How do you address opposing Scripture verses?

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Soverign Grace

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We had to deal with someone acting in an official capacity do something wrong. I wasn't sure whether to "turn the other cheek" or "have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness but rather expose them." There seem to be dueling Scripture verses. Another example is when Scripture commands us to love our enemies, yet David prayed for harm to befall his enemies in the imprecatory psalms. Another example is when Scripture states that "no one has ever seen God" and yet Moses is said to have seen God face to face.

How do you handle dueling Scripture verses? What do you do if you have a decision to make about a course of action and yet Scripture seems to oppose itself?
 
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Deborah_

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"There is a time for everything..." (Ecclesiastes 3)

Following Jesus can't be reduced to simply obeying rules. We are given rules that appear to conflict (best example: Proverbs 26:4,5) because some situations demand that we act in one way and other situations that we do what is apparently the opposite.

This is why we need to ask for wisdom (James 1:5)! Wisdom to know which Scripture to apply.
 
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Butterfly

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You would need to give more details - perhaps then people would be able to offer better advice.
Also' turning the other cheek ' is not about simply forgetting or ignoring, in biblical times it would have meant the opposing person having to do something culturally ' offensive ' if they slapped the other cheek. So it was a challenge to the oppressor.
Rita
 
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Not me

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We had to deal with someone acting in an official capacity do something wrong. I wasn't sure whether to "turn the other cheek" or "have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness but rather expose them." There seem to be dueling Scripture verses. Another example is when Scripture commands us to love our enemies, yet David prayed for harm to befall his enemies in the imprecatory psalms. Another example is when Scripture states that "no one has ever seen God" and yet Moses is said to have seen God face to face.

How do you handle dueling Scripture verses? What do you do if you have a decision to make about a course of action and yet Scripture seems to oppose itself?

I don’t think there are any “dueling scripture” verses. I think it is our lack of Divine understanding of scripture that gives rise to the confusion.... Which we all see and experience from time to time. As with all directions, increase and growth from God, it must come inwardly. So whichever direction brings the most of the “peace of Christ” in your heart, would be the way I would think to proceed. For as long as your heart stays soft and open to His Spirit in you He is quite faithful to guide you.

That has been my experience, so I wish you well with your decisions.

In Christ, Not me
 
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Waiting on him

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Here’s the one I’m wrestling with currently

Psalm 146:3 KJV
[3] Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

John 3:14 KJV
[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:


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Taken

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We had to deal with someone acting in an official capacity do something wrong. I wasn't sure whether to "turn the other cheek" or "have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness but rather expose them." There seem to be dueling Scripture verses. Another example is when Scripture commands us to love our enemies, yet David prayed for harm to befall his enemies in the imprecatory psalms. Another example is when Scripture states that "no one has ever seen God" and yet Moses is said to have seen God face to face.

How do you handle dueling Scripture verses? What do you do if you have a decision to make about a course of action and yet Scripture seems to oppose itself?

Your points -
Exposing another...?
Jesus did..often saying "they" are this and "you" are that in complete opposition.

Jesus came to cause DIVISION.
Luke 12:51

With that DIVISION comes many Scriptures of WHAT, WHY, and WHO is MADE Divided.

Scripture opposing itself...?
No. Scripture addresses All men;
Scripture addresses;
Men Divided...
...some men are Divided "and With God"
...some men are Divided "and Without God".

That which Applies to a man With God...
Is not the Same which Applies to a man Without God.

What Applies to Each man...THAT man knows By what THAT man Believes and does.

That is called: Dividing the Word of Truth.
2 Tim 2:15

The measure of TRUTH is Gods Word...Absolute TRUTH...who is called Jesus.

David Warring Against his enemies...?
Yes. God wars Against His Enemies.
(As a matter of fact, a GREAT War is already prophecy FORETOLD for the end of days upon this earth...when a SEPARATION of the Divided shall occur.)
God was With David warring Against...
Gods Enemies...Davids Enemies...(one in the SAME Enemies)

Jesus brought a message "To Love your Enemies."

1) Was that message Given David? No.
2) Would David be accountable to Do something he was never Told? No
3) DID David ever EXPRESS NOT Loving His Enemies? No

What does Loving an ENEMY have to do with Warring Against an ENEMY ? Nothing.

Love Is one thing.
War Is a completely different thing.
Friend Is one thing.
Enemy Is a completely different thing.

They are DIVISIONS among men.
They are also DIVISIONS among Angels.

The Heavens were created For:
A Throne For God...
And an Estate For created Angels...

The Surface of the Earth was created For:
A Footstool For God...
And an Estate For created Mankind...

Angels were Created "WITH" freewill.
Mankind was Given freewill.

WITH Angels and Mankinds "FREEWILL"...
They each "INDIVIDUALLY" have the "FREEWILL" TO CHOOSE...
Obedience TO GOD...
OR
Reject Obedience TO GOD.

Obedience TO GOD...defines AN Angel, A Man....WITH GOD.

Rejection of Obedience TO GOD...defines AN Angel, A Man....WITHOUT GOD.

THUS...the Division.

And throughout History We find...
Angels who have REJECTED GOD, being cast OUT of their Heavenly Estate, "DOWN" to Earth.

And Men who have ReJeCTED GOD, being cast OUT of their Earthly Estate, "DOWN" to the INNER parts of the Earth.

And even some Angels, cast out of Heaven, Down to the Earth, and further Cast Down to the INNER parts of the Earth.

The DIVISION....of Angels and Mankind...WILL come to PASS...during the prophecy of the GREAT Separation...AKA...
The GREAT TRIBULATION.

It will COMPLETE the absolute SEPARATION of the DIVIDED...OF

Those "WITH" God and Those "AGAINST" (and WITHOUT) God.

There is NO "kind of, sort of, maybe".
An Angel, A man IS Either WITH God...or he Is Against God.

Matt 12
[30] He that is not with me is against me;

Glory to God,
Taken
 
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Giuliano

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Here’s the one I’m wrestling with currently

Psalm 146:3 KJV
[3] Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

John 3:14 KJV
[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:


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Here's I read those.

Faith in the Goodness of God comes first. Faith in Jesus is based on faith in God Who sent him. By himself, Jesus said he could do nothing.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
 

Waiting on him

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Here's I read those.

Faith in the Goodness of God comes first. Faith in Jesus is based on faith in God Who sent him. By himself, Jesus said he could do nothing.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
The thing I’m struggling with is numerous times He refers to himself as the son of man, but that makes no sense, because mans not involved in his conception?
When Peter is asked, he says Son of God, Jesus responds(blessed) this can only be given of His Father
 

Waiting on him

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Here's I read those.

Faith in the Goodness of God comes first. Faith in Jesus is based on faith in God Who sent him. By himself, Jesus said he could do nothing.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Guess this is one only He can reconcile for me?
 

Giuliano

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The thing I’m struggling with is numerous times He refers to himself as the son of man, but that makes no sense, because mans not involved in his conception?
When Peter is asked, he says Son of God, Jesus responds(blessed) this can only be given of His Father
I think the phrase "son of man" means he had the correct image and likeness of God which had been given to Adam. It's easier to see in the Hebrew which has different words for "man" but "Adam" means the more spiritual man while "enos" (or "enosh") is a physical man. Jesus received that proper image and likeness directly from God -- as did Adam.
 
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Waiting on him

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I think the phrase "son of man" means he had the correct image and likeness of God which had been given to Adam. It's easier to see in the Hebrew which has different words for "man" but "Adam" means the more spiritual man while "enos" (or "enosh") is a physical man. Jesus received that proper image and likeness directly from God -- as did Adam.
I like it, but then there’s the conflict with

Genesis 5:2 KJV
[2] Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.


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Giuliano

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I like it, but then there’s the conflict with

Genesis 5:2 KJV
[2] Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.


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That has to do with how Mary was a virgin. It's a lot easier for women to be or become pure than men. Thus men from the cursed tribe of Moab were not allowed to marry into Israel; but Ruth from Moab could if she converted. Jesus was spiritually both male and female; and when he was crucified, the female half remained on earth to become the Church while the male half became the Head of the Body of Christ. Eve was taken from the side of Adam and the church was formed from the blood and water that came from the side of Jesus.
 
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Waiting on him

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That has to do with how Mary was a virgin. It's a lot easier for women to be or become pure than men. Thus men from the cursed tribe of Moab were not allowed to marry into Israel; but Ruth from Moab could if she converted. Jesus was spiritually both male and female; and when he was crucified, the female half remained on earth to become the Church while the male half became the Head of the Body of Christ. Eve was taken from the side of Adam and the church was formed from the blood and water that came from the side of Jesus.
Now that something worth looking into.
 

VictoryinJesus

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We had to deal with someone acting in an official capacity do something wrong. I wasn't sure whether to "turn the other cheek" or "have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness but rather expose them." There seem to be dueling Scripture verses. Another example is when Scripture commands us to love our enemies, yet David prayed for harm to befall his enemies in the imprecatory psalms. Another example is when Scripture states that "no one has ever seen God" and yet Moses is said to have seen God face to face.

How do you handle dueling Scripture verses? What do you do if you have a decision to make about a course of action and yet Scripture seems to oppose itself?

This with David always confused me also. To turn the other cheek...consider God said we are to submit to God’s wrath for man’s wrath works not righteousness. Let their table become a stumbling block, a snare...David didn’t work this but consider how long it took God to work and fulfill what was asked, for good and not evil. Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

Give place to God’s wrath...He says to feed your enemies and give them drink (heaping coals of Fire upon their head)and the Lord will reward you. Light exposing darkness: 1 Peter 2:20-23 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. [21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: [22] Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: [23] Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

^Did light expose the darkness? In “who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously”
 
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Soverign Grace

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"There is a time for everything..." (Ecclesiastes 3)

Following Jesus can't be reduced to simply obeying rules. We are given rules that appear to conflict (best example: Proverbs 26:4,5) because some situations demand that we act in one way and other situations that we do what is apparently the opposite.

This is why we need to ask for wisdom (James 1:5)! Wisdom to know which Scripture to apply.

That's wise thinking. Sometimes however, it's hard to hear that wisdom. I've had times when I've known that something came from God but other times I feel like I can't seem to hear it.
 

Soverign Grace

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You would need to give more details - perhaps then people would be able to offer better advice.
Also' turning the other cheek ' is not about simply forgetting or ignoring, in biblical times it would have meant the opposing person having to do something culturally ' offensive ' if they slapped the other cheek. So it was a challenge to the oppressor.
Rita

We submitted a legal complaint to the court and a woman who worked there obviously obstructed our complaint from being heard - she was in collusion with a corrupt lawyer over a probate matter. She said the brief was "lost" then it was miraculously "found" and then she used that as an excuse to say that we filed it too late when she knew that we didn't. I dropped it at first but it nagged at me because we lost around $800 - and I'm very frugal. I've had to work hard for any money I ever earned. I would rather my family get it than that corrupt lawyer. Because of the corrupt actions of the court lawyer we lost money. At first I thought that maybe I would draw the corrupt lawyer and the court lawyer to God if I turned the other cheek. Then I thought that by letting it go I wasn't exposing darkness.

Sometimes even with prayer it's hard to determine what God would have you do. I read that silence is interpreted as assent - so by not filing a complaint over the matter we were in essence "saying" that it really didn't matter if the court lawyer was corrupt and caused us to lose money that was due me. By not "exposing" them they'd probably do it again.
 
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Butterfly

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Thank you for sharing more - not sure you would be able to prove anything. Obviously you can complain, which is not wrong and would make you feel as if you have done something. However it may leave you with more frustration. The thing with leaving things with God is that we then have to trust him to work things out in his timing. There will always be corruption and lack of accountability, sadly.
Rita
 

farouk

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Thank you for sharing more - not sure you would be able to prove anything. Obviously you can complain, which is not wrong and would make you feel as if you have done something. However it may leave you with more frustration. The thing with leaving things with God is that we then have to trust him to work things out in his timing. There will always be corruption and lack of accountability, sadly.
Rita
There is always blessing in being at peace Godward, rather than in making moves which while technically within one's rights could also be a form of self-assertion.
 

Waiting on him

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There is always blessing in being at peace Godward, rather than in making moves which while technically within one's rights could also be a form of self-assertion.
Sounds like a soft way of saying, don’t be a right fighter; could get expensive?