Peace all
The Bible is riddled with repetitions and contradictions, things that the Bible bangers would be quick to point out in
anything that they want to criticize. For instance, Genesis 1 and 2 disagree about the order in which things are created, and
how satisfied God is about the results of his labors. The flood story is really two interwoven stories that contradict each
other on how many of each kind of animal are to be brought into the Ark -- is it one pair each or seven pairs each of the
"clean" ones? The Gospel of John disagrees with the other three Gospels on the activities of Jesus Christ (how long had he
stayed in Jerusalem -- a couple of days or a whole year?) and all four Gospels contradict each other on the details of Jesus
Christ's last moments and resurrection. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke contradict each other on the genealogy of Jesus
Christ' father; though both agree that Joseph was not his real father. Repetitions and contradictions are understandable for
a hodgepodge collection of documents, but not for some carefully constructed treatise, reflecting a well-thought-out plan.
"explain" these:
1. "That is to be taken metaphorically" In other words, what is written is not what is meant. I find this entertaining,
especially for those who decide what ISN'T to be taken as other than the absolute WORD OF GOD - which just happens
to agree with the particular thing they happen to want...
2. "It has to be understood in context" I find this amusing because it comes from the same crowd that likes to push likewise
extracted verses that support their particular view. Often it is just one of the verses in the contradictory set is suppose to be
taken as THE TRUTH when if you add more to it it suddenly becomes "out of context". How many of you have goten
JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown up at you?
3. "there was just a copying/writing error" This is sometimes called a "transcription error", as in where one number was
meant and an incorrect one was copied down. Or that what was "quoted" wasn't really what was said, but just what the
author thought was said when he thought it was said. And that's right - I'm not disagreeing with events, I'm disagreeing with
what is WRITTEN. Which is apparently agreed that it is incorrect. This is an amusing misdirection to the problem that the
bible itself is wrong.
4. "That is a miracle". Naturally. That is why it is stated as fact.
5. "God works in mysterious ways" A useful dodge when the speaker doesn't understand the conflict between what the
bible SAYS and what they WISH it said.
Who is the father of Joseph?
MAT 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
LUK 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was
the son of Heli.
Who was at the Empty Tomb? Is it :
MAT 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary to see the sepulchre.
MAR 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought
sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
JOH 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth
the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Jesus' last words
Matt.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."
Luke23:46: "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."
John19:30: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished:" and he bowed his head, and gave up
the ghost."
God be seen?
Exod. 24:9,10; Amos 9:1; Gen. 26:2; and John 14:9
God CAN be seen:
"And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my backparts." (Ex. 33:23)
"And the Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend." (Ex. 33:11)
"For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." (Gen. 32:30)
God CANNOT be seen:
"No man hath seen God at any time." (John 1:18)
"And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live." (Ex. 33:20)
"Whom no man hath seen nor can see." (1 Tim. 6:16)
Does every man sin?
KI1 8:46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to
the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
CH2 6:36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them
over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
PRO 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
ECC 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
JO1 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
JO1 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to for- give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
JO1 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
JO1 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God.