almost impossible to agree with Forgiveness Man on just about any subject, this is one where I have to concur with him (for the most part).

See there! I think the ice is thawing between you and FM, captain. Do I have to play Danny Tanner and coerce you two to hug?

IA though, my problem with the Bible isn't its contradictions (many of those were taken out of context), but rather the hypocrisy of many of its followers. Don't cherry pick which passages to follow, for your own convenience, while ignoring the others.

I'd also like to say Impact that you have way too many alleged contradictions for anyone here to realistically address. However, in order to point out the error in your general reasoning, I thought select a random example of yours to specifically address.

138. Man's life was to be one hundred and twenty years
Gen 6:3/ Ps 90:10
Man's life is but seventy years
Ps 90:10[

Actually, Genesis 6:3 says
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

Examination of this scripture reveals the words "contend with" to translate more accurately into "remain in" and the word "mortal" to actually mean "corrupt" or "erring". That in mind, what is the intent of this scripture? The intent (as revealed by the following passages) is that God means to put a limit on just how long humans can live (due to their wickedness). The scripture did NOT say that every man will live to 120 years old. It is simply saying that man will not live beyond 120 years old or that such an age will be the high end of their lifespan. The longest lived person ever verified by documented evidence was a woman who lived to be 122 years, 164 days old. The oldest MAN ever recorded died when he was 120 years, 237 days old. The names are in listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Psalm 90:10 says this:
Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

This psalm represents the trials and tribulations in the "everyday man" throughout his life. The AVERAGE lifespan in most developed countries in fact measures between seventy and eighty years! The point being made here is that BOTH of these scriptures are correct (according to what modern medicine tells us) and neither one contradicts the other when they are read in context. Men CAN live up to 120 years, and MOST MEN live around 70 or 80 years.

Chris wrote:

captainbryce wrote:Although I find it almost impossible to agree with Forgiveness Man on just about any subject, this is one where I have to concur with him (for the most part).

See there! I think the ice is thawing between you and FM, captain. Do I have to play Danny Tanner and coerce you two to hug?

I honestly don't have a problem with Forgiveness Man and I rather enjoy debating with him. Mostly because it tends to shed some light on issues that would otherwise be obscured by the fallacies in many of his arguments. I think Forgiveness Man is stubborn, doesn't like to be "wrong", thinks he's always right, and resents when people point out to him the contrary. I don't hold any of that against him because I also believe him to be young, naive and not very worldly (all things which can be "cured" over time and life experience). I think he's a little stuck in his ways and not very willing to look at things from an outside perspective. But all that said, I don't think he's a bad guy and I think he honestly believes most of the things he says. Misguided as many of his positions are, I think they come from the heart and I also think that he's been very fair and cordial in his responses considering how often his position is attacked by everyone else (including me). The fact that he still comes here to post and is willing to put up an argument is in itself worthy of my respect.

Chris wrote:IA though, my problem with the Bible isn't its contradictions (many of those were taken out of context), but rather the hypocrisy of many of its followers. Don't cherry pick which passages to follow, for your own convenience, while ignoring the others.

I agree with you 100% here.