The Bible is so confusing!

[rameumptom]

Originally Posted by EruditioSalvatus

The old testament was written in ancient hebrew over a thousand years before christians existed, it was translated several times before christians ever saw it, and finally, after several more translations, found its way into the english language.

Actually, it is only about 400 years, if we consider Malachi's prophecy period. And if we listen to modern scholars view that Daniel and several other books were written in the 2nd Century BC, we get even closer to the Christian era.

[prisonchaplain]

Ram, every Old Testament book has it's own issues, but over all, I found that the more liberal and less open to supernatural reality the scholars are the later they want to date the writings. Not to say that the oldest dates are always correct, but I'm a bit skeptical about those who are passionate to place dates as late as possible.

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by Galatians220

1. Search for a Bible Commentary. I don't know if the LDS has a commentary yet on the whole bible but look for it. A good commentary deals with every chapter in the Bible, not just select chapters and passages.

2. Buy a Bible Dictionary or Encyclopedia.

3. Buy a KJV dictionary because Old English is not easy for anyone to understand. If you can, buy an easy-to-read Bible version such as the NKJV

If you want your commentary from an LDS perspective, I find the Seminary and Institute student manuals quite helpful, and they're inexpensive, either in hard copy or on a CD of PDF files (that CD will get you all the current manuals for less than $5 US). See ldscatalog.com.

[Galatians220]

Originally Posted by SortOfMormon

I was just reading some random pages of the Bible, and it is like reading a language from Mars! Some of it is just plain hard to understand. And it always seems to contradict itself. Take a look at this.

Crazy stuff from the bible

What am I supposed to believe?

You know, I didn't see that site you've cited; I took a quick look and I realized that it was from an agnostic/atheist.

When you look at those scriptures, they do seemed to contradict each other but i believe that So-called Bible Contradictions, are not really contradictions at all but verses either misunderstood, used as a straw-man, or simply been taken out of their context.

I'll be looking at them one by one, and explain each one here to you.

[EruditioSalvatus]

Sorry, I keep forgetting christans lump other things than the Torah into the old testament. Parts of the old testament are over a thousand years old.

Lots of answers for screwy bible verses crop up, 'taken out of context,' 'allegorical or metaphorical,' and 'it was a miracle/it's all a mystery.'
Just like any amalgamated book the bible tends to have conflicting views on events. Maybe this is simple witness error, as I said before no people see the same thing the same way, or a translation, editing, or some other transcription error. It may also be someone who was doing the writing screwed up, wrote down what someone else said, or simply took some kind of poetic license.
I mean, how else can you get striped and spotted cow by using wooden rods?

[Galatians220]

Originally Posted by SortOfMormon

I am serious. I want to know what God is really like and they say to read the bible for answers. And for me it just causes more confusion. Here is some stuff from that website. The bold words are my comments.


"When the Lord delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the males .... As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves." (Deuteronomy 20:13-14)


I thought God was merciful, loving and good?


I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Exodus 32:14
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.


I thought God was all good and had no evil in him? The Bible is just plain confusing and just reading some of the cruel stuff from God in here troubles me.

God Is Loving by nature, but God is also Just, Merciful, and Holy so therefore, He must punish sin for what it is (see Exodus 34:6-7).

In that passage you are looking at, Isaiah 45:7; that is His statement of Authority, that He acts according to what is Right in His eyes:

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

And now on Exodus 32:14, let me ask you a question; why do you think the Bible says that?

[rameumptom]

Originally Posted by EruditioSalvatus

Sorry, I keep forgetting christans lump other things than the Torah into the old testament. Parts of the old testament are over a thousand years old.

Last time I looked at my Hebrew Bible, it had pretty much the same books as the Christian Old Testament, just in a different order. All of the Old Testament are over a thousand years old, as we have all but one book found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (dated circa 200 BCE - 70AD).

As we now have it, the Torah dates to around 600-500 BCE (with Ezra redacting it), and portions within those books dating earlier, depending on the writer (J wrote about 800 BCE). Do the oral traditions go back earlier? Of course. The Song of Miriam easily dates back prior to 1000 BCE.

[Maya]

Originally Posted by Galatians220

You know, I didn't see that site you've cited; I took a quick look and I realized that it was from an agnostic/atheist.

When you look at those scriptures, they do seemed to contradict each other but i believe that So-called Bible Contradictions, are not really contradictions at all but verses either misunderstood, used as a straw-man, or simply been taken out of their context.

I'll be looking at them one by one, and explain each one here to you.

Just like anti mormon stuff on mormons...

[Galatians220]

Originally Posted by Maya

Just like anti mormon stuff on mormons...

I'm sorry that you have seen those things; I met a few on youTUBE who are uncaring and are only interested in bashing Mormonism. What a shame

[Galatians220]

I got these contradictions from SortOfMormon who posted “The Bible is so confusing!” under “The Christian Belief Board." The Errors really bothered him so I looked into each one and found that A LOT have been taken seemingly without ANY regard for the Context, a few seemed deliberate. Only a few required explanation but again, the Context answered the problem completely.

After posting my second Statement abut the Bible, I thought I should demonstrate that such, So-Called Contradictions can be Answered just by looking at the Context. That means, ALL Contradictions can be Solved using the same easy method. Many required bible knowledge, but that's why reading the Bible is so important.

The following Contradictions are from this website:
Crazy stuff from the bible





1st Contradiction: God's Mercy

"For I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever." (Jeremiah 3:12)

Context
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
- God speaking to the Exiled Jews

"Ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn forever." (Jeremiah 17:4)

Context
4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.
5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
- God speaking to the Jews that have sinned by Trusting in Man than Trusting in God

When God forces the Jews into Exile, He is sending them to a life sentence where they will be persecuted, hated, maligned, and even killed. This is the punishment He warned them about in Deuteronomy 28-29 (See 28:15... 36-37; 29:25-26)





2nd Contradiction: Christ's Testimony

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid." (John 5:31)

Context
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
*31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
- His Witness is not true here IF he acted on his own independent from the Father. In this case, His witness is True BECAUSE He is in the will of His Father

"Jesus answered: Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid." (John 8:14)

Context
13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
*14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
- His witness is true because He knows Himself and the Father Knows Him





3rd Contradiction: Christ's Power of all things

"And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)

Context
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- this is in the Context of SAVING Mankind, and Not Owning. Recall Matthew 4, Satan tempted Jesus saiy, I will give you all the Kingdoms of the Earth if you bow down and worship me,

"the whole world is under control of the evil one." (1 John 5:19)

Context
- I'm not sure what Bible version he/she is using but that's not what the KJV says. Nevertheless, Satan is, the god of this world, ruling or influencing the hearts of man to error and heresies (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; 11:13-15, Ephesians 2:2-3)





4th Contradiction: Christ's Judgment

And Jesus said, "For judgement I am come into this world." (John 9:39)

Context
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
- The judgment spoken here is not of saving and condemning but to Reveal and Hide which is why Jesus spoke in Parables (Matthew 13:10-15)


"I came not to judge the world" (John 12:47)

Context
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
- God Judges Unbeliever here, which agrees with John 3:17-19





5th Contradiction: Showing Works

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Context
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
*16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
- That is talking about personal testimony to the World, not showing off works.

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
- That is talking about doing righteous deeds





6th Contradiction: God seen or unseen?

"Jacob said, 'I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.'" (Genesis 32:30)

Context
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a MAN with him until the breaking of the day.
...
*30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved
- This is not the last time God diguised Himself; in chapter 18:1-3, the Triune God revealed himself as three men.

"No man hath seen God at any time." (John 1:18)

- God is seen by man but his face, or Glory, is VEILED
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. - Exodus 34:18-20





7th Contradiction: Fear or Love God?

We should fear God (Matthew 10:28)
- Judgment; nothing to do with Christian living in fear

We should love God (Matthew 22:37)
- Has to do with Christian living

There is no fear in love (1 John 4:18)

Context
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
*18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
- No fear because the believers are SAVED. They will NOT face Judgment

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, - Jude 1:24





The best Apologetics site that deals with every major contradiction is at the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry; and Evangelical/Protestant site that answers and deals with major Heresies and Evolution Here is that page that specifically deals with such problematic verses:

A bit of warning though... the site also deals with Mormonism


Bible Difficulties | Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry