Contradictions in the Bible?

[blessed76]

I am just now in the process of reading my Bible. In addition, I am also in the process of deepening my faith and "dying to self." I still have some questions, though, as I am on this journey. For instance, how does one ever truly know what the Lord expects of us when there are so many contradictions in the Bible.IE:1) An eye for an eye VS. Turn the other cheek VS. Vengeance is mineThis is just one example and there are three different statements to go by. There are plenty more though I can't remember one at the moment. I don't understand how I am to choose which to hold to as the rule for life. And if you use each in different situations, how do you know which situations warrant which instruction?

 

[kalixx]

Although such statements can often appear to be contradictory, we can often find that there is, in fact a common thread that runs through them. In the case that you mention above I think the thread is about "justice and love". Remember, Jesus did not come to abolish the old law, but to fulfil it, or, if you like, to update it in the light of the New Covenant.The "eye for an eye" can be looked at two ways. Often we see only a statement saying "if someone hits you then hit them back". But in fact this statement can also be seen as a limitation on our reaction. If someone acts against us, we should not demand more in return than what equals the damage done, i.e. "only an eye in return for an eye and not more than one eye". This is a statement of justice in compensation and is applied even now in our courts all the time.When Jesus says turn the other cheek, he is talking about applying the law of "love thy neighbour" and passing the law of fair retaliation into God's hands. This we can phrase in terms of not taking the law into one's own hands but relying on the judicial system and, if you like, God's justice to put matters right. However, Jesus is talking about more than just justice, he is talking about our attitude towards others who are doing harm and how we should respond to evil with good (as Paul also taught us).This same theme is also reflected in God's reminder that "Vengeance is mine". How could there be a better justice than that from God? Although one may have to wait a long time to see that justice done, surely faith includes belief that God will settle all debts.I think the above is summed up quite neatly in Paul's letter to the Romans ch 12, in particular: Rom 12:14-21 . Verse 18 happens to be my personal motto for my entire lifestyle

 

[blessed76]

kalixx...awesome answer. I plan on reading your referenced passages today! THANK YOU!

 

[waynemlj]

Hi, again, blessed76,I'm glad to know that you are reading the Bible. I hope you are reading every day and memorizing some Scripture passages that are particularly meaningful to you. That's how your faith will grow . . . as you get to know the wonderful works of God. He wants to reveal Himself to you, that's why He inspired men to write His teachings to us in the Bible.To answer your question. Make a distinction between the Old Testament Books and the New Testament Books. Jesus came to fulfill (that is, to complete) God's teachings that were first given to the Hebrew nation in the Old Testament period. God chose Israel as His people, not because they were better than other nations, but because He intended to make them better, to make them His witness to all the other nations around them. The Hebrew people didn't know God and so were living in a pagan manner, and God had to begin to teach them . . . slowly, bit by bit. Therefore, he laid down some extremely strict rules to separate their lifestyle from all other peoples. When a thousand years or so went by, the time was perfect in God's plan to send Jesus to become a man (but a perfect man --sinless).Jesus began to refine the teachings that God gave in times past. The Hebrew people didn't understand, yet, that their thoughts are the place where sin begins. Example, they thought that if they didn't have sexual intercourse with a woman other than their wife, that they were innocent of committing adultery. Jesus brought them to a whole higher level of understanding of their sin when he said in Matthew 5:27-28, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."It was time now for Jesus to upgrade their understanding that God does not just look at actions, but He looks at the thoughts in our minds and hearts . . . where all sin begins.So there are no contradictions in the Bible. Rather, God's final stage of teaching us how to live has now arrived through Jesus Christ, through His holy life, through His death on the cross to take the punishment for the sins of all who believe, and, finally, through His resurrection from the dead to be crowned the King of kings.I hope this helps clear up some of your confusion.waynemlj

 

[MickinEngland]

SCHOOLS OUT FOREVER by MickPeople wonder why the Old Testament was so harsh. The answer is that God has never changed, but the way he had to package himself to get his message across HAS changed, he had to talk in harsh primitive OT terms to earlier harsh primitive peoples in their own "language" like a strict headteacher to get their attention."The law brought us to Christ like a schoolmaster,but now through Christ we are not under that schoolmaster" (Gal 3:22-25)(Likewise, when Ryker in Star Trek joined Klingon vessel Pagh on an exchange visit as 1st Officer he had to punch and throw stroppy Klingon 2nd Officer Klag across the bridge to get the attention and respect of him and the rest of the crew )Then when God felt the time was right to package himself in a softer way to more advanced peoples, he gave us Jesus who came not to abolish the OT wholesale, but to show us how to apply its rules with enlightened goodnatured commonsense.Jesus said - "It was said 'eye for eye,tooth for tooth' but I say turn the other cheek" (Mat 5:38/39)And people quickly realised - "The covenant of Jesus is superior to the old one" (Heb 8:6-13)Remember, Jesus saves, not the OT

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[DrBubbaLove]

another view is that an "eye for an eye" is better than "your whole clan for an eye". At the time the law was given the norm for what would be a slight offense today might be to wipe out an entire clan. In that world, an eye for an eye is a huge step in another direction. Many thousands of years before man was ready to hear the real message, Love.The world fell with Adam, and when men prefer evil over good, God allows them to get what they what they want. Yet we see individuals along the way from Adam; Noah, Abraham, Moses....etc who were different than other men. God deals with us where we are. Just an alternative thought.

 

[MickinEngland]

When atheists gleefully say there are jarring contradictory bits in the Bible, my reply is -"One minute you say the Bible has been re-written, edited and censored over the centuries to make it look good, then the next minute you say its still full of inconsistencies.Make up your mind, have the discrepancies been edited out or haven't they?"..

Anyway, the fact that there are some contradictions speaks volumes for the Bibles trustworthiness, proving its come down to us over the centuries untouched because nobody has tried to 'pretty it up'..

 

[blessed76]

Kalixx...I seem to gravitate toward your answers as they are well written and easy for me to think through. I like how you speak and though I think I'm pretty intelligent (at time, lol), wading through learning about the Bible and the Lord has been confusing. You make it easy. Thanks so much.And to everyone else as well, thank you so very much for taking the time to respond. It means a lot to me!